I Want It All - NOW

I was reading a very familiar passage of Scripture this morning, Joshua 1 – 14. This covers a lot of stories of Joshua. The one that stuck out to me this morning was the battle of Jericho. God had told them that all the spoils were to be given to him. No one was to keep any for themselves. Achan disobeyed this order and took gold, silver and robes and buried them in his tent. When Israel went to fight Ai, they were defeated and this was a battle that should have been a cake walk for them. Joshua went to God about this defeat and God told him someone had disobeyed. Joshua went tribe by tribe, family by family till they found the man who had disobeyed and he was stoned.
Pretty gruesome story. Destroying cities, burning everything to the ground, putting all the spoils in the temple. Killing anyone who didn’t comply with what God commanded. In our politically correct society today, there are so many things people would find wrong with this. I’m going to leave the PC stuff alone, but really thought hard about what is “hidden” in my life. (Or what I think is hidden, but most of you see it and I’m only fooling myself). I know God sees it. And that should sadden me the most. I’m doing kind of a mental check list today and there are some things I need to dig up and give to God. It’s not the stuff great testimonies are made of. I’m not giving up drugs or alcohol or pornography or dreaming of other men. But I am dealing with the same old things that drag me down all the time. Discouragement, discontentment, worry, things that I shouldn’t let pull me down. And maybe these aren’t all the time things, just certain areas of my life, certain situations, but that doesn’t make it better. Romans 8:37-39 Amplified says "37 Yet amid all these things we are more than conquerors [a]and gain a surpassing victory through Him Who loved us. 38For I am persuaded beyond doubt (am sure) that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities, nor things [b]impending and threatening nor things to come, nor powers, 39Nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
I am more than a conqueror, so why do I feel defeat? Things impending and threatening, things to come, none of this can separate me from God’s love, and none can take victory away. This all made a song come to mind. Don’t ask me how my mind gets from Romans 8:37 to the music of Queen, but the mind is a terrible thing. (I think I left something off that quote). Anyway, I was a big Queen fan, and this song shows why we suffer from discouragement and discontentment. The title, “I Want it All” pretty much sums it up.

Adventure seeker on an empty street
Just an alley creeper light on his feet
A young fighter screaming with no time for doubt
With the pain and anger can't see a way out
It ain’t much I’m asking I heard him say
Gotta find me a future move out of my way
Chorus - I want it all I want it all I want it all and I want it now
I want it all I want it all I want it all and I want it now
Listen all you people come gather round
I gotta get me a game plan gotta shake you to the ground
Just give me what I know is mine
People do you hear me just give me the sign
It ain’t much I’m asking if you want the truth
Here’s to the future for the dreams of youth
Chorus
I’m a man with a one track mind So much to do in one life time (people do you hear me)
Not a man for compromise and where’s and whys and living Lies
So I’m living it all (yes I’m living it all)And I’m giving it all (and I’m giving it all)
It ain’t much I’m asking if you want the truth, here’s to the future
Hear the cry of youth
Chorus

I get a kick out of the line, “ain’t much I’m asking…I want it all”. We don’t ask for much, do we? The “ALL” that I want? It’s different than it used to be. I want it all, but I want all of what God has for me. I want my “ALL” to be in line with what His “ALL” is. That means changing my dreams (even though I don’t fit in the youth category) to align with His. Sometimes I let my own dreams and wants get in the way.

And the story of Queen's lead singer, Freddy Mercury and wanting it all and getting it all according to the worlds standards? He had a very sad ending to a life of sin.