"Tight lines" is a blessing fishermen offer each other, a wish for lines taut with the weight of good fish. May God grant that the lines written here be taut with His blessings.
Wednesday, 24 February 2010 | |||
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Get Back Up | |||
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A recent Newsweek sports blog reflects on the winter Olympic equivalent of getting back up on the horse off which you fell. The writer begins by discussing a face-first crash by luge champion Shaun White in an event before the Olympics. White said it shook him up, but the way to shake off the shakes was "to get back up to the top to do it again." White then successfully completed the move where he first crashed and won the race. On a darker note, the writer notes that the death of the Georgian luger during a training run at the Olympics did not halt plans to continue the event, albeit with some modifications to the track and a lower starting point. All the competitors also felt it was right to continue the event and do their best. There's a bit of getting back up on the horse for Joshua and the army of Israel in Joshua 8, as they prepare for another run at conquering the fortified city of Ai. After the rout that began chapter 7, many of them must have been somewhat leery of another go at the folks who so soundly defeated them. Joshua's own attitude in chapter 7 verse 7 was monumentally defeatist. Yet in chapter 8, they are prepared to try again. The lesson is that the renewed effort is all divinely orchestrated. In verse 2 of chapter 8, God gives them the right strategy, an ambush behind the city, with a frontal assault only as a ruse. No more cocky forays with a minimal force. God also tells Joshua to take the whole army, which he then divides, part for the ambush and part for the march on the gates, which is a feint. God blesses the carefully following of His instructions and there is finally a great victory at Ai. God relaxes the herem ban a little, allowing some plunder and livestock, but the destruction of all the inhabitants according to God's direction is faithfully executed. After a brief, disastrous loss, Israel is back, we might say. The theme of renewal is carried forward even more at the end of the chapter, verses 30-35, as the nation renews its covenant with God following the instructions of Moses in Deuteronomy 27. The theme of blessing or curse in verse 34, which is even more prominent in Deuteronomy 27, mirrors the contrast between the victory in chapter 8 and the defeat in chapter 7. The covenant renewal is a refreshed recognition that Israel depends solely on God for its success. For Christians the Israelite victory of Joshua 8 will remind us of the renewal and victory that God can bring even after our worst defeats and failures. Yet for us we know that it's more than just a matter of courage to get up and try again. We are constantly aware that our spiritual success is utterly dependent on God. That is the very nature of grace, a renewal and blessing that is undeserved and unobtainable by our own efforts. Let us look for the moments both in individual spiritual practice and in corporate worship where we may hear again the good news of God's grace in Jesus and renew our covenant to live only in and through that grace. Then we will be able to get back up and try again, time after time. | |||
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I am the pastor of Valley Covenant Church in Eugene, Oregon. I love to flyfish and hike along the beautiful rivers in our area. I welcome your comments as I share sermon work in progress and occasional other thoughts.
Thank you for visiting this blog. I invite you also to visit my web page.
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