The chapter ends with a comment that "not one of all the Lord's good promises to Israel failed." It is more than a matter of fact statement; it is a statement meant to build faith. It is a statement for future generations to consider in order to respond to the Lord the way that Joshua did.
So why don't we? Somewhere along the way we concluded that following the Lord really is not the best way to live. We watch enough TV and movies to believe that if we follow God, we are sacrificing and missing out on the good life. Somehow we bought into the concept that drunkeness, drama and multiple sex partners is equal to happiness. Few books or movies show the fallout from those decisions and so we blindly follow the Pied Piper of society into disaster. Then we cry out to God and scream "where are you?"
Joshua and Israel followed the commands of God and were blessed with a life they could have only dreamed of. Today I have a wonderful wife, four children of fine moral character and a job that lets me work around the world. I come home to a loving environment and a home full of laughter. It doesn't sound like I'm really missing out.
So if you are reading this and you are younger than me, take it from the older guy that the Lord's promises are good and he does keep them. There might be times when you walk through a desert for a while or you have to search your soul to find out why you just failed at something that seemed small, but those are the bumps in the road. The big picture is that the good life is not on the other side of a screen but rather on this side in the here and now.
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