Wandering to Wonder - Joshua 4:21-24

Recently, our (21-month-0ld) son has been entertaining us by putting his blanket over his head and "wooo-ing" like a ghost. If that isn't funny enough, he will sometimes come walking down the hall with the blanket over his head, not knowing exactly where the walls and corners are. So, on occasion, when he does this, he'll smack into a wall or a corner. Of course, he's not going fast enough to hurt himself. Other times, he'll just walk around in the living room, bumping into things before he tries to "scare" us by being a ghost or one of the Backyardigan episode characters, the Moose of the Mist.

As he wanders around and makes us laugh, I wonder how many times that God may be laughing at us as we wander around. I think of my son as being silly; God must look at us and think we're being silly. Specifically, pertaining to the situations where we are making choices that may cause us to wander around a little more before we realize we need to take the blinders off to know where we're going.

Can you imagine what it would have been like to wander around in the wilderness for forty years? This wasn't that big of a place, but imagine walking all over the United States (or your country) for forty years. Don't you think you would have seen quite a bit of it in that amount of time? The area where they were at was not nearly as big as the United States, so they probably were seeing some similar areas more than once.

Yesterday, we looked at the text where the Israelites finally were able to cross over to the Promised Land. The Land was not without it's fair share of challenges. As we'll see, there are battles to confront. However, they finally were able to go over to this Land that they'd been wondering about for quite some time. Now is that time. Here are some applications to choose from to use this week as you try to relate to going from 'wandering to wonder' with the Israelites...

1. All came to an end - When we're involved/caught up with something that seems like there is no end in sight, it is nice to know that we've gotten through to the end. If you're in the middle of a situation, there will be an end to it. Hopefully you won't have to be in it for 40 years! If you've been able to get out of a situation, tell God "thanks" for getting you through it and for the lessons you learned.
2. Passing over isn't always easy - Why did God choose for the Israelites to have to pass through water, again, to get to where He was wanting them to go? Here's a possibility, He doesn't want us to have such an easy victory that we don't remember Him. I think we need to see Him as we pass to a place of 'promise'. God didn't lead His people to a place and then tell Joshua, "You're here now, this is it". The journey needed to come with dependence on God. God told the people the Promised Land is on the other side of the Jordan. "Ok, how are we going to get there?" God receded the waters, gave them the Ark (of the Covenant) to look at - reminding them of Him - and they proceeded to trek across. Your journeys may be intermixed with a message of "here's a river to cross". Where you must put your trust in Him to get you across it. He will, and most likely give you dry land to do it, just like the Israelites. However, if you have mud to trudge through, maybe that is a reminder to think about Him in your slowed journey across.
3. Wonder, wonder, wonder - It takes my attention away from my difficulties or stresses when I begin to wonder how God is going to use me today. In what situation, with whom, for whom, etc. Be a light to someone and show them who lives in you!

Forty years are finally over. The Israelites are able to be in the land Yahweh had promised. They can put these recent years behind them. The Israelites are going to "take the land" that God has promised...victory is theirs! By the way, it is also ours!...cool, huh!?

Are you going around with a blanket on your head? Take it off and open your eyes to the wonderments of God!

Opening my eyes to the possibilities!