Encouragement from God's Promises (Joshua 1:3-6)

7/29/2009 09:15 AM

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY

 

My Worship Time                    Focus:  Encouragement from God’s promises

 

Bible Reading & Meditation               Reference:  Joshua 1:3-6

 

            Message of the verses:  “3  "Every place on which the sole of your foot treads, I have given it to you, just as I spoke to Moses. 4  "From the wilderness and this Lebanon, even as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and as far as the Great Sea toward the setting of the sun will be your territory. 5  "No man will be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I have been with Moses, I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you. 6  "Be strong and courageous, for you shall give this people possession of the land which I swore to their fathers to give them.         

            God gives Joshua three special promises to enable him to accomplish the threefold task that he is to perform.  The three tasks were to cross the river and claim the land as seen in verses three and four, Joshua was to defeat the enemies as seen in verse five, and then divided up the land between the tribes of Israel. 

            The promises of inheriting the Promised Land was no new thing for the children of Israel for this promises was given to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and even Joseph knew of this promises for he would not allow his bones to be buried in Egypt for he knew that God was able to keep this wonderful promises.  Moses was also told of this promise early on in his life.  Now it would be up to the children of Israel to claim this promises and go in and take the land, for they were not to follow in the first generations foot steps who feared the people of this land, but they were to be strong and believe the Lord who gave this promise to them.

            In verse five God tells Joshua that no man would be able to stand before him all the days of his life for just as God was with Moses He would be with Joshua and He would give him victory over his enemies.

            In verse six the promise of giving this land to the children of Israel is given to Joshua and he is told to be strong and courageous, which will be repeated in the following verses.

           

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  Paul begins his letter to those who live in Ephesus this way:  “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,” and he goes on through the first three chapters explaining these things that believers have because they are in Christ.  In chapter three verses fourteen through twenty-one he shows these believers how they can get their spiritual engines started to fulfill the task that the Lord has for them to fulfil.  In the same way Joshua is given promises that he is to take by faith and be strong and courageous so that he will be able to fulfill for the glory of God.  There is no difference with me as God has given me work to complete while I am on this earth as seen in Ephesians 2:10, and so I must live by faith and claim the promises that God has given to me in His Word to accomplish the tasks that He wants me to accomplish while living here on planet earth.

 

My Steps of Faith for Today:

 

1. Put on the spiritual armor: the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shoes of the gospel of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit.
2. Continue to learn contentment.
3. Trust the Lord to guide my path today.
4. Give myself to the Lord for worship and service.
5. Keep a short list of sins with the Lord and seek the Holy Spirit to search my heart to convict me of any sins that I have not confessed to the Lord and to repent of those sins.

 

7/29/2009 11:19 AM