Victory’s Battle Cry—A Study in the Book of Joshua-Part 16-A Legacy of Faith
As I fully recognize the aching of my bones in the early morning, the fatigue that slows me down, and those aging wrinkles that stare back at me in the mirror; I wonder sometimes how long I will be able to keep up the pace of what I do. I strain sometimes and at other times condemn myself for “becoming lazy”. Ok, some of you would say, “You are not that old.” To, which I could say comparably, true. Still I wonder if all the battles of this life have left their scars deep within my body. After all, I should not have survived 5 years with the aggressiveness of the cancer I had back in 1998. Nor, should I have survived the severity of my ulcerative colitis, total colectomy, and multiple surgeries. Certainly the pancreatic mass should have taken me home; but that was 12 years ago, and I am still here, working fulltime and taking care of my mother. A widow for 20 years, faced with the battles against loneliness and financial disaster at times added to that aging process—I am certain. Oh, I can tell you that back then there were many times that I cherished the idea of going home. I can remember looking into heaven and saying, “I’m tired. It’s been a long journey, are you calling me home?” God’s answer, as you may see was “One day soon, I will take you home; it may not be today though. Just keep your eyes on me.”
Samuel William Robinson (7/19/1895-10/03/1999)
Over these years, I have seen so many of God’s promises come true. I have watched Him display His Majestic Sovereignty over my life and that of my Children. During these years, I have learned that He is my joy and my greatest treasure.
Imagine this; it has been during these last 15 years that I wrote the 4 books that are published. It has been these last 15 years that has led me to meet so many people by whom I have been blessed, to start this blog so as to tell the world about Christ, and to have seen my children find their perfect spouses. I have been so privileged by God to see my beautiful grandbabies. I must say there is a greater urgency growing within my heart with each passing year to spread the gospel. Perhaps the creaking bones are a reminder that even if I live to be 100, time is short and there is so much to get done. God called me to be a speaker for Him; and,
that is what I am doing-one person at a time, one message at a time by His strength and wisdom, not mine. The fields are white with harvest, I must be about my Father’s work—time is short. My life is not about me or my petty desires—I want to leave one day a legacy of faith for my children and grand-children to remember. I want all the people I meet to not remember me for any accomplishes I have done; but, when they remember me, I want them to think of Christ instead. I want them to see God’s mercy and grace covering over my multiplicity of failures so that He shines through the holes of my broken life. My Grandfather left that kind of legacy for me. At age 104, he was hospitalized. While in the hospital he witnessed of Christ to every doctor, nurse, orderly, and housekeeper that entered his room until one day he said, “My work here is done.” He was moved to a rehab center where again for 1 week he witnessed to all who would hear. He called all his daughters to gather around him, he divided his sentimental possessions and then, he went to be with the Lord.
And so as we turn to Joshua 13, we find that Joshua is getting old and God reminds him that there is a lot of land still to be taken. God then instructs Joshua as to what to do next.
Joshua 13 (MSG) 1-6 When Joshua had reached a venerable age, God said to him, “You’ve had a good, long life, but there is a lot of land still to be taken. 6-7 “I myself will drive them out before the People of Israel. All you have to do is allot this land to Israel as an inheritance, as I have instructed you. Do it now: Allot this land as an inheritance to the nine tribes and the half-tribe of Manasseh.”
How gracious was God’s words to Joshua and to each of us as we are aging. Look what God said, “There is a lot of work to be done; but, don’t worry. I, the great I AM will finish the work. This is the part I want you to do and do it now. Don’t even think about retiring; but, don’t worry about what you might not get finished either. You do what I, Jehovah ask of you; and I will do the rest—you can count on that.”
Listen to this song, Leave a Legacy
The Message (MSG)
Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson
© 2014 Effie Darlene Barba
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