Joshua 24: We are Witnesses

"Joshua then told the people, 'You are witnesses against yourselves that you yourselves have chosen to worship the Lord.'  'We are witnesses,' they said."

Joshua 24:22

Our pastor, yesterday, talked about the calling for all Christians to be witnesses for Christ.  He linked this to a the same role in a courtroom - one who bears testimony for something he/she has seen or experienced.  His sermon was mostly geared towards the importance of reading the Word and following its example so that we would have that experience needed in order to testify.

When I read through the last chapter of Joshua, this particular verse stuck out to me as a sort-of counter-point to the sermon I heard yesterday.  Not only are we to testify concerning His greatness, but in doing so we also testify against ourselves - we bear witness to our own faults and our need for His guidance and salvation.

Question of the Day:

When you testify His greatness, do you humble yourself or do you try to take credit for what He has done in your life?

Prayer of the Day:

Lord, do not let this blog be a vessel for my own arrogance.  Do not let me take credit for the fruits You bear in my life.  Help my readers to understand more about You because of the witness I bear against myself and for You.  Help me to continue growing in my understanding of Your Word so that I may see more of You everywhere I go and be more able to give testimony concerning Your greatness, which always surrounds me, and Your faithful presence, which resides within me.  Amen.

Joshua 23: Selfish Love?

"So be very diligent to love the Lord your God for your own well-being."

Joshua 23:11

Questions of the Day:

Is it selfish for us to love the Lord?  Those of us who love the Lord do so for our own gain.  What gain could we possibly bring to Him?  He is almighty and omniscient; He has no need for us.  Is it wrong, then, for us to love the Lord?  Selfishness is regularly recognized as sinful!  Is it sinful to be selfish if that selfishness means obeying the Lord's commands?  The Lord Himself bribes us into loving Him by offering blessings of peace and prosperity.  Are peace and prosperity really the motivators which lead us to love the Lord?  True love is - as Jesus showed us - unconditional, regardless of what is given in return.  Do we truly love the Lord if we are doing so out of a selfish desire to earn His blessings?  He Created us to desire His blessings.  If He gave us the desire in the first place, is it selfish to love the Lord in exchange for those blessings?

And now we've come full circle...

Prayer of the Day:

Lord, I would like to be able to say that my love for you is as unconditional as Your love for me.  Fortunately, You and I both know better.  This means I'm free of the burden of trying to lie to You to gain Your favor...  I couldn't gain Your favor no matter how hard I tried!  Yet somehow, You have found favor in me anyway.  For that, I am eternally grateful, and in exchange for Your favor I do give You back all the love You give me.  I do share Your love with those around me so that they may also come to know Your blessings and love You as well.  And maybe that's the point - maybe our love for You changes the way we treat others, which in turn changes the way they treat others.  Help me to keep spreading Your love until the whole world loves one another and learns to love You as well.  Amen.

Joshua 22: An Altar to the Lord

"So the Reubenites and Gadites named the altar: It is a witness between us that the Lord is God."

Joshua 22:34

The Law required that all sacrifices and burnt offerings be done at the altar in the place of God's choosing - the Tabernacle.  Any other altar is considered evil, as an altar to other gods.  The group of Gadites and Reubenites who had settled the land on the other side of the Jordan had set up an altar to the Lord, but were not making sacrifices or burnt offerings on it.

The rest of Israel wanted to go to war with them for opposing the Lord's Law until the altar's purpose was explained.  It was set up as a testament that these Gadites and Reubenites, separated from the rest of Israel by the Jordan, were still God's people.  All future generations would be able to point at the altar and show that they are still connected to the Lord, though they would never make burnt offerings or sacrifices on it.

Question of the Day:

What symbols do you set up around your home to show all who enter that you and your house belong to the Lord?  If I didn't know you, and I walked into your home, would I know that you are in my Family?

Prayer of the Day:

Lord, You know I live an imperfect life, and that I am undeserving of being a member in Your House.  However, You have accepted me anyway, and I am proud to show the world who I belong to!  Help me to arrange the visible appearance of my household and my person so that all who see me know who the owner of my soul is.  Let there be no doubt that I am Yours.  Amen!

Joshua 21: The Promise Keeper

"None of the good promises the Lord had made to the house of Israel failed.  Everything was fulfilled."

Joshua 21:45

Half a dozen generations have passed since the original promise to Abraham, yet the Lord fulfills His promises. He doesn't always fulfill them right away, nor always in the way we expect or desire, but He has never failed on any of His promises.

Question of the Day:

What has God promised to you and me?  Everlasting life.  Freedom from worry and fear.  Hope.  The Spirit of God residing within us, sustaining us, teaching us, and protecting us.  Purity and freedom from sin.

Prayer of the Day:

Lord, instead of asking for You to give me these things You have promised, I humble myself and know that You are already beginning these good works within me.  Thank You for the promises You make, and for Your perfect track record on keeping Your promises.  Thank You for giving me Your grace, Your compassion, Your love, Your wisdom, Your strength, Your perfection.  Don't ever let me forget that You have already given me everything You've promised, even if it might not have happened yet in my understanding of time.  Amen.

Joshua 20: Your Day in Court

"He is to stay in that city until he stands trial before the assembly and until the death of the high priest serving at that time..."

Joshua 20:6a

Innocent until proven guilty.  This is one of the many legal philosophies of our country which was taken straight out of the Old Testament.  A trial by a jury of peers, or in the case of this Old Testament law a trial by the whole assembly of the people.  Even in these circumstances, where the burden of proof is on the prosecutor, corruption could easily work its way in.  However, the trial method is far less prone to bias than is any model in which the burden of proof is on the defendant.  If we executed before proving guilt, we'd end up with a lot of dead innocent folks lying around...

Question of the Day:

Do you understand why you are guilty and deserving of the Wrath of God?  Are you ready to spend a day in God's court?

Prayer of the Day:

Thank You for Your mercy.  Pour it out upon me constantly, and lift me up from the troubles I have caused.  Keep me safe in a city of Your choosing until such time as I have been purified of my evil ways and can then return back to my daily life as a new man.  Amen.

Joshua 13-19: Dividing the Inheritance

"When they had finished distributing the land into its territories, the Israelites gave Joshua son of Nun an inheritance among them."

Joshua 19:49

The Israelites conquered so much land that it takes six whole chapters of the bible just to say who gets what.  And at the end of all that, the people set aside a city for their great leader, Joshua son of Nun, who had led the troops of Israel in their conquest.

Question of the Day:

If you are a believer, do you know what your inheritance is in God's Kingdom?  If you are not a believer, do you want to have an inheritance in God's Kingdom?

Prayer of the Day:

Lord, I accept Your invitation into Your family.  I accept the rules of Your house, and will obey them to the best of my ability.  I accept the forgiveness You offer freely on the cross, and with it the chance to be born anew, righteous in Your eyes and deserving of everlasting life.  Wash me clean this day, tomorrow, and for every day to come so that I may keep this purity You offer and share it with others.  Amen.

Joshua 12: With God on Your Side

"the total number of all kings: 31"

Joshua 12:24b

Joshua destroyed 31 kings west of the Jordan, plus Moses destroyed 2 kings east of the Jordan.  That's a total of 33 nations conquered by Israel, who once were slaves.  In a contest between a small, dedicated group of peasants rising up against an elite, corrupt upper-class, God always favors the weak and oppressed - for in their weakness His strength is shown.

The same was true for the American revolution.  The British were taxing the colonists into poverty, requiring that citizens house and feed the Redcoats, disallowing public gatherings of the people, etc.  The colonists revolted, and we ended up with the ability to govern ourselves.

In much the same way, we fought back this week as our legislators were preparing to vote on SOPA, which would have essentially censored the internet in the same way the Chinese and Iranians do.  Our blackout was noticed, our legislators heard our calls and read our emails, and ultimately they put the bill to rest.

However, there are many other bills which have passed in the last decade which rob us of our liberties.  The incredibly misnamed Patriot Act and National Defense Authorization Act essentially take away our right to privacy and allow the military to search, seize, and even kill Americans without so much as a warrant.  

Question of the Day:

When will we revolt against these obstructions to justice?

Prayer of the Day:

Lord, bring Your people together against injustice and corruption.  Help us win the revolution against modernized tyranny, and keep it at bay for generations to come.  Make our message so loud and clear that nobody would even think to go against it, even in another 200 years.  Amen.

Joshua 11: Pray for Peace

"So Joshua took the entire land, in keeping with all that the Lord had told Moses.  Joshua then gave it as an inheritance to Israel according to their tribal allotments.  After this, the land had rest from war."

Joshua 11:23

This great war of Israel had a God-given mission, which all the people agreed with - conquest.  As soon as the mission was accomplished, the wars ended and peace was restored.

When is the last time that the American people could agree about a war we were in?  It was World War II - the last time in American history when the elected Congress declared a war.  Not every American wanted to enter this war, but after our own soil was attacked at Pearl Harbor the vast majority agreed to retaliate.  Clear objectives were set, the war was won a few years later, and peace ensued.

Contrast that with every war since.  Vietnam, Korea, Iraq...  a good history buff could list at least a dozen undeclared wars we've been in since WW2.  None of these had the popular support of the people.  None of these was declared by Congress.  None of these had clear-cut, unchanging goals.  None of these ended quickly, and none of these ended with peace.

This is why the Constitution of the United States of America requires that Congress declares a war, instead of the President.  Otherwise, there will be perpetual war and peace will be unreachable.

Question of the Day:

Do you want peace?  Which presidential candidate(s) would you trust to bring peace?  Which senatorial and representative candidates would you trust to restore Congress's authority in war declaration?

Prayer of the Day:

Lord, guide our nation's leaders towards peace.  Help our nation's citizens understand the workings of the wars we are and have been engaged in, so that we may make better, more informed decisions about who to elect as our legislative and executive leaders.  Bring light on the truth about our potential leaders' motives so that we can say no to corruption and say yes to true servant leaders.  Help us to choose leaders who model Your Son's example of love, peace, compassion, and strength against opposition.  Amen.

Joshua 10: The Lord at War

"The Lord said to Joshua, 'Do not be afraid of them, for I have handed them over to you.  Not one of them will be able to stand against you.'"

Joshua 10:8

If the Lord is able to protect the small nation of Israel against the incoming hordes of five larger nations, how much more can He protect us from the temptations which strike against us every day?  The five nations attacked Gibeon because Gibeon had allied itself with Israel - with God's people - who they called upon for defense.  In precisely this fashion, all the demons come attacking new believers, who call upon us to help them.

Interestingly, God killed more of these attackers with hailstones than the Israelites did with their swords (v. 11).  The same is true when we are Called to defend our fellow believers - the Lord shows His mighty power to both the defenseless man and the warriors who come to his defense, as well as to the enemies attacking them both.  The Lord even made the sun stand still in the sky while Gibeon and Israel took their vengeance against their attackers.  The sunset was delayed for almost a whole day!

Question of the Day:

When you see a brother in need, do you follow God's commands and lift him up?  If you do help a fallen brother, do you bring God along as your vanguard, leading the charge and scattering the enemies?

Prayer of the Day:

Lord, heal the sick and wounded among Your family so that they may stand and give glory to You.  Protect the weak from their oppressors so that they may proclaim Your strength before all the world!  Move Your children towards compassion whenever we witness a brother or sister in need, so that they may speak of Your unfailing love.  Come with us when we help others so that You may secure victory for Your servants.  Amen.

Joshua 9: Deliverance

"Now we are in your hands.  Do to us whatever you think is right.  This is what Joshua did to them: he delivered them from the hands of the Israelites, and they did not kill them."

Joshua 9:25-26

How very similar is this story to the story of my relationship with Jesus!  At first, I feared the wrath of the Lord, so I came to Jesus deceitfully telling Him that I would be His servant, and that I should be spared destruction and allied to Him.  He, unlike the Israelites, saw through my deception because He didn't forget to commune with His Father.  However, he accepted anyway and invited me to be part of His Kingdom.

With my guilt plain before Him, He delivered me from destruction and required me to serve Him.  But He did not kill me, nor let His Father's wrath destroy me - instead, He offered me everlasting Life!

Question of the Day:

Have you been plain with Jesus, telling Him of your sinfulness and desire to escape the Father's wrath?  He will accept you no matter how evil your heart has been in the past, and He will change it to a servant's heart.

Prayer of the Day:

Lord, You know all of my failures and shortcomings even better than I do, and we both know how unworthy I am of the treaty You have sworn with me.  I thank You for accepting me anyway and offering me Life as a servant in Your Kingdom!  Better to be a servant in Your house than king of all the flies...  I am Yours to command.  Help me to fulfill all Your requests to Your expectations.  Amen!

Joshua 8: Military Strategy

"When the king of Ai saw the Israelites, the men of the city hurried and went out early in the morning, so that he and all his people could engage Israel in battle at a suitable place facing the plain of the Jordan.  But he did not know there was an ambush waiting for him behind the city."

Joshua 8:14

We can learn a lot from both sides in this engagement.  First, let's put this into other words - the Lord's enemy came out and exposed himself while the Lord had an ambush set up in advance.  These principles relate directly to Spiritual battles just as much as actual ones.

We know the power of an ambush.  Joshua's ambush allowed Israel to defeat Ai with ease.  If we know that temptations will arise, should we not also set up an ambush against them?  What better way to do that than the memorization of key Scriptures?  Each of us knows where our weak spots are...  Find bible verses which relate to the temptations you struggle with on a regular basis and keep them poised to strike - to ambush the temptations as they come towards you.

We also know the importance of keeping a strong guard at home.  Ai's worst failure was that their entire army left the city, leaving the whole place vulnerable.  Our homes ought to be a sanctuary, where we can rest away from the aforementioned temptation struggles... Find the cracks in your home's defenses and seal them.  Whether it means putting internet restrictions on your computer, getting rid of PPV on the TV, throwing out the foods you gluttonously engorge yourself on, selling excess luxuries so you can pay off debt, etc.  Again, each of us has different defense weaknesses - figure out what needs to be done in your own home.

Challenge of the Day:

Fortify the defenses of your home and practice your ambush Scriptures.  Keep this up for a few weeks and see how you and your family benefit from doing so.

Prayer of the Day:

Lord, help me to fortify my own heart and soul against temptation, and help me to create a home for my family which is safe for all of us.  Help me to fend off temptation whenever and wherever it arises.  Help me to lead a sinless life, as Your Son did (does) and as You command me to do also.  Amen.

Joshua 7: Why Have You Forsaken Me?

"Then Joshua tore his clothes and fell before the ark of the Lord with his face to the ground until evening, as did the elders of Israel; they all put dust on their heads."

Joshua 7:6

The Lord had promised to make Israel prosper, and yet their army fled in fear from the men of Ai.  Joshua had personally received the promise form the Lord, and he cried out in anguish, asking the Lord why He turned His face away from His people.

One man had stolen Israel's victory by disobeying the Lord's command concerning what should be set apart for His coffers.  One man had taken riches from Jericho as his own instead of giving them to the Lord.  One man brought terrible grief to his whole nation.

But what I wanted to focus on was Joshua's initial response when he saw that the Lord had turned away - bow before Him in humility and repentance, begging for His mercy and for understanding.

Question of the Day:

How grand a place would the world be if every man were to bow down in humility and repentance, seeking mercy and understanding, when their world turns upside-down?  How would your life be different if you did this when things don't go well for you?

Prayer of the Day:

Lord, why have You turned Your face away from me?  I know not what I have done!  Bring me back into Your grace and forgiveness so that I may understand what I have done to offend You and so that I may change my evil ways!  Amen.

Joshua 6: Repaying Kindness

"Joshua said to the two men who had scouted the land, 'Go to the prostitute's house and bring the woman out of there, and all who are with her, just as you promised her.'"

Joshua 6:22

Rahab helped the Israelite spies, and in return her family was spared the sword.  The Lord helps those who help Him and His people.

Question of the Day:

When was the last time you helped one of God's people follow His will?  How did God repay you for helping His servant?

Prayer of the Day:

Lord, help me be a blessing to those around me.  Help me to lift up all of Your people who I see each day.  Help me to live a helpful lifestyle and prevent me from being a stumbling block for Your family.  Amen.

Joshua 5: Circumcising the Heart

"At that time the Lord said to Joshua, 'Make flint knives and circumcise the Israelite men again.'"

Joshua 5:2

Every time I've read this in the past, I stopped and gawked at how painful that would be, and wondered why God would ask circumcised men to do that to themselves again...  This is the first time I ever read the rest of the passage:

"This is the reason Joshua circumcised them... none of the people born in the wilderness along the way were circumcised after they had come out of Egypt... They were still uncircumcised since they were not circumcised along the way."

Joshua 5:4a,5b,7b

The men who were ready to storm the walls of Jericho were uncircumcised.  God commanded them to do this because they had not done this in the Wilderness.  It is a symbol of one's allegiance to God (and you'd have to be committed to do that as a grown man).

Question of the Day:

In what way is God asking you to serve him now, which previous circumstances didn't allow?  Are you willing to go as far as to circumcise yourself, literally or figuratively?

Prayer of the Day:

God, you know my heart.  If you desire for me to devote myself to you in a way that I have not already done, change the desire of my heart.  Move me towards Your role for me and help me encourage those around me to seek Your will as well.  Amen.

Joshua 4: Fear of the Lord

"This is so that all the people of the earth may know that the Lord's hand is mighty, and so that you may always fear the Lord your God."

Joshua 4:24

It is important to remember that, even when the Lord does something for us, He is doing it for Himself.  God saves us so that the whole world will know Him.  He performs great works within our lives to bring glory to Himself.  This does not diminish His love or compassion, but it should help us keep in perspective that we belong to Him, and He alone is to be praised.  We can't take credit for our successes, and we can't we can't succeed without His providence.  This is the Fear of the Lord.

Question of the Day:

How do you use God's blessings to bring glory to His name?  How does God use His blessings in your life to bring glory to His name?

Prayer of the Day:

Lord, let praises to Your name spew forth from my lips.  Let my words be a vessel for Your love and compassion.  Allow my body to act in a way that shows Your purity so that none will wonder who I belong to. Do not let me take credit for the success You bestow upon me, but remind me of Your power and majesty each day.  Amen!

Joshua 3: A Sign for His Enemies

"And the water flowing downstream stood still, rising up in a mass that extended as far as Adam, a city next to Zarethan.  The water flowing downstream into the Sea of the Arabah (the Dead Sea) was completely cut off, and the people crossed opposite Jericho."

Joshua 3:16

I knew about Moses splitting the Red Sea...  I honestly had no idea that God used that same trick twice!  And this time, it's even more impressive because he basically dammed up a flowing river, so that the upstream portion rose and flooded the land for miles up the river!  I wonder, though, why God used the same sign as before - the dry land across a body of water trick...

The people of Jericho, as we learned in the last chapter, are afraid of the Lord's power.  They specifically cited the Red Sea incident as one of their specific fears!  God is destroying their morale even further by showing them the sign that they fear most.

Question of the Day:

What sign did Jesus show the evil one when He was tempted in the dessert?  He quoted the Word of God.  If we show the same sign, the Enemy will tremble in fear and be unable to defend himself against us.

Prayer of the Day:

Lord, You are holy, and all the earth trembles before You!  Even the rocks cry out!  Thank You for allowing me to ally myself with You!  I could not win the war against sin without Your intervention.  But You show Your strength when I am weak; You lift me up when I fall; You fight for me when I cower in fear!  You are the Rock of my Salvation!  Blessed be the name of the Lord, who I serve for all eternity!  Amen!

Joshua 2: Jericho Fears Israel

"For we have heard how the Lord dried up the waters of the Red Sea before you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to Sihon and Og, the two Amorite kings you completely destroyed across the Jordan."

Joshua 2:10

Joshua sent two spies into Jericho to bring back any information they could about its defenses.  There, the spies met one of the bible's most interesting one-time-appearance characters: Rahab.  From Rahab, the men learn that Jericho has heard all about the signs and wonders which God used to free Israel from Egypt.  They are afraid, for they know where Israel is headed - straight across the Jordan towards their own land... and they have God on their side.  After a few days hiding in the wilderness and waiting for their pursuers to go home, the spies return to Joshua with this information.

Question of the Day:

If the men of Jericho lost heart, and their courage failed, because the Lord God Almighty was against them, how much more must all the demons fear to know that He is fighting for us?  When we face temptations, we know God has already won that war... and the evil one knows it, too.

Prayer of the Day:

Thank You for bringing peace to my heart and soul.  Continue Your good work that You started within me; carry it on to completion.  Do not let me switch sides and go against You.  Keep me wholly Yours, protect me, and remind all those who would oppose my Spiritual growth that You have already won the war, and claimed me as Your own.  You reside in my heart, and You protect Your land from the evil which tries to invade.  Amen!

Joshua 1: Encouraging the New Leader

"They answered Joshua, 'Everything you have commanded us we will do, and everywhere you send us we will go.'"

Joshua 1:16

Yesterday, my church's new pastor gave his first sermon as our official leader.  It was one of encouragement and calling.  He spoke of the direction he wanted our church to go - further on the same path that our previous pastor was leading us - being better individuals, a stronger body together, and a more meaningful ministry to our community and the world.  The same message God has given us since the beginning of Genesis.

During his sermon, I was reminded of my reading because the end of Deuteronomy and beginning of Joshua is the first time we really see this kind of leadership change in Israel.  The Israelites affirmed their new leader because he was a follower of the Lord, was close to their previous leader (Moses), and was leading them on the same righteous path they had already started on.

I've been in other churches during their time of transition between leaders.  I've known others who've told me about their churches in similar situations.  My own sister is a Presbyterian minister who is now at her second church, and has seen this transition process firsthand.  Ultimately, there are four possibilities with a change in leadership: 1) a struggling church could get worse, 2) a struggling church could get better, 3) a prosperous church could get worse, 4) a prosperous church could get better.  I'm proud to say that Trinity Baptist Church of Madison, AL, seems to have made the fourth option a reality - just as Israel did when Joshua took over after the death of Moses.

Question of the Day:

Which path is your church body on?  Are you on the path to righteous growth, or the downward spiral toward despair?  What role do you play in your church's future?  How can you help your church members grow individually and as a group?

Prayer of the Day:

Lord, continue to guide my church during its fragile time of leadership change.  Thank You for giving us a strong backbone with which to continue in the absence of a leader until now.  Lead our new pastor as you led Moses and Joshua. Lead our church body as You led Israel.  Continue to make us grow and prosper through our servitude.  Amen.