Christ, Come Push us Forward...

Joshua 1 After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses' assistant, 2 “Moses my servant is dead. Now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, into the land that I am giving to them, to the people of Israel. 3 Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you, just as I promised to Moses. 4 From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun shall be your territory. 5 No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you. 6 Be strong and courageous, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land that I swore to their fathers to give them. 7 Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go. 8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.
"Don't just stand there shaking!  Move forward!" That's the gist of God's word to Joshua. He had not brought the people of Israel to the brink of the promised land to have them sit there looking at it from the other side of the river, any more than He came to the shepherds with the good news, expecting them to sit there on the hillside watching the star shine down. When He comes, He does so to move us forward in His plan.  I love sitting in the sanctuary on Christmas Eve looking out on everyone holding their lit candles up high, but that is not what our celebration is about or where it is heading. It is much more far reaching. It is a call to move beyond our fears and our complacency, and to obey what God is calling us to do - go live courageously and purposefully as Christ's followers. He has laid out the path; let's stick to it and not slack off.