Joshua 21 “Future Tense”

Joshua 21 – Brandon Hatmaker “Future Tense”
Thursday, August 21st, 2008

“So the LORD gave Israel all the land he had sworn to give their forefathers, and they took possession of it and settled there. The LORD gave them rest on every side, just as he had sworn to their forefathers. Not one of their enemies withstood them; the LORD handed all their enemies over to them. Not one of all the LORD's good promises to the house of Israel failed; every one was fulfilled.” – Joshua 21:43-45

What an amazing reminder of God’s faithfulness. Makes me think of Paul’s words to the Romans when he wrote, “And hope does not disappoint us…”. Just like God’s promises were fulfilled in Joshua (He’s the same yesterday, today, and forever), we can be confident that all that we hope for in Christ has been, is being, and will be fulfilled. But in my flesh, I also see the danger in focusing too much on what is ahead because I tend to forget about today. In fact, forget about eternity distracting me, just thinking about tomorrow throws me off. If I’m not careful, it typically does one of two things to me: It either makes me relax too much or I get anxious about all the things that need to be done. Neither of these responses seem appropriate. (I’m working on it.)

I’m reminded of an old saying I used to hear all the time in “church” circles. It was a warning not to be so “heavenly minded” that we’re no “earthly good”. While at first blush, it either makes you defensive or you find yourself in agreement, either way, it’s a good tension to ponder.

Bottom line, our hope in the future should bring confidence for today. It’s not about escapism which results in being “no earthly good”. Paul did not see being in “chains” as something to simply survive because one day he knew he’d be in heaven. Instead, he said that, “what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel. As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ.” Paul had hope, not only for tomorrow, but also for today.

Therefore, hope’s intention was not to offer distraction or permission for complacency. That is our nature, not God’s. It’s offered for the task at hand. Whether that is in living for Christ tangibly or intangibly.

So we’ve focused on hope for today… now that we have perspective… let’s also give ourselves permission to enjoy our future of Hope. John Piper gave some great thoughts on this… “So don’t make the mistake of thinking that future-oriented, future-sustained joy limits present usefulness. It doesn’t limit it. It liberates it. If your future is glorious and sure (which it is in Christ!), you don’t live for money or power or fame. You don’t have to grasp and snatch and chase pleasures that are slipping through your aging fingers. You are free to live for others now. You are free to be another kind of person than the kind that lives for this world. If your hope is glorious and sure, you will seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these other basic things will be added to you (Matthew 6:33). Your love will be genuine. It will be radical, risk-taking, sacrificial because of the joy set before you.”

He’s saying that if we really believe the hope we profess… it WILL impact our today and tomorrow. This is one of those huge spiritual “both/and” situations. I love it.

So let’s get back to the heart of the matter, in light of our great future as children of God, what is our task at hand? I read a Blog this morning critiquing NT Wrights, book “Simply Christian”. I thought a portion of it’s writing was a good bit of encouragement and would be a nice “bow” on top of this package. Here’s what it said”

“Overall, I think Wright is on target with a simple message that most Christians would agree on, but which we find distressingly hard to actually do: live Christlike lives. If the world’s encounter with Christianity came through loving, peaceful, gracious, helpful Christian lives, and not through angry politics or theological bickering, the Kingdom of God might not seem quite so distant as it sometimes appears today.”

Father, you have given us hope for today. Help us to know it and live it. Amen.