8/28/2009 10:04 AM
SPIRITUAL DIARY
My Worship Time Focus: The fear of the Lord; The promise of the Lord
Bible Reading &
Meditation Reference: Joshua 6:1-2
Message of the verses: “1 ¶
Now Jericho was tightly shut because of the sons of Israel; no one went out and no one came in.
2 The LORD said to Joshua, "See, I
have given Jericho into your hand, with its king and the valiant warriors.”
Today I
begin a new chapter in “Be Strong,” Warren Wiersbe’s commentary on the book of
Joshua. In his commentary Mr. Wiersbe
makes the things that are read in the book of Joshua profitable to living the
Christian life in today’s world, he gives great application to put the truths
of the book of Joshua into my walk with the Lord.
This
chapter is divided into three main points as pointed out in the introduction of
this chapter: “Israel’s victory at Jericho illustrates three principles of
spiritual conflict and victory applicable to our lives today, no matter what
challenges we may be called to confront.”
The first main section is entitled “Before the challenge: remember that
you fight from victory, not just for victory.”
This section has three sub-sections in it and I will cover the first two
in today’s SD.
In verse
one I read that the fear of the Lord was already in those who were living in Jericho for they were
stuck in their city and would not go out or come into it. The reason that these people were fearful was
because the Lord had promised Moses that this would happen to them and He also
promised Joshua that these people would fear the children of Israel, actually
fear their God because of all of the reports that they had got from the things
that God had done in Egypt and the things done East of the Jordan River. Warren Wiersbe points out that the world does
not fear the Church like the Canaanites feared the children of Israel and
their God.
In verse
two the Words of the Lord spoken there may have happened when Joshua was
talking with the Lord in chapter five and are just recorded here. The 119th Psalm is all about the
Word of the Lord and the Law of the Lord all 176 verses with the exception of
two or three have some reference of the Word or Law of the Lord and all of the
Word of the Lord is true. Joshua and the
children of Israel
took these Words that God had given them through Moses and now Joshua as true
and they not only believed them, but they acted upon them as if they were true,
and they were true.
Spiritual meaning for my life today: I have to be very hard on myself today
because I need to be hard on myself. I
am proud (in a good way) of all the time that I spend reading and studying the
Bible, but I am not proud of how often that I go into defeat from sin that I
continue to struggle with. I realize
that I will struggle with sin each and everyday of my life, but sometimes it
gets the best of me and that is disappointing to me and hurts my walk with the
Lord and it also hurts my work for the Lord that I have a desire to do for the
Lord through His power.
Dr. Wiersbe
writes in this section: “Victorious
Christians are people who know the
promises of God, because they spend time meditation on God’s Word (Joshua 1:8);
they believe the promises of God
because the Word of God generates faith in their hearts (Romans 10:17); and
they reckon on these promise and obey
what God tells them to do. To “reckon”
means to count as true in your life what God says about you in His Word. It’s possible to believe a promise and still
not rechon on it and obey the Lord.
Believing a promise is like accepting a check, but reckoning is like
endorsing the check and cashing it.”
Great Advice!
My Steps of Faith for
Today:
- Romans 12:1-2 “1 ¶
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye
present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which
is your reasonable service. 2 And
be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of
your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and
perfect, will of God.
- Proverbs 3:5-6 “5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. 6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”
- Psalm 139:23-24 “23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my anxious thoughts; 24 And see if there be any hurtful way in me, And lead me in the everlasting way.”
- Philippians 4:11 “11 Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am.”
- Ephesians 6:14-18 “14 Stand firm therefore, HAVING GIRDED YOUR LOINS WITH TRUTH, and HAVING PUT ON THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, 15 and having shod YOUR FEET WITH THE PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE; 16 in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 And take THE HELMET OF SALVATION, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints.”
- 1 ¶ Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.
8/28/2009 11:23 AM
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