Wrestling on the Edge

Don't Get Stuck in the Land of Almost By Lori Stewart

Do you ever buy new technology thinking, "This is it the ultimate! There's no way
anyone can improve on this design!" That's how I used to feel about my VHS player. Led
by this delusional thinking, my husband and I decided to fulfill our goal as "trekkies"
(aka, Star Trek fans). Years ago, we signed up to buy the entire set of Star Trek and Star
Trek the Next Generation on VHS tapes. Every month we faithfully made our $28 dollar
payment to receive two new episodes. What a thrill to watch our collection grow! Now
we're stuck with two boxes of Star Trek videos that no one wants.
Don't you hate getting stuck? I think as Christians we can find ourselves spiritually stuck
too.
Just like the Israelites, how many Christians get stuck in the wilderness or even on the
edge of their promised land?
A sad place to get stuck is when you've "almost" taken possession of your promised land.
Untold miracles happened along a time-consuming journey and you have gloriously
stepped into your promised land. God gives you not just a glimpse, but also a panoramic
view of this beloved land.
It would be tempting to stop here at the edge. You've safely left slavery behind, the
wilderness is now history, and there's no more need for the manna and quail anymore.
Unfortunately, living on the edge of the Promised Land still leaves you lacking. God told
Joshua, "Everywhere you go, you will be on the land I have given you." (Joshua 1:3) The
Israelites needed to physically step on the ground in order to claim the land as their own.
With each small victory, tremendous spoils of war awaited them. The Bible said they
would harvest food they didn't plant and live in houses they didn't build. Pretty good
deal! But the temptation to stay in the land of "almost" was great for some of the tribes.
Partial victory is better than no victory at all, right?
Wrong! In the land of "almost" several enemies are always at your borders:
1) Lack. You're not walking in the full provision of God. You can pay your bills, but
there is nothing left over.
2) Fear. You don't trust God fully. If you truly obeyed him, the risk is too great.
3) Sin. You learn to be comfortable living with your enemy. You let sin take root in
your home and expose your children to this danger.
Joshua never got stuck in the land of "almost." The book of Joshua records no lag time
between battles. If you quickly scan the book, you'll see repeated phrases like "Joshua
conquered," "Joshua slaughtered," "Joshua traveled," "Joshua built," "Joshua continued."
Talk about a list of active verbs! What a picture of someone moving forward! In only
seven years, Joshua defeated 31 kings! Israel gained control of the Promised Land.
Joshua instructed each tribe to clear out any remaining enemies in their territories.

Wrestling on the Edge

But some tribes got stuck in their "almost" promised land. Joshua asked them, "How long
are you going to wait before taking possession of the remaining land the Lord has given
you?" (Joshua 18:3) Today, God asks you the same question. Go and take possession of
what is already yours.

In wrestling, there is an out-of-bounds circle called "The Edge". In Freestyle and GrecoRoman, there is a penalty for stepping over the edge, so most of the action takes place in
the middle of the mat. In Folk style, however, there is no such penalty. As a consequence,
most of the action in Folk style takes place by the edge. Folk style wrestlers like the edge.
When you are wrestling near the edge, you can take chances that you wouldn't risk taking
in the center of the mat. There is a sense of freedom when you are "Wrestling on the
Edge", because if you get in trouble, you can get out of bounds and the referee will restart
the match in the middle of the mat.
Many wrestlers see opportunities in the center of the mat they choose not to take because
it may not result in a takedown, turn, escape, or any definite scoring opportunity. We
often wait until we get on the edge to take these worthwhile risks. We doubt our ability
and let Satan or our own self-preservation takes control. Every gift is from God even on
the wrestling mat. If you trust in Him, He will provide you with the strength to defeat any
situation in life or position in wrestling.
God told Joshua: "Everywhere you go, you will be on the land I have given you." (Joshua
1:3). He tells us the same thing. He will never leave us. Deuteronomy 31:8 states, The
LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake
you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged." Psalms 37:28 says, For the LORD loves
the just and will not forsake his faithful ones. They will be protected forever, but the
offspring of the wicked will be cut off." As long as your faith is genuine trust the Lord
will guide you in all decision making. He is consistent and fair.
Discuss:
1) Are you consistent with your faith in Him?
2) Have you stood on the edge and missed an opportunity due to lack of confidence
in yourself or God?
3) What do you think when you get on the edge of the mat?
4) What do you think about when youre in an On the Edge situation?
5) God has promised you so much in your life already have you taken it? Have you
missed out on anything looking back? What do you think He has in store for you
next?
Close in Prayer.