Joshua 22:1-9

Tribes beyond Jordan Return

22 Then Joshua summoned the Reubenites and the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh, and said to them, “You have kept all that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, and have listened to my voice in all that I commanded you. You have not forsaken your brothers these many days to this day, but have kept the charge of the commandment of the Lord your God. And now the Lord your God has given rest to your brothers, as He spoke to them; therefore turn now and go to your tents, to the land of your possession, which Moses the servant of the Lord gave you beyond the Jordan. Only be very careful to observe the commandment and the law which Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, to love the Lord your God and walk in all His ways and keep His commandments and hold fast to Him and serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul.” So Joshua blessed them and sent them away, and they went to their tents.

Now to the one half-tribe of Manasseh Moses had given a possession in Bashan, but to the other half Joshua gave a possession among their brothers westward beyond the Jordan. So when Joshua sent them away to their tents, he blessed them, and said to [a]them, “Return to your tents with great riches and with very much livestock, with silver, gold, bronze, iron, and with very many clothes; divide the spoil of your enemies with your brothers.” The sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh returned home and departed from the sons of Israel at Shiloh which is in the land of Canaan, to go to the land of Gilead, to the land of their possession which they had possessed, according to the [b]command of the Lord [c]through Moses.

Finally, when the bulk of the battle was finished and the land had been subdued, the tribes who had left their home beyond the Jordan could return home. When the work had been completed, and they had followed the command of the Lord, he would give them rest.

This life is filled with trials, tests, and it seems we go from one mission to another without stopping. But in all of this, God wants to give us rest. For that matter, He gave us one day a week and commanded us to rest.

Beyond that though, there are times when God says, “step back, and rest.” I have something new for you, and you need to rest and recharge. Don’t be afraid, and don’t be ashamed, of resting. It’s an important part of life, that is far too easily overlooked in our lives. Without rest, our lives fall apart, and we cannot become who God created us to be.

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