‘After these things, Joshua son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died at the age of a hundred and ten. And they buried him in the land of his inheritance, at Timnath Serah in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash. Israel served the Lord throughout the lifetime of Joshua and of the elders who outlived him and who had experienced everything the Lord had done for Israel.’ (Joshua 24:29-31)
Lesson: Our life is brief so it is to be invested wisely for good and in things of lasting worth.
No matter how long we live, all of our lives are brief! Today we read that at the end of a long, eventful and fruitful life, Joshua died. The young man who had served Moses and who rose to lead God’s people was now passing on the baton to a new generation. This is how life is. David wrote of our lives:
‘The life of mortals is like grass, they flourish like a flower of the field; the wind blows over it and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more.’ (Psalm 103:15-16)
However brief our lives are, there are things that can live on. We can put our short time to good and lasting use. We read of the result of Joshua’s life:
‘Israel served the Lord throughout the lifetime of Joshua and of the elders who outlived him and who had experienced everything the Lord had done for Israel.’
We may not be a leader like Joshua, but we can set and example and encourage others to know and serve the Lord. Indeed, as with Joshua, after our death, our influence can still be felt if we will invest in people for good purposes.
Response
Our life is brief so it is to be invested wisely for good and in things of lasting worth. Today, let’s be reminded of the shortness of this physical life but of the way that we can invest ourselves in things of eternal worth. Let’s be ready to serve God’s purposes today.
Together in September
In September, we are having two Together Evenings, on Wednesday the 6th and Wednesday the 13th from 7p.m. (When there will be a light meal provided).
We will be using this time to come together for worship, teaching and prayer with a view to re-launching community groups afterwards.
Please put these dates in your diary, we would love to see as many people there as possible.