Cling to the Lord

You are to cling to the Lord your God…
Joshua 23:8
 
When I was a kid we lived in North Carolina, within a few minutes of the beach! It was great – to actually go to the beach and be able to swim in the water! One of the things I remember was that we had to pay close attention to where mom and dad were sitting so we didn’t drift to far away from them. The currents would pull us down the beach and if we were not paying attention we could end up a long way from them. So, we always had to check where we were and where they were so we didn’t drift too far away. I think life can be like that some times, if we aren’t careful we can drift off course and get lost. 

Joshua and the Israelites have settled in the promised land. Three of the tribes were allowed to go back across the Jordan to live there. But, once they went back over they built an altar. Joshua and the other Israelites were not happy with them and went to them, actually to war. However, in discussion about the altar they learned that it wasn’t in rebellion or erected in worship to some other god. It was actually an anchor point. It was built as a focal point to remind them who they serve – the One True God. They were aware of the reality of drifting and knew they would need something to check themselves against to make sure they were not drifting off course. The altar was that something, the altar stood as their anchor point.

We all need an anchor point. Something that is going to keep us on course and steady so when we start to drift we know where we need to get back to, it keeps us in place and on track. What is your anchor point? How sure are you of it? Joshua instructed the people to always cling to the Lord, in others words He told them to make sure God was their anchor point.

God makes the best anchor point because He is always true and never moves. We can keep our eye on Him and know if we are on the right track. He will never lead us astray. The Israelites knew that first hand. They just came through 40 years of wandering in the wilderness and now they have come through battles and are resting in the God’s victory. In that time of rest they needed to cling to their anchor, the Lord, so they didn’t drift off center. Today, make God your anchor and cling to Him so you can enjoy and rest in the victory He has for you!    

Pastor Matt