APRIL 18 "I'M SOOOO TIRED!"

   Unlike the world, we do not just find ourselves physically tired, we also find ourselves spiritually tired. Not only are we having to deal with issues at work, home & school but we are also having to contend and deal with spiritual issues, issues we are struggling with and then trying to help others with spiritual issues they're struggling with and I'm tired, are you? \
     I have to say that while I was shocked to read that the tribe of Ephraim did not get rid of the Canaanites [ 10 They did not dislodge the Canaanites living in Gezer; to this day the Canaanites live among the people of Ephraim but are required to do forced labor. ]  I have to also say, that I'm not so surprised. What the Ephraimites don't realize, is that if you don't fight now, you will have to fight twice as hard later.  The worse words Jesus ever spoke were "go the extra mile". Is there a principle in that admonishing that we have yet to understand? Why didn't they "dislodge" the Canaanites? Obviously because they were tired and exhausted. One more battle, one more fight, is it really necessary? What are the options? Eventually they regret the day they let the Canaanites live there among them. And who suffers....their children!  The older generation is not so much influenced as the younger by the ways of the Canaanites, but their children get ensnared.
     I'm tired, I'm exhausted, but if I knowingly walk away or avoid a fight now, I will have to deal with the issue later and now there will be damage.  The Ephraimites are a good tribe to study and learn from. I believe they represent our lives more so than the other tribes.  Their motto and ours is....."the least I have to fight, the better. The Ephraimites by nature, take the path of least resistance. The Ephraimites have a mindset of "this is good enough", the Ephraimites have a mindset of "I'm tired, let's just settle for this", "I'm tired, please let's not make a big deal out of this".   The Ephraimites are the Post Modern, American, Nuclear Family.  Many folks this year are going to fight in a battle that they were avoiding years back and now even if they win, it will only be a partial victory, it will only be a "lessor of two evils" and should they (we) have fought at the onset we/they would have won a full victory. The other tribes may have fought longer and harder than Ephraim but at least when they were done, they could relax and enjoy the fruits of their labor. It's your choice, fight now, fight harder, go the extra mile and get complete victory, or fight later, fight twice as hard and end up with a partial victor or the lessor of two evils, the choice is ours. God allows Ephraim to do this, even though He knows it will not go well with them, it's their choice and that same God leaves the choice to us today.

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