Church of the Open Bible, Marabella.

Despite the Circumstance, We Must Live

Joshua 15:63 NIV
“Judah could not dislodge the Jebusites , who were living in Jerusalem; to this day the Jebusites live there with the people of Judah.”

The background of this passage is the allotment of the promised land, in particular the allotment to the Tribe of Judah under the leadership of Caleb. Caleb was a man of deep conviction and great faith in God who followed the Lord faithfully (Josh. 14:6-14). He was also a great warrior (Josh. 15:13-15). Notwithstanding the above observations, we are told in this verse that “Judah could not dislodge the Jebusites , who were living in Jerusalem” (v. 63a).

There are some conditions around us that we can change and there are others that we are not able to change. This is not always a lack of faith in God or our inability to fight. When we find ourselves in such situations we recognize that there are some situations we may need to learn to live with “to this day the Jebusites live there with the people of Judah” (v. 63b).

We cannot get rid of all the ungodly around us. Similarly, we cannot make every negative thing disappear from our lives, including the coronavirus and all its negative physical, social and economic consequences. Instead, we must learn to live victoriously even when we inhabit spaces that are shared by enemies–of our life and of our faith.

Continue to have a great week everyone! Stay safe!