Walk and Talk with God #12

 At that time Joshua summoned the Reubenites and the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh, 2 and said to them, “You have kept all that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you and have obeyed my voice in all that I have commanded you. 3 You have not forsaken your brothers these many days, down to this day, but have been careful to keep the charge of the Lord your God. 4 And now the Lord your God has given rest to your brothers, as he promised them. Therefore turn and go to your tents in the land where your possession lies, which Moses the servant of the Lord gave you on the other side of the Jordan. 5 Only be very careful to observe the commandment and the law that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, to love the Lord your God, and to walk in all his ways and to keep his commandments and to cling to him and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul.” 6 So Joshua blessed them and sent them away, and they went to their tents. (Joshua 22)

Joshua had walked and talked with God - not only for himself - but on behalf of his people. But now some of them were branching out; these tribes were staying on the east side of the Jordan, while the other tribes went on to finish taking the rest of the promised land.  They would no longer have him, or another resident leader to talk with God on their behalf.  We've seen this kind of thing before, when Abraham left Lot at Sodom and Gomorrah, and it didn't go well.  It's a scary thing, like leaving your kids at college, or moving away from where you have always lived. So Joshua exhorts them to walk before the Lord, to cling to Him, and serve Him with their whole being. In other words, they are going to have to walk and talk with the Lord for themselves.  Wherever we may go, whoever may leave us behind, we do not have to go it alone. We can always walk and talk with God.  But will we? As great as it is to have loving, believing family, and loving spiritual leaders and church family, we all need to develop this walk and talk with the Lord for those times and situations in our lives when He is all we've got. We need to cling, to hold fast to Him, and walk and talk with Him every day, all day. May you hear His voice, and He hear yours today.