December 6 – Want Courage?

“This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”  - Joshua 1:8-9  (NASB)

 

Our verses today are found in the Book of Joshua. Joshua, had served God and Moses since the people of Israel left Egypt. He is now their God-appointed commander. Moses has died before entering the Promised Land. Only Joshua and Caleb are alive among the adults who left Egypt. Today’s verse references Scripture ad “This book of the law;”  specifically Genesis through Deuteronomy, written by Moses. God instructs His people by instructing Joshua to never forsake Scriptures but to meditate on it. To read with thoughtfulness, to linger over God’s Word. Scripture has always been the main spiritual food of those who served Him, This is emphasized in Job 23:12; Psalm 1:1–3; Jeremiah 15:16; and by Jesus in John 4:34. The promise of God’s blessing comes with the great responsibility God gave Joshua; prosperous … success. The principle here is central to all spiritual effort and enterprise, namely the deep understanding and application of Scripture at all times. It is based upon the promise in Joshua 1:9: the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Let’s trust this promise today, God is with us if we have believed by faith in His Word.

 

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June 21 – When It Literally Happens

Then Joshua spoke to the Lord in the day when the Lord delivered up the Amorites before the sons of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel,
      “O sun, stand still at Gibeon,
       And O moon in the valley of Aijalon.”
       So the sun stood still, and the moon stopped,
       Until the nation avenged themselves of their enemies. Joshua 10:12-13 (NASB)

Today, for those living north of the equator, this is the day with the longest span of daylight. It is so by design. However, there was a longer day. Joshua, leading the armies of Israel according to God’s sovereign and holy command, was acting according to what the LORD God promised. “I have given them into your hands; not one of them shall stand before you.” (Joshua 10:8)  Joshua needed and prayed for more time to fully rout the enemy. To do justice to our passage, it’s best accepted as an outright, monumental miracle. Joshua, moved by the Lord’s will, commanded the sun to delay. Some say it was an eclipse hid the sun, or a local refraction of the sun’s rays, or it only seemed to Joshua’s men that the sun and moon stopped as God helped them accomplish in one literal 24-hour day what would’ve take longer. However, such ideas fail to do justice to this passage and needlessly question God’s power as Creator. The sun does not move but the earth revolves so it appear to move, God who created all things as they are, could also stop the earth’s rotation and the sun would appear stop.

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October 31 – Every Word Spoken is A Promise

“Not one of the good promises which the Lord had made to the house of Israel failed; all came to pass.” – Joshua 21:45 (NASB)
“For thus says the Lord, ‘Just as I brought all this great disaster on this people, so I am going to bring on them all the good that I am promising them.” – Jeremiah 32:42

Every word spoken by God is a promise. Each day this blog takes a few minutes for each of us to think about God’s promises. Blessings or judgements we discover His promises in the passages and verses of Scripture. Today, we consider two passages regarding God’s promises. The first, given to Joshua after he lead Israel into the land God promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Israel). The land of the Canaanites became the land of the Israelites by the decree and judgement of God. Joshua declares every word of every promise made to Israel came to pass. Zero promises of God’s failed to happen all came to pass. From 1385 B.C. to 561 B.C. for nearly 825 years the Lord God had patience with the Israelites. Success (few) and failures (many) in respect to their faithfulness to their LORD God. While Joshua had proclaimed God faithful in fulfilling his promises, Jeremiah spoke for the Lord another promise that has yet to be fulfilled. God promises that after the great disaster, brought as His judgement on Israel, He would fulfill all the good promises as well. These promises will be fulfilled at the End Days. 

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July 25 – The Day To Choose

“And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the LORD, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.” -Joshua 24:15  (ESV)

The people of Israel are gathered together at Shechem, and important landmark from the time of Abraham. The people  have been led by Moses out of Egypt to Mt. Horeb also called Sinai. They receive the law from God. They build the Tent of Meeting, a working model of the Temple of God. God has helped them to defeat the godless nations in the land. But they must complete the possession of it.  God now leaves it to each tribe to possess their inheritance. They must avoid co-mingling with these people. Are they up to it?  Joshua challenges them to choose whom they will serve because that choice will have everything to do with their success in possessing the promised land.  Is it to be the Lord, or is He evil in their eyes?  Will it be the false gods their fathers served in Egypt or the gods of the pagan tribes of the land they were possessing?  The challenge is Joshua’s testimony.  For him and his household they chose to serve the Lord God.  Is that our choice too?  Many idols detract us today. Who do we choose to serve today? Let’s choose Joshua’s Lord God and serve Him. 

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July 24 – Not One Word Failed

“And now I am about to go the way of all the earth, and you know in your hearts and souls, all of you, that not one word has failed of all the good things that the LORD your God promised concerning you. All have come to pass for you; not one of them has failed.” -Joshua 23:14  (ESV)

Joshua, the son of Nun has finished the course.  He has done the job God gave him to do.  After the death of Moses, God promised Joshua that He will be with him wherever he goes.  God cautions him to not turn from his path to the right or to the left. Isn’t this a good instruction for us today?  God  also commands Joshua to be strong, courageous and not frightened. No dismay allowed because God was with Joshua. And Joshua obeyed God and followed God’s commandments. God blessed Joshua with a long life but now it was appointed for Joshua to leave the earth.  He wants to leave the people with reminders he knows they will need. We too need to remember these promises. First remember that not one word that God has given to us has failed. The enemies of the Gospel and our God will do all they can to tell us otherwise but here is the truth. All have come to pass for us. Not one of them has failed or will fail in the future. Every good thing God has promised concerning us has or will yet come to pass for us.  Believe it today.

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May 7 – Courage and Strength to Stand

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go”  -  Joshua 1:9 (ESV)

This promise we have looked at previously but nothing about it has lost its value.  It is likely we need the reminder more today than ever before.  Uncertainty surrounds us in many ways.  The routines and ways of our world are not the same as they were six months ago.  While the promise that God would be with Joshua was specific to Joshua, the principle extends to us today and we can hold it close to our hearts.  God expects those who are part of His family to live strong and courageous lives.  Just as the Apostle Paul encouraged Timothy that God gives us power, love and self-discipline (2 Timothy 1:7). This power and courage are given to us not simply and not even primarily so that we can face this upheaval of our lives.  God gives those who are born again by the Holy Spirit all the power and courage we need to walk and live a life that proclaims the Good News according to the Word God has given to us.  We need to be the ones standing firm in truth, righteousness, and faith. With God given strength and courage, we can do it without fear or dismay. 

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April 22 – Not a Time for Dismay

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”  - Joshua 1:9 (ESV)

Moses is dead.  Joshua is appointed by God to step up and take over leadership.  It is an awesome job leading these thousands of people Moses had brought out of Egypt and guided for 40 years in the wilderness.  It was time to enter the Promised Land and take possession of it from its wicked inhabitants.  Many promises are given to Joshua and to the people in the first eight verses in the first chapter of Joshua.  Today’s verse is a summary promise from God to His servant Joshua, to the people, and also to us.  The job was so great God knew the possibility that fear would overwhelm Joshua and the people once they crossed the Jordan.  God reminds Joshua of his command and so we also are reminded of this promise.  God wants us to be courageous and strong and he provides the means for us to be so.  We are not to shake in our boots or throw up our hands in dismay because the LORD our God is always with us wherever we are.  Even today in the middle of a global crisis, God is with us.  We can be strong and courageous even now.

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*These devotional blogs are written several days in advance. This one was written on 4/1/2020. For that reason we take care to not specifically address the current status of the COVID-19 pandemic and its multitude of concerns.  We do believe however, that many need the comfort and encouragement of God's promises these days. Where are we on the day this blog is posted?  Are we in greater panic or are we beginning to see some hope that we are on the downward slope. No matter where the world or our county is at this date, God is still on the throne and he desires to help if we will call on him and trust his promises.  

June 8 – Strength and Courage Wherever You Go

“ Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”  Joshua 1:9 (NIV)

One goal of this blog is to remind ourselves of the promises God has given to us. Each one can be trusted. One in particular is that God will be near you. We can do this over and over again because the Bible reminds us of this promise often. The promise in our verse for today was also given to Moses but Moses had died and God was re-confirming Joshua as Moses' successor in leading His people of Israel. Because God gave this promise so many time to so many before and after Joshua we can know how important it is for us to know it and to believe it. Strength and courage can be ours without fear or discouragement because our Lord God has promised to be with us wherever we are and wherever we go and whatever He leads us to do. Let's be sure to remember these promises today and believe and live according to the truth in the promises. 

January 2

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”  Joshua 1:9 (NIV)

We are still thinking about this new year that is beginning and we want to remember that we have a God who will be with us through it. These are the words which God spoke to Joshua to encourage him as he took on the leadership of the people of Israel. Although the prospects ahead of us may not be as challenging as those facing Joshua in leading God’s people into the Promised Land, we can apply this promise to ourselves because He is the same God today. He wants to guide us as he guided Joshua. We can be sure that our Lord will be with us wherever we go if we let Him lead us through this new year. So let us take God’s promise to heart for ourselves and trust Him to be faithful. 

April 24

“Not one of all the Lord’s good promises to Israel failed; every one was fulfilled.”  Joshua 21:45 (NIV)

We need to be reminded of the faithfulness of our God in keeping all His promises. Joshua mad this statement after the people of Israel had taken possession of the promised land and the land had been parceled out among the families. Joshua had been their leader but he recognized that it was God who had planned it and enabled them to do it. God had fulfilled every single promise to them. He has made promises to each of us, too – many of them. He’ll keep His word to us as He did to Israel. Just think of some of promises God has given to you.