Month: August 2016

His Promise(s)

“Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent”

Joshua 23:10
One man of you puts to flight a thousand, since it is the Lord your God who fights for you, just as he promised you. Be very careful, therefore, to love the Lord your God. For if you turn back and cling to the remnant of these nations remaining among you and make marriages with them, so that you associate with them and they with you, know for certain that the Lord your God will no longer drive out these nations before you, but they shall be a snare and a trap for you, a whip on your sides and thorns in your eyes, until you perish from off this good ground that the Lord your God has given you.

Jeremiah 29:11
For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you, declares the Lord, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, declares the Lord, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile.

Matthew 6:24
“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other.

Revelation 3:18
“‘I know your works:you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see. Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent.

 

How BIG are your problems?  “One man of you puts to flight a thousand, since it is the Lord your God who fights for you, just as he promised you”. Has God ever failed you?  No.  Have we ever failed God? Yes.  Does God love us unconditionally? Yes.  Is God bigger, stronger, mightier, and able to handle any problem you are facing? Yes.  Praise God.  He is able to more than we ask and much more than we can imagine.  Amen?  I have no clue what you are facing but I do know the promises of God are there for each one of us to cling to, trust in, and rely on.  Whatever burden it is your are facing give it to Him.

The Straight Path

but you shall cling to the Lord your God just as you have done to this day

Joshua 23:6
turning aside from it neither to the right hand nor to the left, that you may not mix with these nations remaining among you or make mention of the names of their gods or swear by them or serve them or bow down to them, but you shall cling to the Lord your God just as you have done to this day

Deuteronomy 5:32
You shall be careful therefore to do as the Lord your God has commanded you. You shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left. You shall walk in all the way that the Lord your God has commanded you, that you may live, and that it may go well with you, and that you may live long in the land that you shall possess

Proverbs 4:25
Ponder the path of your feet;
then all your ways will be sure.
Do not swerve to the right or to the left;
turn your foot away from evil

2 Kings 22:2
And he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord and walked in all the way of David his father, and he did not turn aside to the right or to the left

Hebrews 12:12
Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed. Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no “root of bitterness” springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled.

Joshua is old and he speaks to the people telling them to keep on a firm path with the Lord not turing to the left or the right.  He is not the only one to state this truth.  Jesus said “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few”.  It is a common theme in scripture for those who are called by God.  What is the straight path?  I think it is having heart, mind, and soul with a purposeful desire to fully trust and humbly serve God.  He is my portion, strength, shelter, rock, hope, peace, joy, love….. and is not replaced by things of this world.   Keep your feet on solid ground. Keep your eyes fixed on Him.  Keep your heart’s desire for Him. Keep your ears listening for His voice and direction.  Keep your trust in His strength, power, and might.  Do not dilute His grace with your works.  Want to be used by Him for His purpose, honor, and glory.

Move Forward

Tell the people of Israel to go forward

Joshua 23:1
A long time afterward, when the Lord had given rest to Israel from all their surrounding enemies, and Joshua was old and well advanced in years, Joshua summoned all Israel, its elders and heads, its judges and officers, and said to them, “I am now old and well advanced in years. And you have seen all that the Lord your God has done to all these nations for your sake, for it is the Lord your God who has fought for you.

Exodus 14:14
When Pharaoh drew near, the people of Israel lifted up their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians were marching after them, and they feared greatly. And the people of Israel cried out to the Lord. They said to Moses, “Is it because there are no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? What have you done to us in bringing us out of Egypt? Is not this what we said to you in Egypt:‘Leave us alone that we may serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness.” And Moses said to the people, “Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again. The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.”
The Lord said to Moses, “Why do you cry to me? Tell the people of Israel to go forward

Deuteronomy 20:3
‘Hear, O Israel, today you are drawing near for battle against your enemies:let not your heart faint. Do not fear or panic or be in dread of them, for the Lord your God is he who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies, to give you the victory

 

It is good to again be reminded to remember what God has done and more importantly who has given you the victory.  Also to be reminded that it is God who “Goes With You” and though we see victory it is because of what He has done.  We see these victories when we are trusting Him and are obedient.  I love the verse in Exodus “Tell the people to move forward”.  Think about it – they had the Red Sea in front of them and the very mad Egyptian army approaching from the rear.  Many times we find ourselves with no apparent way out of a situation, trial, or battle.  Sometimes we are told to be still and watch God work.  Other times we are told to move forward against something impossible.  In both cases we need to remain firm in our faith to trust God and to be listening to what He is telling our heart.  In both instances there is victory because the battle is not ours but God’s.  He is all powerful and able to do more than we ask and much more than we can imagine.  What are you facing alone today that would be much better off in the Hands of God?

Action vs Intent

“it is a witness between us that the Lord is God”

 

Joshua 22:4                                                                                                   And when they came to the region of the Jordan that is in the land of Canaan, the people of Reuben and the people of Gad and the half- tribe of Manasseh built there an altar by the Jordan, an altar of imposing size. And the people of Israel heard it said, “Behold, the people of Reuben and the people of Gad and the half- tribe of Manasseh have built the altar at the frontier of the land of Canaan, in the region about the Jordan, on the side that belongs to the people of Israel.” And when the people of Israel heard of it, the whole assembly of the people of Israel gathered at Shiloh to make war against them.
But now, if the land of your possession is unclean, pass over into the Lord’s land where the Lord’s tabernacle stands, and take for yourselves a possession among us. Only do not rebel against the Lord or make us as rebels by building for yourselves an altar other than the altar of the Lord our God.
Then the people of Reuben, the people of Gad, and the half- tribe of Manasseh said in answer to the heads of the families of Israel, “The Mighty One, God, the Lord! The Mighty One, God, the Lord! He knows; and let Israel itself know! If it was in rebellion or in breach of faith against the Lord, do not spare us today for building an altar to turn away from following the Lord. Or if we did so to offer burnt offerings or grain offerings or peace offerings on it, may the Lord himself take vengeance. No, but we did it from fear that in time to come your children might say to our children, ‘What have you to do with the Lord, the God of Israel? For the Lord has made the Jordan a boundary between us and you, you people of Reuben and people of Gad. You have no portion in the Lord. ’ So your children might make our children cease to worship the Lord. Therefore we said, ‘Let us now build an altar, not for burnt offering, nor for sacrifice, but to be a witness between us and you, and between our generations after us, that we do perform the service of the Lord in his presence with our burnt offerings and sacrifices and peace offerings, so your children will not say to our children in time to come, “You have no portion in the Lord.”’ And we thought, ‘If this should be said to us or to our descendants in time to come, we should say, “Behold, the copy of the altar of the Lord, which our fathers made, not for burnt offerings, nor for sacrifice, but to be a witness between us and you.”’ Far be it from us that we should rebel against the Lord and turn away this day from following the Lord by building an altar for burnt offering, grain offering, or sacrifice, other than the altar of the Lord our God that stands before his tabernacle!”
And the report was good in the eyes of the people of Israel. And the people of Israel blessed God and spoke no more of making war against them to destroy the land where the people of Reuben and the people of Gad were settled. The people of Reuben and the people of Gad called the altar Witness, “For,” they said, “it is a witness between us that the Lord is God”

Talk about doing the right thing and being totally misunderstood.  The people of Reuben and Gad built this alter as a reminder and witness that they to were children of God.  This was for both their generation as well future generations.  How many times do we do something with proper intent and it is misunderstood?  I am sure you have heard it said “when we judge others we do so by their actions” yet “when we judge ourselves we do so with our intent”.  There are a couple of points in this that is worth remembering:  1. When we see our brothers in what appears to be sin we should go speak to them. Scripture says that we should go first by ourselves and if they don’t listen we should go with a brother and if they do not listen then we are to distance ourselves from them in hopes they will turn from their ways.  I was impressed the other tribes had sent leaders with the head priest to offer them to come live in their land so that they did not fall under the wrath of God.  (at this point they still believed the tribes of Reuben and Gad had done wrong).  2. It is important to be observant to the actions of our brothers and should we see something of concern we need to speak to them about it.  Actions of others may lead us to one thought but their intent could be pure.  When something like this occurs we need to have the wisdom of the Holy Spirit, heart of Love, and desire of obedience.  However, what I normally see is a rumor mill running and no one willing to go speak to the other person.  There is no room for this and every brother/sister in the Lord should shut down anything with a hint of rumoring.  Wouldn’t you want someone to care enough about you and your walk with God that they would speak with you.

Be Reminded

Is it not in your going with us, so that we are distinct

Joshua 22:1
“You have kept all that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you and have obeyed my voice in all that I have commanded you. You have not forsaken your brothers these many days, down to this day, but have been careful to keep the charge of the Lord your God. And now the Lord your God has given rest to your brothers, as he promised them
Only be very careful to observe the commandment and the law that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, to love the Lord your God, and to walk in all his ways and to keep his commandments and to cling to him and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul.”

Exodus 33:14
And he said, “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.
Is it not in your going with us, so that we are distinct, I and your people, from every other people on the face of the earth.

Isaiah 63:9
I will recount the steadfast love of the Lord,
the praises of the Lord,
according to all that the Lord has granted us,
and the great goodness to the house of Israel
that he has granted them according to his compassion,
according to the abundance of his steadfast love.
For he said, “Surely they are my people,
children who will not deal falsely.”
And he became their Savior.
In all their affliction he was afflicted,
and the angel of his presence saved them;
in his love and in his pity he redeemed them;
he lifted them up and carried them all the days of old.
But they rebelled
and grieved his Holy Spirit;
therefore he turned to be their enemy,
and himself fought against them

Can we ever be reminded enough times?  I love how this is recorded in Joshua.  After they had obeyed the voice of God and after their brothers had rest from their enemies they are told that God would now give them rest.  And after receiving this word they are reminded:  “to love the Lord your God, and to walk in all his ways and to keep his commandments and to cling to him and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul”.   For years they have been obeying and yet they are reminded to Love God, Walk in His Ways, and Serve Him with their whole heart.  I think the reason for this reminder is that while we are dealing with issues and battles of the heart, mind, and soul our eyes are focused on our source of strength – GOD.  Where does our heart, mind and soul go to in times of rest?  This is a good question to ask ourselves.  Do we continue to seek God, desiring to hear His quite voice into our heart? How many times have you heard people testify to the closest they were to God was when they were yielding all control over to Him because the issue was greater than they could bear?  It is good to be reminded to keep our heart mind and soul desiring God everyday.  As well, it is good to ask our brothers and sisters how they are and if they are doing this in times of REST.  I love the verse in the old hymn “Turn your eyes on Jesus, look full into His wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace”.  Let this be a reminder to each of us for every season of our lives, in times of turmoil and blessing.

Promises

But now the Lord my God has given me rest on every side. There is neither adversary nor misfortune

Joshua 21:44
And the Lord gave them rest on every side just as he had sworn to their fathers. Not one of all their enemies had withstood them, for the Lord had given all their enemies into their hands. Not one word of all the good promises that the Lord had made to the house of Israel had failed; all came to pass

Exodus 33:14
And he said, “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” And he said to him, “If your presence will not go with me, do not bring us up from here. For how shall it be known that I have found favor in your sight, I and your people? Is it not in your going with us, so that we are distinct, I and your people, from every other people on the face of the earth

Nehemiah 9:8
And you have kept your promise, for you are righteous

2 Corinthians 7:1
Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God

Hebrews 6:11
And we desire each one of you to show the same earnestness to have the full assurance of hope until the end, so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises

2 Peter 1:3
His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self- control, and self- control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind

 

Do you ever read God’s word with the intent of seeing His promises?  They are numerous and are showing us how God’s faithfulness in the past, present and future.  How we look at these promises will determine how we live our life for Him.  If I were to only look at the promises of blessings (grace, mercy, love) and never give thought to those of penalty (discipline, wrath, destruction, curse) how is it possible to understand the fullness of the blessings. If I do not understand, that in my sinful nature, I deserve penalty how will I live a humble, thankful, faithful, servant life for Him.  It is good for us to remember who we are and who God is.  Our purpose is not for the purpose in this life is not for collecting blessings but rather to live a humble submissive servant life that honors and glorifies Him.  When you read of God’s promises there is none greater than John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life”.  In this we see both eternal destruction and eternal life.  When we understand the promise with both of it’s outcomes it opens our heart to see just how great God’s love is for those who hear His calling and follow him.

Wholly Committed

shall be an inheritance for you and your children forever.

Joshua 14:9
And Moses swore on that day, saying, ‘Surely the land on which your foot has trodden shall be an inheritance for you and your children forever, because you have wholly followed the Lord my God

Numbers 14:24
But my servant Caleb, because he has a different spirit and has followed me fully, I will bring into the land into which he went, and his descendants shall possess it

Numbers 32:12
‘Surely none of the men who came up out of Egypt, from twenty years old and upward, shall see the land that I swore to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, because they have not wholly followed me, none except Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite and Joshua the son of Nun, for they have wholly followed the Lord

Deuteronomy 11:22
For if you will be careful to do all this commandment that I command you to do, loving the Lord your God, walking in all his ways, and holding fast to him, then the Lord will drive out all these nations before you, and you will dispossess nations greater and mightier than you.

What does it mean to “Fully Follow God”?  What do we use to determine if we are following Him fully?  I remember 40 years ago it was normal to attend Sunday morning bible study, Sunday morning worship, Sunday evening worship, Wednesday evening prayer, and some morning or evening throughout the week in bible study.  This was normal and considered to the region I lived.  As I look around now the norm is to attend a worship service on Sunday morning and maybe a bible study once per week.  What has changed?  Our culture seems to have been able to pull us away from continually meeting together to worship, pray, fellowship, disciple making, and hold each other accountable.  When this happens the first thing we leave behind is His word which leads to loss of focus and the repeated reminder of who God is and what our purpose is.  God wants us to serve Him with our whole heart, mind, and soul.  How is that possible if we live for Him straddling the fence of commitment?  Out of the twelve that Moses sent to scout out the land only two were found to fully follow Him with a heart and mind and soul.    I ask myself many times if I would be one of these two or one of the ten.  There are times I am one of the two but more often than not I am one of the ten who sees the battle before me and am not seeing it in the hands of God and His awesome power, strength and might.  Do you want rest from the battles before you – commit fully to serving God, give all your battles into His hands, and give the victory to His glory.

God’s Sovereignty

So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy

Joshua 11:20
For it was the Lord’s doing to harden their hearts that they should come against Israel in battle, in order that they should be devoted to destruction and should receive no mercy but be destroyed, just as the Lord  commanded Moses.

Exodus 4:21
And the Lord said to Moses, “When you go back to Egypt, see that you do before Pharaoh all the miracles that I have put in your power. But I will harden his heart, so that he will not let the people go.

Deuteronomy 2:30
But Sihon the king of Heshbon would not let us pass by him, for the Lord your God hardened his spirit and made his heart obstinate, that he might give him into your hand, as he is this day

Romans 9:15
What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God’s part? By no means! For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy. For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might show my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills.
You will say to me then, “Why does he still find fault? For who can resist his will?” But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, “Why have you made me like this?” Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use? What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory— even us whom he has called, not from the Jews only but also from the Gentiles? As indeed he says in Hosea,
“Those who were not my people I will call ‘my people,’
and her who was not beloved I will call ‘beloved. ’”
“And in the very place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people,’
there they will be called ‘sons of the living God.

 

When Joshua went through the land, obeying God, and destroying all that was living it says that God had hardened the hearts of these people in order that they would be devoted to destruction.  I don’t know about you but when I think about how we are living in a time of grace and mercy we often forget about God’s sovereignty, purpose, and plan that in the past included hardening entire nation’s hearts.  I read this and wonder what it must would like to have your heart hardened by God and meant for the single purpose of destruction.  I have the human thought of “is this fair”???  We can not put our thoughts above God’s.  Scripture says our thoughts are not God’s thoughts.  I am also so thankful for Romans where Paul addressed this issue of fairness.  Man says: “why does He find fault”?,  “Who can resist His will”? Why have you made me like this”?  Paul continues with who is man that he should question God.  The creator can do what He pleases for the purpose He determines without needing our approval or understanding.  All I can say is that I am so thankful God softened my heart to hear His calling for the need of redemption, forgiveness, and salvation.  Do not neglect His salvation plan and purpose for your life.

Whose Battle Is It?

The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent

Joshua 10:25
And Joshua said to them, “Do not be afraid or dismayed; be strong and courageous. For thus the Lord will do to all your enemies against whom you fight

Deuteronomy 31:6
Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you

Deuteronomy 3:22
You shall not fear them, for it is the Lord your God who fights for you

Exodus 14:14
The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent

2 Chronicles 20:15
Thus says the Lord to you, ‘Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed at this great horde, for the battle is not yours but God’s

Nehemiah 4:20
Our God will fight for us

Deuteronomy 1:30
The Lord your God who goes before you will himself fight for you

Joshua 1:5
Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you

 

How many things do we do battle with something every day in our own strength?  How many battles do we try to handle on our own?  How many battles are we facing and worrying about?  How does it make you feel to know you have neither the strength, courage, or will to handle it?  I already know the answer. I face this all the time in my own life.  Many times I worry and fret without even giving thought to turn it over to God.  Why do I want to do this?  Don’t I believe in the power of God? Certainly I do but for some reason I choose to keep the issue to myself.  Sometimes I just want to bury my head in the sand and hope it blows by.  Does this in any way sound like it is a life that is being lived to honor and glorify God.  No it does not.  I have work to do in this area.  I am not sure about you but I must confess it and turn these over to God and watch His power intercede over it.  I hope to share what God has shown me today in these scriptures with you in the future.  Honor and glorify Him by giving your battles and issues into His capable hands.

Trust His Power

“Sun, stand still at Gibeon,
and moon, in the Valley of AijalonAnd the sun stood still, and the moon stopped,

Joshua 10:12
At that time Joshua spoke to the Lord in the day when the Lord gave the Amorites over to the sons of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel,
“Sun, stand still at Gibeon,
and moon, in the Valley of AijalonAnd the sun stood still, and the moon stopped,
until the nation took vengeance on their enemies.
Is this not written in the Book of Jashar? The sun stopped in the midst of heaven and did not hurry to set for about a whole day. There has been no day like it before or since, when the Lord heeded the voice of a man, for the Lord fought for Israel

Amos 2:9
“Yet it was I who destroyed the Amorite before them,
whose height was like the height of the cedars
and who was as strong as the oaks;
I destroyed his fruit above
and his roots beneath.

Habakuk 3:11
The sun and moon stood still in their place
at the light of your arrows as they sped,
at the flash of your glittering spear.
You marched through the earth in fury;
you threshed the nations in anger.
You went out for the salvation of your people,
for the salvation of your anointed.
You crushed the head of the house of the wicked,
laying him bare from

Joshua went up against not one but, five armies that had banded together to fight against them.  It was not the might of the Israelites that overcame their enemies, it was God.  God threw the enemies into a state of confusion and then while they were running away He destroyed many of them with a hail storm.  We read stories like this throughout scripture where time and time again the battle is God’s.  He is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow.  Think about this for a moment.  God has not changed.  His power has not changed.  His love for those who hear His voice and surrender to Him will not change. Do you want to have power over the battles you are facing?  Surrender them to God – Trust His Power