Dissatisfaction defines many of our lives. We are dissatisfied with where we are. We desire to be in the next stage of our lives. Youth want to be adults and try to rush into it (I know I did). Seniors in high school get senioritis because they yearn for graduation day and desire to be in the next stage of life. We yearn for promotions in our work places and get upset when we don’t receive those promotions in a timely manner. We want results but we want not to wait for them (or many times work for them). When God calls us to a position of leadership, we rush into that position without at least trying to prepare. When God wants to move us, we grow dissatisfied with where we are and lose our passion.

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This is the tragedy of striving in a sinful world. We have big dreams and aspirations, and we should so long as they are godly, but we do not have patience and we often do not want to work to achieve those aspirations. We feel God’s calling in our lives and we want it to just be so. The life and ministry of any Christ follower requires great endurance and patience even when God has called us to a new journey or to a new stage in life. We must accomplish the purpose He has for us now.

Joshua was now old, getting on in years, and the Lord said to him, “You have become old, getting on in years, but a great deal of the land remains to be possessed. This is the land that remains:

All the districts of the Philistines and the Geshurites: from the Shihor east of Egypt to the border of Ekron on the north (considered to be Canaanite territory) — the five Philistine rulers of Gaza, Ashdod, Ashkelon, Gath, and Ekron, as well as the Avvites in the south; all the land of the Canaanites:from Arah of the Sidonians to Aphek and as far as the border of the Amorites; the land of the Gebalites; and all Lebanon east from Baal- gad below Mount Hermon to the entrance of Hamath — all the inhabitants of the hill country from Lebanon to Misrephoth- maim, all the Sidonians.

I will drive them out before the Israelites, only distribute the land as an inheritance for Israel, as I have commanded you. Therefore, divide this land as an inheritance to the nine tribes and half the tribe of Manasseh.[1]

Joshua was getting old, but God still had not completed the purpose He had for Joshua in this time. Remember, God called Joshua into leadership specifically so he would lead Israel to take the land of Canaan and so that Joshua could distribute that land. By the end of this book, we will see that God accomplished his purpose through Joshua before Joshua died. Here, God tells Joshua to stay the course. “Endure, strive to accomplish the purpose I have for you in this position and be patient.”

We’ve learned that God will place us or call us to serve in a certain capacity in His timing for a specific purpose on this earth. The simple message we see in this text is that we should endure in every arena God calls us to no matter how we feel or what God might call us to next. We ought to serve with patient endurance so to accomplish what God wants to accomplish through us wherever He places us. No matter where you are: middle school, high school, the workplace, college and no matter your service in ministry: endure and be patient. This is how we honor God and this is how, in commanding positions on this earth (or any position of service), we build our treasure in Heaven where moth and rust does not destroy and where thieves do not break in to steal.

[1] Joshua 13:1-7 (HCSB)