Tag: Old Testament

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Let’s Support

According to recent news, four out of every ten children in our culture live in homes without their

. Close to half of our children are being raised by single parents or find themselves part of a “blended” family. The so-called nuclear family consisting of two parents and their children is no longer the norm.

Single parents face many challenges. Single parents must accomplish on their own what often is a challenge for two parents. Without a partner, however, they need emotional support. Some single parents find themselves deep in debt and often face financial hardship. Some no longer feel accepted by former friends because their partner is gone.

Today, single parents need the help of the Christian community. In the Old Testament, God made provisions for widows and orphans. James calls us to put our faith into practice by reaching out to them. Had James been writing today, he would have included single parents and their children too. You and I may need to step in and help. Look around in your church for such needs and help. You can help care for young children, accept single-parent families into fellowship groups, and provide financial assistance. In the church, everyone should be accepted and included.

Religion that … [is] pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress. (James 1:27).

Let’s Pray

Yahweh, help us as members of your church to reach out to all who stand alone as they raise their children, Father give us all the grace to accept and learn from each other. In Jesus, Amen.

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Faith That Pleases God

Faith-based Methods For Overcoming Stress

One of my favourite stories in the Old Testament is the story of David slaying Goliath he took 5 smooth stones and defeated the giant that was stopping Israel’s success. As I reflect today on these events, I ask myself the question what type of faith must it take to defeat giants in our lives? 

As I began to think about this question, I remembered how David went from shepherd boy to King of Israel, capturing Jerusalem, reuniting the nation, and controlling an empire. David always looked toward the Lord; and from the anxieties he suffered, he developed faith and determination in God. His unwavering confidence in God became apparent to all. 

Everyone has struggles, and these struggles test our faith. We all want the type of faith that releases the fullest blessings of God in our lives. How do we ensure the type of faith that pleases God? When your faith is tested, reflect on how God has helped you in the past, acknowledge his power over the situation and trust him for the resources you need. Praise him in the trial and ask others to pray for you. Ask the Lord to increase your faith. 

Today, ponder the story of David and Goliath which provides a brief narrative of faith. It describes and explains how faith works in three simple steps. First, a humble dependence on God recognising that He is the source of everything we need. Second, approach Him with an open heart because He is the sovereign Lord over all; third, trust God to keep his word. Together, these three simple steps represent the type of faith that pleases Him. Invite God to daily increase your ability to depend on Him for everything, approach Him full-heartedly, and trust Him to keep his promises. 

We all want the type of faith that releases the fullest blessings of God in our lives. 

“And without faith, it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” Hebrews 11:6 

Let’s Pray Yahweh, thank you for increasing my faith and helping me to see the specific ways you have revealed yourself to me. Father, I praise you that you know all things perfectly and that I can trust the unknown to you. In Christ’s blessed name I pray, Amen.

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End-Time Errors: Drawing Lines through Matthew 24

When I first began to wrestle with Jesus’ Olivet Discourse (which emerges from a heated Matthew 23, rests solidly in Matthew 24 and then ascends into end-of-days judgment by Matthew 25), I struggled.

At one point, I thought I had it figured out. Like many others, I determined there had to be a line drawn somewhere through the middle of Matthew 24 in order to make sense of the end-of-the-world, imminent rapture language that appears by v29-31:

Immediately after the tribulation in the end- time of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:

And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.

And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

Some folks seem to rightly read a local 70AD judgment coming to Jerusalem into Matthew 24:1-14, but then they pull Matthew 24:15-31 out of that century and project it 2,000+ years later into our own not-so-distant future. After this, it becomes anyone’s guess as to who and when the rest of Matthew 24 is given.

When I hacked at the Olivet Discourse like this, I drew my line at v29 (even though our Lord says “IMMEDIATELY AFTER the tribulation of those days…”). I figured that was the clear dividing line that had somehow been missed by Bible scholars immemorial. At this point, I still didn’t understand the Jewish apocryphal language surrounding the “day of the Lord”, so I was reading these expressions of speech literally. That was my mistake.

(Interestingly, some folks will thoughtfully look at the synoptic counterparts–Mark 13 and 21–and even draw the line in different places depending on the book.)

Consider this. Matthew, Mark and are considered the synoptic gospels because they’re so in sync with one another, right? A lot of overlap in their accounts of the life and words of Jesus but different enough that we recognize they were written independently of one another, likely via oral tradition.

One of the key places I struggled with (and, in other passages, still struggle with) was understanding Jewish expressions.

The Abomination of Desolation

As we read the Olivet Discourse, we must be wary of getting caught by the difference between the Jewish idioms and our modern-day understanding.

For instance, Matthew 24 says, “…the abomination that brings desolation…standing in the holy place…” but Luke 21:20 makes it clear, “…when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies…” Both passages are speaking of the same impending destruction, however Matthew uses an expression first-century Jews would be familiar with and Dr. Luke spells it out for his first-century, emerging-from-paganism Gentile audience.

2,000 years later, that contrast helps us understand the “abomination of desolation” reference. Indeed, the pagan Roman army would turn out to be the abomination that brought desolation to Jerusalem.

The Sun, Moon and Stars

Jewish idioms around impending judgment abound in all three gospels, where we have the sun, moon and stars being put out, stormy seas and heaven being shaken. If one doesn’t understand the “day of the Lord” language, a modern, 21st century reader may end up taking this literally.

From my earlier study on the “day of the Lord”, here are key Scriptures you’ll want to explore:

o Isaiah 13:9-11, we see judgment coming to Babylon at the hand of the Medes fulfilled in 539 BC.

o Nahum 1:3, we have judgment coming to Nineveh at the hands of the Babylonians and Medes, as fulfilled in 612 BC.

o Jeremiah 46:10 and Ezekiel 30, where the prophets lament judgment coming to at the hand of the Babylonians.

Finally, still more Old Testament examples of the day of the Lord can be found in: Zechariah 14, Obadiah and Isaiah 34 (judgment over Edom), Lamentations 2:22, and Malachi 4:5-6 (foreshadowing the fall of Israel by 70AD.)

If We Only Knew Our Old Testament

So, if we were intimately familiar with the Old Testament witnesses, by the time we get to Matthew 24, Mark 13 and Luke 21, we would be well-versed on Jewish apocryphal language, right? But we’re not, Church. If you’re anything like me, you didn’t grow up with the Word as a central study in my life like a citizen of Judah would have in the first century. I grew up in the West, 2,000 years removed.

The moral of this story: Many of the Jewish cultural allusions are lost to us and have to be learned in order to arrive at the original context and meaning.

All this to say, I don’t believe Jesus departs from warning His disciples of the incoming doom heading for Israel and Jerusalem to drop in a tidbit that won’t come to fruition for thousands of years (though He actually seems to end up there by Matthew 25?)

Our Lord was speaking to that generation and His words were fulfilled within a Biblical generation, 40 years later, when the Roman armies razed Jerusalem in 70AD. Prophesy fulfilled.

The Word is AMAZING!!

Prior to beginning his Christian ministry, Matthew spent over 25 years as a marketing consultant, published author, speaker, coach, business developer and entrepreneur. In 2015, he pushed out over 400 accounts and retooled his marketing practice to serve the Christian Church. In addition to his pastoral studies and spreading the Gospel message through Levaire.com, Matthew helps Christian churches and humanitarian aid organizations develop successful outreach strategies. He and his vivacious wife, Kelly, live in Michigan with their four amazing children.

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Don’t Speak Negativity Into Your Future

You Have the Victory, So Why Are You Walking Around Defeated?

Do you know that your negative or positive future can be determined by how you see the present? In the Old Testament, there was an Israelite woman who was about to give birth. She had just heard that the Ark of the Covenant which housed God’s presence had been stolen. She was so upset about it that she named her baby boy Ichabod, which means “the glory has departed.”  

Notice what this woman did; she named her future by what was happening in her present. She could have just as easily named him “the glory will return,” but she was so focused on the negative, so caught up in where she was at that moment, that she defined her future by it. Don’t ever name your future by your present-day circumstances. You may have had some hard times in the past, but get that “Ichabod” spirit off of you.  

Today, it may look like you’re stuck in a rut, and you don’t really see how you could ever rise any higher, but don’t speak defeat over your life. Instead, name your future: blessed, prosperous, successful, victorious, healthy, whole, strong, talented, creative, wise. Declare what God’s Word says, so that you can move forward in the destiny He has prepared for you! 

“You will also declare a thing, and it will be established…” (Job 22:28, NKJV) 

Let’s Pray

Yahweh, thank You for the blessed future that You have prepared for me. Father, today I choose to come into agreement with Your Word, and speak Your blessing over my life. God, keep me close to You and show me Your ways, in Christ’s Name! Amen.  

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Let’s Pray Differently

7 Heroes of Faith and the Power of Prayer in Their Lives

Lately, I’ve found myself constantly praying for God to change my situations.

As if he doesn’t realize how messed up the world is. How broken we are. How chaotic 2020 has felt. I ask Him to change the circumstances surrounding me as if He’s just sitting up in heaven watching Netflix completely unaware of what’s happening in this world He created. As if He’s forgotten about us down here. But He hasn’t. He knows what’s happening. Nothing that happens in this world happens without his consent. He’s allowing it to continue to happen because He’s not done doing what He’s planning to do with it. Are you following?

Now let’s turn to the Old Testament superstar of struggle… Job. His story is unique in that we get a little glimpse at the dialogue between God and Satan. Satan and his angels come to God and get this… he had to ask God’s permission to mess with Job’s life. God literally gave His consent for the enemy to do whatever he wanted with everything Job had, but with an important condition: “…but on the man himself do not lay a finger.” (Job 1:12b)

For those of you that aren’t familiar with the story, Satan proceeded to take away everything Job had including all of his livestock and fields, his wife and children, and even his health. He left Job broke and alone, but through all of Job’s struggles and heartache, God was never worried because He still held Job’s life. God’s protection was on him the whole time.

So now that we’ve seen God’s side of it, let’s look at Job’s perspective. How did he respond? Well Satan’s plan here was to get Job to curse the name of God, but Job wouldn’t do it. Even after everything was taken from him and his three friends blamed him for his misfortune and gave him a bunch of bad advice, Job still praised God. His faith was not shaken. He prayed things like this:

“But he knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold.” – Job 23:10

and this…

“I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.” – Job 42:2

Even when he had nothing, Job still held on to the faith that God would use all of those awful circumstances to refine him like gold. He still acknowledged God’s power and honored Him. I want to pray like Job.

Instead of praying for God to change my circumstances, I want to pray that God will never stop using my circumstances to change me. I challenge you to do the same. Instead of praying for God to “fix” things so they can go back to our broken version of “normal,” let’s ask Him to keep shaking things up until they’re better, new, and more reflective of His kingdom.

“This, then, is how you should pray:
‘Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven…'” – Matthew 6:9-10 (emphasis mine)

Let’s ask Him to change our hearts in the face of uncertainty rather than asking Him to make COVID-19 go away. Let’s ask Him to cover our family with peace in the face of loss rather than blaming him for taking our loved one away. Let’s ask Him to change the hearts of those corrupted by power and authority instead of acting in violence in response to offense. Let’s ask for the coming of His glorious kingdom rather than asking for a perfect life in our own little bubble.

Because here’s the thing: circumstances will always change and more often than not, they will be inconvenient, uncomfortable, and difficult. So let’s stop complaining and wishing for an easier life.

Sooner or later, you’ll have to respond, and it’s how we respond that matters. It’s how God is using it to make us look more like Him that matters. It’s how it fits in to the bigger picture of the redemption of God’s creation that matters.

“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” – Thessalonians 5:16-18

So, let’s not get swept up in trying to pray away our problems. Let’s take up a different stance, and pray through them, because that allows God to change us, grow us, and mold us to better reflect His glory.

Remember, nothing in this world happens without God’s consent. Your bad day didn’t sneak past His radar while He was enjoying His morning coffee. He allows our circumstances to be difficult because He wants us to be a little uncomfortable, because that’s when we turn to Him and lean on Him so He can remind us of His power and glory. So let’s embrace whatever circumstance we find ourselves in and commit to seeking out the Lord and His goodness. Because no matter how broken we are, He is always good.

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How Different Are You from the Rest of the World?

How Different Are You From the World

Life is not easy. Many times it may feel as though you’re constantly dodging bullets. Sometimes you may get hit with a bullet in the form of financial distress, depression, slander, inequality and even death, and they are all enough to shake your foundation in Christ… if you allow it.

Recently, I had lunch with a few family members. There was the usual catching up session, plentiful dishes full of tasty homecooked food, and much laughter. But there was something else that I didn’t like: the gossiping and constant judgment of those who were not present. Some time ago, I would have been the one sitting with them and judging those relatives right along with them, but thankfully the LORD dealt with me concerning this. So I kept my distance and did not take part. Perhaps you’re asking yourself why I didn’t tell them that what they were doing was wrong? The simple reason is that the women were all elders (except one) in the family and do not take lightly to anyone younger than them saying anything against what they are talking about. They definitely knew that I did not like their topic of conversation, which is why I have been on the receiving end of much judgment in the past. Well, these women just kept on going on and on about our other relatives, picking out every problem and judging them for it. My spirit was so troubled by it, that I walked away and put my earphones on to listen to some praise music. I needed to drown out the ugliness of the conversation, and I got to thinking: how did I manage to be a part of such slanderous speech in the past? How did I continue to spew such ugly words and descriptions about other people? I did it under the guise of being ‘concerned’ about them, but truly, it was just an excuse to focus on the negative in someone else’s life rather than deal with the disappointments and rejections of my own life, as well as the ugliness that I allowed to multiply in my heart. Matthew 15:18 tells us that the words that we speak come from our hearts, and this defiles us.

There are so many things that we allow to dwell in our hearts, and they eventually come out in the form of words. These words are ones of negativity, doubt, self-beating, gossip, slander and so much more. This is normal for those who are of the world, but it is not normal for us as His people.   So, the question is: how different are we from the world? Do we immediately become angry when things do not go our way? Do we seek revenge when someone has wronged us? Do we talk about others in an effort to elevate ourselves? We have to be honest with ourselves when we ask these questions because GOD cannot be fooled. Sometimes we think that we are alright. We are kind to people, we keep away from bad company, we watch our tongue… until something happens out of our control. Maybe you were standing in line for an extremely long time at some government office (in South Africa, we have many stories about the Department of Home Affairs as well as the licensing department!), and you’ve been there since 7 am in the morning, but now it’s 12:00 pm and it’s lunchtime for half of them. Which means that the line is only about to go slower. Well, this just gets you into a tizz, doesn’t it? You probably join in the conversation happening around you about how incompetent the government workers are, how they are clearly not qualified for the job that they do, and so on and so forth. I’ve been there and done that, but just because everyone else is mumbling and grumbling, doesn’t mean that we have to do it. Instead, we could be sharing the gospel with the person sitting next to us (yes, I know that at first, it may seem awkward and you might get some strange or angry looks) or showing a good attitude when everyone else is in a bad mood. You’d be amazed at how many people you can get to smile just by being a cheerful person. You actually attract people to you and then you can tell them that your joy is all thanks to Jesus.

Luke 6:27-28 tells us to love our enemies, to do good to those that hate us, bless those who curse us and pray for those that mistreat us. Whoa. Is that even possible, Jesus? You know what’s going to come next: all things are possible for those who believe (Jesus just dropped the mic on that one). It’s easier for us to love those who love us, to hate those that hate us, to bless those that bless us, to pray for those that we feel like praying for, and to utterly forget about those that mistreat us. It’s far easier, right? But then, what would make us different from the world? In the Old Testament, we know the whole ‘eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth’ thing, right? But Jesus turned that on its head. He came and spoke about living a life so different, and so weird, that people would need to just stop and take a look at us. Jesus said that we are the light and salt of the world, and in order to maintain our light and ‘saltiness’, we are going to have to be different. Oh, it certainly is not easy, but it sure is worth it.

I would like to invite you to take your walk with Christ to a whole different level by being abnormal in the world. Be extraordinary in a world of mundaneness. Be weird in a world where sin is normal. Embrace your role as a servant of the Most High, daughter of a King, son of the Holy of Holies, warrior of the Great I Am. Choose to set aside your feelings of inadequacy, the need to fit in and be accepted, and all your embarrassment to live your life GOD-led and not people/situation-led. We were promised joy, peace, love and everything else that GOD has to offer us, but that doesn’t mean that there will not be suffering and persecution. As Jesus suffered, so will we suffer, but it’s only for a moment in the light of eternity with Christ. Let GOD take control and transform you into someone that even you would never have thought to become.

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Biblical Principles on How To Reclaim Your Life

Are you low-spirited? Is your mind and heart bogged down by a multitude of issues? Failures, regretful words spoken, deeds you wish you could scrap from your history, wrong decisions you wish you could rethink over again? These are some of the culprits that make you lose out in life. When these take over, you lose joy and zest for facing your now and your future. The child of God shouldn’t live in such an unfortunate way. Following are some principles that will help you reclaim your life.

Learn from the past but don’t live in it.

From 1 Corinthians 10:11 we understand that past occurrences serve as examples and warnings of what we need to imitate and what we need to avoid following after. From both the good and the bad there are learnings to mark and treasure. Successes and failures should never be inflated. Let them serve their purpose to affirm or to warn, then put them to rest.

Romans 12:3 warns us saying, “Let no man think of himself more highly than he ought to think.” Over-dwelling on accomplishments tends to lead to that. It lifts the successful man to a plane he may find difficult to come down from.

Proverbs 24:16 encourages us saying, “Though the righteous man falls seven times, he WILL rise again.” There is never a pit God won’t be able to lift us from. In every downfall, there will always be a rising for the beloved one of God.

Life is filled with seasons. In every season, take courage and maintain joy and drive in all that lies before you. Ecc 6:11 says, “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all you’ve got.” Be excited of the fact that whatever unfolds, God is ever at your side. He will never leave nor abandon you.

Stop using wrong measures.

2 Corinthians 10:12 says, “Not that we dare to classify or compare ourselves with some of those who are commending themselves. But when they measure themselves by one another and compare themselves with one another, they are without understanding.” Further, verse 17-18 say, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord. For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.” Lastly, Romans 14:8 reminds us, “Whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord’s.”

From the passages we gather that it is wrong for man to use fellow man as a standard for performance and worth. God who is impartial, always loving, always good; His standards are just right, always within perfect reason and purpose. It is His standard and precepts we should consider. It is His approval that matters. It is His approval we should long for.

Yes, Seek God’s approval first and desire His approval most.

1 Corinthians 10:31 reminds us of the proper perspective to all things. In everything we do, God’s pleasure and honor is to be our purpose and goal. It’s normal to pursue achievement and success because these make us feel good and proud of ourselves. Achievements are an affirmation and appreciation of all the hard work we put into something. But that shouldn’t be our only motivation. God’s pleasure and testimony should be the top reason why we want to do well in school, in work, in life and relationships.

We have a Father who is never unreasonable nor overly expecting. We know that anything done rightfully and sincerely will be accepted of Him and will receive praise from Him. In the Old Testament God has made clear from the beginning that if we do right we will be accepted. (Genesis 4:7) In the New, we know that God pays attention to the motives of man’s hearts and basing from that, each man will receive due praise from God. (1 Corinthians 4:5)

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5 Truths about God’s Design for Sex in Marriage

5 Truths about God’s Design for Sex in Marriage

Living in an over-sexualized culture, we hear messages about sex, wrong messages.   These messages become more a part of us than God’s truth because we hear them repetitively and churches are scared to address sexuality.

For too long, I believed the world’s message about sex.   That it’s a superficial, feel-good avenue to self-satisfaction.   Wrong, partly.   God did design sex to feel good!

But, there is more than that.   He designed it for profound spiritual, physical, and emotional connection.   It is just a shadow of things to come.

God’s design of sex is too amazing to keep silent about.

Here are five truths about God’s design of sex in marriage.

God designed sex to be bonding.

Not only spiritually bonding, but emotionally and physically.   When the two become one flesh, biochemicals are released in our bodies like oxytocin and dopamine.   Oxytocin, especially, is a bonding chemical.   When I embraced this truth and started engaging in the marriage bed more, the tone of our marriage completely changed.

“This is why a man leaves his father and mother and bonds with his wife, and they become one flesh,” Genesis 2:24 (NIV).

God designed sex for both husband and wife to experience pleasure.

It’s an equal opportunity activity.   Why else would there be a clitoris?   It’s only function is for pleasure.   The Song of Solomon is full of beautiful poetic language about the pleasures of physical love for both spouses.

If one spouse struggles with the ultimate moment, there are Christian resources available to help the couple understand how to achieve mutual enjoyment.

“The mandrakes send out their fragrance, and at our door is every delicacy, both new and old, that I have stored up for you, my beloved,” Song of Solomon 7:13 (NIV).

God designed sex so that we would know yearning.

Before you were married, you yearned for your fianc.   Not only did you crave your fiance’s touch, you craved his/her presence and knowing him/her better.  Even after years of marriage, it is good to remember this yearning.  It mirrors how God desires us to yearn for him.   I believe this is one reason he frequently uses the marriage as a symbol of his relationship with us throughout the Bible.

“Or do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us?” James 4:5 (NIV).

God designed the marriage bed to be a place to show the fruit of the Spirit.

Peace, patience, love, joy, gentleness, kindness, faithfulness, goodness, and self-control are the foundation of all Christian life, especially the marriage bed.   All conflict surrounding the marriage bed can be managed through employing these key traits.

My own marriage endured a long season of mismatched sex drives.   It was through these qualities and some wise communication tools that we overcame our conflict.

God designed sex as a powerful mystery.

Biblical stories of sex often confused me when I was young.   There was some nasty stuff in the old testament, the rape of Dinah, Lot and his daughters, the men of Gibeah  clammering for the male visitor, Leviticus 20.   And yet, there is the beautiful Song of Solomon.   The New Testament seemed to prefer celibacy, to be honest.   As a teenager, I couldn’t understand why I liked thinking about sex if it was disgraceful and violent.

But, as an adult, I realized the stories were teaching me that sexual intimacy is powerful and mysterious.   It’s OK not to have it all figured out, as long as you respect the power it holds to do good when it is aligned with God’s perfect design.

“For my thoughts  are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the  Lord. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways  and my thoughts than your thoughts,” Isaiah 55:8-9.

Final Thoughts

Don’t let the world’s message of cheap sex destroy the meaningful sex in your marriage.   Sex may only be a small portion of the whole of your marriage.   However, sex matters.   It especially matters if one spouse is more interested than the other.   When we ignore its power and importance in marriage, the relationship suffers.

Now, granted chronic health issues can affect sexual function and that’s a more complicated story.

 

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Every Promise of Your Word: The Gospel According to Joshua

What if there was only one book from the Holy Bible, as our sole source of divine Scriptures? What would this one book teach us? What Gospel would we find there?

In this way, we not only find out that all the books in the Bible are useful for edifying and equipping, but we also see the consistent story that is found throughout all Scripture. We see that the Bible is a coherent story of God’s love for us, throughout the different eras, different authors, and different genres of writings.

When you pick up the Bible, as a whole, Joshua is the first book after the Books of Moses. Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy are all accredited to the man that led Israel out of Egypt, and now it is time for the book about the man who led Israel into the Promised Land.

But if this book was totally disconnected from the aforementioned five books, what would we learn? Not just about Israel’s history and their settling into the land of Canaan, but what would we learn about the God that talks to Joshua? What ideas and doctrines might we make based on what we find in these pages of war and conquest?

While there may be plenty to glean from a gospel according to Joshua, here are three things that we can all agree on.

1. A Life Serving God Isn’t Going To Be Easy

If we pretend that Joshua was a book all by itself, what information we gather is still quite extensive. We learn that Joshua is replacing a beloved leader named Moses. We learn that before him, Joshua has a monstrous task. We learn that Joshua is without his mentor, and without a point of reference for what he is about to do.

This is the place many people find themselves in. Life is happening and it is a wild ride. Loved ones pass away. Bills fill the mailbox

. People call and text, demanding your time and energy. There is no pause button, no mute, no way to make it all slow down or stop.

Life keeps happening, whether you like it or not.

This is still true for those who serve the LORD God. For Joshua, he has all the new responsibilities. He alone is supposed to lead an entire nation,  potentially

millions of people into enemy territory, and take the land as their new home. He has no one to ask for pointers, no reference books on war. He is the leader of a weak, small nation, barging into the enemies’ camp.

There was no stopping it. It was happening, whether Joshua liked it or not.

Life serving God, obeying his command to lead Israel, was not easy for Joshua. Nor is it easy for anyone. But that is what makes God’s reminder to Joshua so potent and powerful today.

“Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their ancestors to give them.” – Joshua 1:6

Life serving God isn’t easy, but that doesn’t mean that we are alone. Nor does it mean that we can’t do it.

God reminds Joshua over and over again to gather his strength, to stock the fire of his courage (Joshua 1:7,9,18; 23:6). He had a job to do, and with God’s help, Joshua could do it.

We may not be asked to march a nation into the enemies’ camp, but whatever life does through at us, we are able to conquer with the LORD by our side.

2. Sin Has Dire, If Not Immediate, Consequences

What if the nation of Israel didn’t do what God said? What would happen? I mean, how powerful can a God be that no one can see, taste, or feel? What can He do if you or I, or the nation of Israel completely ignored what He said? A lot. God can do a lot to those that are deliberately disobedient. The defiant end up being the dead.

In Joshua, there is a story of a man named Achan who stole from a plundered city, after God specifically said to destroy everything. Achan took some plunder and hid it under his tent. While no one else knew, God knew what Achan had done.

And Achan was punished for it. His nation’s army suffered a crushing defeat. They were humiliated. Families lost loved ones. And then God brought judgment. Achan’s sin was found out. He suffered for it, as did his family. They were stoned to death.

(You can read the whole story in Joshua 7.)

The cost of rejecting God’s word was tremendous. What Achan thought he was doing was akin to a little white lie. Surely it wasn’t going to hurt anyone, expect it devastated a nation.

Sin has a devastating effect on people, the individual, and the group. To disobey and disregard what God has said would be a grave (pun intended) error.

3. A Decision Needs To Be Made, And Made With Conviction

God repeats himself sometimes. Not because he is forgetful and wants to keep what he said fresh in his mind; God repeats himself for us. So that we remember so that we keep what he said fresh in our minds and hearts. So that we recognize the seriousness of what he is saying.

Numerous times, God tells the Israels to refrain from relationships with the Canaanites, the native population of the Promise Land. God warned them over and over that the idols and false gods that the Canaanites worshipped would distract and be destruction to the people of Israel.

It was a warning for their own good. No relationships with Canaanites, no destruction. But God had to keep reminding Israel because they continually are tempted to chase after these other gods. They keep flirting with disaster, and God makes it clear that flirting with disaster will bring disaster.

Not once, not twice, but all through the book of Joshua.

Joshua himself says the same thing in his final address to Israel,

“Now fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” – Joshua 24:14-15

There is a clear choice to be made: God or other gods. The God that had saved, redeemed, provided for the nation of Israel for years, or the gods that Israel did not know.

While Joshua’s call that day was clearly for the present company, it is a decision that we must wrestle with now. We have a choice between the God that Joshua served or the other gods that brought destruction upon the nation of Israel.

Let us hold fast to the gospel by intentionally recalling all God has done for us to redeem us for himself.   Let us soak in God’s long list of “I did ”¦. for you” and respond to him with trust, fear, love, and obedience.

 

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