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Joshua 18:3 "So Joshua said to the people of Israel, 'How long will you be slack to go in and take possession of the land, which the Lord, the God of your fathers, has given you?'"

 

Joshua had been dividing the Promised Land among the tribes, but there remained seven tribes to whom the un-surveyed land had yet to be apportioned. These tribes had become a little too comfortable, and had to be roused by Joshua to go out into the remainder of the land "writing a description of it with a view to their inheritances" (Joshua 18:4).

 

I am not, generally, a slacker, but I have to admit there are times when I am like these seven tribes. They had, after all, been through quite a lot in the lead up to this point. They had wandered the desert for forty years, lost Moses, conquered Jericho, fought battles, survived internal conflict, and waited patiently as Joshua apportioned the other land among the four tribes entitled to it. Maybe they just thought they could rest a while and Joshua would eventually get to them (that is what I can be tempted to do when I’ve been through a lot). But there was still more for these tribes to do before they could rest. They had to want the land they were to be given, and work for it still a bit more.

 

So when I find myself in a period of respite after a lengthy struggle, I should ask myself if I am where God intends me to rest, or is there more for me to do. These tribes were not home yet, there was a little further for them to go before they were, and some relatively minor work still to do to get there. They would get to rest, just not quite yet.

 

God will give us rest when it is time, but we can sometimes be tempted to take it before then. Whenever slacking off a bit becomes a possibility, it is best to ask ourselves if our current task is really complete. We remember, of course, that the ultimate place of rest is Heaven, which we never stop striving for while here, but God does give us periods of rest from our earthly struggles. We must not, though, take them for ourselves when it is not yet time. We are like the unworthy servants of the parable (Luke 17:7-10). If we come in from the field and there is still work to do, we do it without grumbling, and without slack, knowing that we have a good master who will reward us with rest and plenty when our task is complete.