This is a most discouraging chapter in the Bible.  Doesn’t seem possible.  Joshua,  Moses’ successor, has led God’s people into the promised land.  God reminds them that, in spite of all His love and faithfulness, they have chosen to turn their backs on Him.  Trouble lies ahead, consequences of their rebellion.  The people cry out to the Lord.  Help!   Naming the place ‘Bochim’, which means ‘weepers’.  ‘Finders,  keepers/  losers,  weepers’.  They find themselves not keeping their part of the covenant.  Therefore,  losing is coming their way, causing weeping with deep regrets.

Joshua 2:6-7 tell of a repentant people serving the Lord, seeing the miraculous hand of God– ‘…the great work that the Lord had done for Israel’.  A miracle of submission.  But, can this last?

Joshua has died at a ripe old age.  Judges 2:10 is hard to comprehend.  Seems  impossible. How in the world could this be,  seeing all that He has done for them?  ‘…And there arose another generation after them who did not know the Lord or the work that He had done for Israel.’ Why was it so hard for them to remember the Lord?  Too busy raking in the blessings, forgetting to tell their own children their Source?   What’s wrong with these hard-headed people?  You know what?–something weird has happened to me.  I don’t know who, but someone has just put up a big, old, dirty mirror on the wall in my study where I am now writing.  A mirror?  I never wanted one.  Who did this to me?  ‘Mirror, mirror, on the wall,  whose the disobedient and forgetful one of all’?!  ‘It’s me, it’s me, O Lord…’

Must admit to my own failure to trust the Lord for more than a few  minutes at a time. Forgetful.  Negligent about sharing Him with the ones I love the most.

How can I do better?  Here’s a few ideas that come to mind– focus on God’s character.  Zero in on His promises.  Concentrate on the life and teachings of Jesus.  Learn to lean on those everlasting arms.  On the darkest nights, exercise faith in the Lord like wearing night vision goggles, seeing God through eyes of faith. Decide right now to be serious in your commitment to the Lord.  No more games.  No more wishy-washiness.  All in.  For Him.   Are you with  me?

Prayer:  Lord, deepen our faith so that we forget you less and less… and learn to trust you more and more.  In Jesus’ name, the faithful One.  Amen.