Painful, stressful, emotionally and physically draining days will come. The crucial part is not allowing them to become spiritually draining as well.
Recently, I’ve been reading through the book of Joshua, and I observed something I want to share with you. First, let me just say how important it is to read chapters of Scripture at a time. Read the whole book. Maybe not in one sitting, but read all of it.
Devotionals based on a few verses are great. But if that’s all you have, then you’re surviving on snack food. As much as I love a box of cheez-its, it’s still not a steak dinner. Go for the filet. Or the eggplant for my vegetarian friends.
While you may get great insight from meditating on a couple of verses at a time, there’s more. More to uncover, more to be revealed, more to learn, more to love. Read the whole book.
Back to Joshua…
You may get great insight from meditating on a couple of verses at a time, but there’s more.
More to uncover. More to learn. More to love.
Read the whole book.
For context, Joshua is now the leader of the Israelites, having learned from Moses. God is with Joshua, just as He was with Moses, and now it is time to divide the promised land among the different tribes.
You may remember that Moses once sent a group out to spy the land before taking it. From that group, only Joshua and Caleb came back with a good report. Joshua became the leader, but we haven’t heard much from Caleb. Until chapter 14.
As Joshua goes about giving out the land allotments to each tribe, Caleb reminds him that Moses had promised Caleb a specific portion of the land.
9 So that day Moses solemnly promised me, ‘The land of Canaan on which you were just walking will be your grant of land and that of your descendants forever, because you wholeheartedly followed the Lord my God.’ Joshua 14:9 NLT
Leadership changes. But the promises of God stand.
Leadership changes. But the promises of God stand. And sometimes, we have to remind others of what God said. Caleb had earned respect among the Israelites and especially with Joshua. They had come up together. So it’s no surprise to me how honest Caleb was in this discussion. Let’s read a little more.
11 I am as strong now as I was when Moses sent me on that journey, and I can still travel and fight as well as I could then. 12 So give me the hill country that the Lord promised me. You will remember that as scouts we found the descendants of Anak living there in great, walled towns. But if the Lord is with me, I will drive them out of the land, just as the Lord said.” Joshua 14:11-12 NLT
I wonder if you saw the same thing I did… “if the Lord is with me, I will…just as the Lord said.” This might be my new favorite verse. If God is in it, then it will be just as He said it would be. You will do just what He said you would do.
If God is in it, then it will be just as He said it would be. You will do just what He said you would do.
But it doesn’t stop here. Remember what I said about reading the whole book? Let’s go to Joshua 23. At this point, enemies have all been driven out of the promised land. The land has been divided as the Lord instructed. The Israelites have been granted rest. And Joshua is at the end of life, speaking with the elders and officials of Israel for the last time.
3 You have seen everything the Lord your God has done for you during my lifetime. The Lord your God has fought for you against your enemies. 4 I have allotted to you as your homeland all the land of the nations yet unconquered, as well as the land of those we have already conquered…5 This land will be yours, for the Lord your God will himself drive out all the people living there now. You will take possession of their land, just as the Lord your God promised you. Joshua 23:3-5
Throughout the book of Joshua, and frankly, throughout the Israelites journey to the promised land, we see this theme:
If the Lord…
The Lord has…
The Lord will…
You will.
What if it’s not about arriving at the promised land, but rather, realizing that the Promise Himself is already here?
Leave a Reply
Want to join the discussion?Feel free to contribute!