Here And Now!

“Then Joshua cried out, “Oh, Sovereign Lord, why did you bring us across the Jordan River if you are going to let the Amorites kill us? If only we had been content to stay on the other side!” Josh.7:7 [emphasis added].

“…If only we had been content to stay on the other side!” I call it the fantasy of the other side. It is also known as the green grass syndrome. The lawn on the other side is greener. Who says? Like someone said, the grass is not greener on the other side, the grass is greener where it is watered. When we are not Standing Tall where we are, we live in a perpetual state of lack of contentment and desire what we do not have. When we think we have something and it does not measure up. We start desiring where we used to be. So rather than dealing with the reality of the present, we are quick to revert to the fantasy of the past.

“…If only we had been content to stay on the other side!” Think about it, what exactly was on the other side of Jordan? The wilderness [suffering aimlessly and just going around in circles]. And that was what Joshua was saying would have been better. Really, Joshua, would it have been better? There is no human being on this planet earth that does not have problems. If you think you are different and you do not have any problems, do not worry one is knocking on the door. So problems are not a problem! In fact, when you go from one level to another level you find different types of problems. The problem a single girl faces is different from the problem a married woman faces. New level, new devil! The point is this; stop lusting after the past. Stop lusting after what is not obtainable in your life. Deal with the reality.

A lot of marriages are in serious trouble because the woman is wondering what would have been if she married the other man who used to buy her gifts. And the man is thinking he should have married the other woman who was better behaved. Then he or she keeps checking his or her social media profile looking for trouble. Get up and face reality because that is where God wants you to stand up and raise your head. A man has his desire to have five children cut short by his wife who has chosen to stop at two. But the other woman he wanted to marry now has five and he says that could have been me. Stop reverting to the fantasy of the past. God wants you to Stand Tall where you are.

Prayer: Precious Holy Spirit, please help me Stand Tall in the reality of my life now and to stop reverting to the fantasy of the past, in Jesus Name.