Today's readings are Joshua 5.1-6.5 and Acts 10.1-17.
In our reading from Joshua today we have the famous passage where Joshua meets the "commander of the army of the LORD" (Joshua 5.14, ESV). We might expect to see the heavenly commander of God's army make some sort of command, like, "Surround the city" or "draw up your troops over there." On the contrary, this divine commander orders Joshua to take off his shoes. He is on holy ground. His job is to recognize the holiness of the presence of God.
I would propose that in this New Covenant age we are commanded the very same thing. We don't show it by the cultural motion of removing our shoes. But we are called to be a people who recognize the holiness of God. The Christian life isn't about living according to a moral code. It isn't about being busy about Bible study. It isn't about having a great worship band, or, for that matter, a wonderful pipe organ. It isn't about community service. It isn't about any of the things we are told to be busy with. The Christian life is a life of repentance, realizing that our sin drove Jesus, the Son of God, to give himself into death on our behalf. The Christian life is a life of hope, realizing that the resurrection applies to us now and gives us a living hope of our resurrection in the future. The Christian life is a life of deep recognition of the holy power of our Lord. It isn't about what we do. It's about whom we believe.
May the Lord guide our eyes today to look upon him in his holiness.
Dave Spotts
blogging at http://capnsaltyslongvoyage.blogspot.com
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