Blessed

Today’s first reading caught my ear…especially the last part.

Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel……….. 
“I gave you a land that you had not tilled and cities that you had not built, to dwell in; you have eaten of vineyards and olive groves which you did not plant.”


I couldn’t help but think of how lucky, how fortunate, how blessed I am to be born where I was born, in the place I was born and to the parents I was born.  I had no say so in the matter and could have been born in some third world country with flies buzzing about my face and a distended belly due to malnutrition.  Ok, Ok… I do have a distended belly but it is not from the lack of food…but quite the opposite. 

Thank You, Lord Jesus, for all you have done for me.

Amen

Joshua gathered together all the tribes of Israel at Shechem, summoning their elders, their leaders,  their judges and their officers.  When they stood in ranks before God, Joshua addressed all the people: “Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: In times past your fathers, down to Terah,  father of Abraham and Nahor,  dwelt beyond the River and served other gods.  But I brought your father Abraham from the region beyond the River and led him through the entire land of Canaan.   I made his descendants numerous, and gave him Isaac.  To Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau.  To Esau I assigned the mountain region of Seir in which to settle,  while Jacob and his children went down to Egypt.  “Then I sent Moses and Aaron, and smote Egypt with the prodigies which I wrought in her midst.  Afterward I led you out of Egypt, and when you reached the sea,  the Egyptians pursued your fathers to the Red Sea with chariots and horsemen.  Because they cried out to the LORD,  he put darkness between your people and the Egyptians, upon whom he brought the sea so that it engulfed them.  After you witnessed what I did to Egypt, and dwelt a long time in the desert,  I brought you into the land of the Amorites who lived east of the Jordan.  They fought against you, but I delivered them into your power. You took possession of their land, and I destroyed them, the two kings of the Amorites, before you.  Then Balak, son of Zippor, king of Moab,  prepared to war against Israel. He summoned Balaam, son of Beor, to curse you;  but I would not listen to Balaam.  On the contrary, he had to bless you, and I saved you from him. Once you crossed the Jordan and came to Jericho,  the men of Jericho fought against you, but I delivered them also into your power.  And I sent the hornets ahead of you that drove them (the Amorites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hittites, Girgashites, Hivites and Jebusites) out of your way; it was not your sword or your bow. “I gave you a land that you had not tilled  and cities that you had not built, to dwell in; you have eaten of vineyards and olive groves  which you did not plant.” JOS 24:1-13