bill's blog

The circumstances which brought me to speak to Bali were less than ideal. I met Bali while he was working the front desk at the Traveler’s Inn. Pat Sheaffer and I were trying to secure housing for a gentlemen who needed a place to stay. I had this feeling that the man whom we were helping was less than honest and Bali confirmed it.

       It was there for the taking –THE PROMISE LAND. Since the time of Abraham one of the continual themes stated throughout the nation of Israel was the guarantee from God that one day they would possess the land of Canaan. With God at their side and with the leadership of Joshua, they conquered the land except for small pockets of resistance. As Joshua lays down the leadership mantle it was his intent and God’s desire for the Israelites to carry out conquering these pockets of resistance.

Remember a couple of weeks we explored the plight of the Israelites as they labored against cruel slavery at the hands of the Egyptians. We found out that even though it seemed like God had abandoned them to their suffering He was intimately aware of their horrible misery. From Exodus 3 we observed that God saw (3:7), God heard (3:7), God was concerned (3:7), and God came down (3:8). What is so amazing about this passage is not only the concern and personal awareness of God but how He decides to come to the rescue of the Israelites.

Have you ever felt that way? If you have, then you are in good company.  Moses, David and a host of others have thought that God doesn’t care and is oblivious to the situation in our lives.