Read
Joshua Ch 12: 7-8
Here is a list of the kings of the land that Joshua and the Israelites conquered on the west side of the Jordan, from Baal Gad in the Valley of Lebanon to Mount Halak, which rises toward Seir. Joshua gave their lands as an inheritance to the tribes of Israel according to their tribal divisions. 8 The lands included the hill country, the western foothills, the Arabah, the mountain slopes, the wilderness and the Negev. These were the lands of the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. These were the kings….
Think
“What an important man I am,” thought Jalopnik, the king of Tappuah. “People will remember me when I’m gone! They’ll probably put me in the big, serious looking history books and parents will tell their children about me. Perhaps in thousands of years my name will still be on people’s lips…”
This king’s name features in none of the stories told in Joshua. In fact not even his name appears, so I’ve made it up. His title – king of Tappuah – appears only here, in a list of people who died getting in the way of God’s plans. Some legacy.
Do you want your life to matter? The problem lies in building your own little kingdom, with no thought for the fact that a bigger, better, more worthy kingdom might come crashing down on top of it – or just as bad, you might live a long and peaceful life only to discover at the end that in the true scheme of things you woefully missed the mark.
The key to living a life that leaves the right mark on history is first to accept that it’s not your story – it’s God’s. Give up any pretence to the throne and bow to the true king, Jesus. Only in him can you live a life of real substance, of lasting impact. A life where the end goal is that centuries after you’re gone, there would still be a name on the lips of many, and it would be Jesus.
Follow him, make him lord over every decision, every action, everything you own and all the years you have left. Only then can you look back at the end of your days with deep satisfaction, and look ahead to unfading treasure in eternity with him.
Pray
Father, thank you that you can lift our eyes from our little corner of history to see that we’ve been drawn into your great story. We’re so grateful that you would think it worthwhile to give us a part to play in your salvation plans.
Please help us to see where we’ve tried to make ourselves king – we give you permission once again to take the reins and do with us as you please. May your name be the one celebrated in all the history books, may our lives be lived in praise of the true king, and may we be able to look back together at the end of our days with glad and thankful hearts because your kingdom came first.
Amen!
