Joshua 24:8-13: a reflection

8“‘I brought you into the land of the Amorites, that lived beyond the Jordan. They fought with you, and I gave them into your hand. You possessed their land, and I destroyed them from before you. 9Then Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, arose and fought against Israel. He sent and called Balaam the son of Beor to curse you, 10but I would not listen to Balaam; therefore he blessed you still. So I delivered you out of his hand. 11“‘You went over the Jordan, and came to Jericho. The men of Jericho fought against you, the Amorite, the Perizzite, the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Girgashite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite; and I delivered them into your hand. 12I sent the hornet before you, which drove them out from before you, even the two kings of the Amorites; not with your sword, nor with your bow. 13I gave you a land on which you had not labored, and cities which you didn’t build, and you live in them. You eat of vineyards and olive groves which you didn’t plant.’

As Joshua recounts God's dealings with Israel, he comes to the gift of the land, and God's own words underline how much of it was unearned: I gave you a land on which you had not labored, and cities which you did not build, and you live in them; you eat of vineyards and olive groves which you did not plant. Much of what Israel now enjoyed was not the fruit of their own work; it was given to them, ready-made, by God.

Notice how much of Israel's blessing was unearned. They lived in cities they had not built, ate from vineyards and olive groves they had not planted, possessed a land they had not labored for. It was all a gift, given by God, not achieved by them. Whatever they now enjoyed, they were to remember that they had received it, not produced it; it came from God's hand, not their own effort.

That is a humbling and grateful way to see our own lives. So much of what we enjoy, we did not create: the world we were born into, the freedoms and comforts others built before us, the abilities we were given, the kindnesses we have received, the very life we live. We are prone to think of what we have as our own achievement; but much of it is a gift, a land we did not labor for, cities we did not build. Look at what you enjoy, and remember how much of it you received rather than earned. Let it humble your pride and stir your gratitude. We live in cities we did not build and eat from vineyards we did not plant; give thanks to the God whose gifts these are, and hold what you have received with humble and grateful hands.

Lord, you reminded Israel that you had given them a land they did not labor for, cities they did not build, vineyards they did not plant; so much of what they enjoyed was your unearned gift. Give me that humble and grateful way of seeing my own life. So much of what I enjoy, I did not create: the world I was born into, the freedoms and comforts others built before me, the abilities I was given, the kindnesses I have received, the very life I live. I am prone to think of what I have as my own achievement; but much of it is a gift, a land I did not labor for. Help me look at what I enjoy and remember how much of it I received rather than earned. Let it humble my pride and stir my gratitude. I live in cities I did not build; help me give you thanks, whose gifts these are, and hold what I have received with humble and grateful hands.