Joshua 2
9Joshua said to the Israelites, “Come here and listen to the words of the Lord your God. 10This is how you will know that the living God is among you and that he will certainly drive out before you the Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites and Jebusites. 11See, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth will go into the Jordan ahead of you. 12Now then, choose twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one from each tribe. 13And as soon as the priests who carry the ark of the Lord—the Lord of all the earth—set foot in the Jordan, its waters flowing downstream will be cut off and stand up in a heap.”
14So when the people broke camp to cross the Jordan, the priests carrying the ark of the covenant went ahead of them. 15Now the Jordan is at flood stage all during harvest. Yet as soon as the priests who carried the ark reached the Jordan and their feet touched the water’s edge, 16the water from upstream stopped flowing. It piled up in a heap a great distance away, at a town called Adam in the vicinity of Zarethan, while the water flowing down to the Sea of the Arabah (that is, the Dead Sea) was completely cut off. So the people crossed over opposite Jericho. 17The priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord stopped in the middle of the Jordan and stood on dry ground, while all Israel passed by until the whole nation had completed the crossing on dry ground.
Joshua and the Israelites begin their mission to take the land God wants them to have. The first thing God does is tell them what to do, so they can get it done the right way and glorify God, not themselves. He tells them EXACTLY what to do...all they have to do is do it.
Then He shows them, in a big way, what He will do to help them and assures them that if they follow His command, they will succeed. So, He stops a huge river to let them pass...and this isn't the first time He has done this for them! Wow! How awesome is God's power and how awesome how He uses it to help us as we do what we are supposed to do! Things we would never dream we could do!
There are more stories here about the great things God does to help the Israelites conquer the land He wants them to have. He shows them He knows they have to have "some skin in the game" by conquering it. However, He makes sure they will get it done if they follow His commands.
So, what is God doing for you right now? How is He working in your life? What is He requiring you to do in order for you to have "some skin in the game" ? Are you doing it? Are you trusting God will provide?
I currently have several different things God is doing for me right now. All of them are requiring me to trust that God will provide and lead. I like to have a plan and follow it, but God has a different plan, and He wants me to trust Him. So, I will. I may falter from day to day, but I will continue to try. I will continue to look to God for my guidance and give Him the glory for my victories.
Father in heaven, please help me to focus on what you want in order for me to receive the blessings you want to give me! Please help me to focus on you only! In Jesus awesome name I pray! Amen.
Saturday, October 29, 2016
Be strong and courageous
Joshua 1
6Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their ancestors to give them. 7“Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. 8Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. 9Have 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.”
In the passage above, Joshua is being put in charge by God and told to move into the territory God has promised the nation of Israel. They have wandered in the wilderness for forty years and have finally been allowed to go into the promised land. Isn't that exciting?
Well, I think that would be exciting! Finally getting to where you have wanted to go for forty years even when you had given up in despair (forty years!) and made lots of mistakes along the way. Still, you had seen miracles by God regularly and had been protected by God along the way.
So, you finally get what God says you deserve. Only one problem...He isn't giving it to you so easily. You have to conquer the people who are in that land first. WHAT?????? I came all this way. I made it. It took forty years! Now I have to fight to get what God says I deserve?
Be strong and courageous. That is what God tells Joshua and His people over and over again in the passage above. He tells them He will be with them. He will protect them. However, He also tells them that they have to do their part too. The Israelites must fight for what God has given them.
God knows us. He knows that if He just gave us things easily, we wouldn't appreciate them. We would quickly start sinning again, even though we would know that God brought us to where we are. If He makes us work for what He wants to give us, He knows we will keep our focus on Him and then He can keep us on the right path.
Nothing is ever easy, but if we are strong and courageous in God, we will be able to do anything!
Father, please help us to keep our focus on you all through every day. Help us to be strong and courageous in doing what you want us to do. Help us to be strong and courageous in praying without ceasing for your assistance. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.
6Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their ancestors to give them. 7“Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. 8Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. 9Have 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.”
In the passage above, Joshua is being put in charge by God and told to move into the territory God has promised the nation of Israel. They have wandered in the wilderness for forty years and have finally been allowed to go into the promised land. Isn't that exciting?
Well, I think that would be exciting! Finally getting to where you have wanted to go for forty years even when you had given up in despair (forty years!) and made lots of mistakes along the way. Still, you had seen miracles by God regularly and had been protected by God along the way.
So, you finally get what God says you deserve. Only one problem...He isn't giving it to you so easily. You have to conquer the people who are in that land first. WHAT?????? I came all this way. I made it. It took forty years! Now I have to fight to get what God says I deserve?
Be strong and courageous. That is what God tells Joshua and His people over and over again in the passage above. He tells them He will be with them. He will protect them. However, He also tells them that they have to do their part too. The Israelites must fight for what God has given them.
God knows us. He knows that if He just gave us things easily, we wouldn't appreciate them. We would quickly start sinning again, even though we would know that God brought us to where we are. If He makes us work for what He wants to give us, He knows we will keep our focus on Him and then He can keep us on the right path.
Nothing is ever easy, but if we are strong and courageous in God, we will be able to do anything!
Father, please help us to keep our focus on you all through every day. Help us to be strong and courageous in doing what you want us to do. Help us to be strong and courageous in praying without ceasing for your assistance. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.
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