He Discharged Them (Josh. 22:4)

11/2/2009 8:05 AM

SPIRITUAL DIARY

My Worship Time                                        Focus:  He discharged them

Bible Reading & Meditation                        Reference:  Joshua 22:4

            Message of the verse:  “4  And now the LORD your God has given the other tribes rest, as he promised them. So go home now to the land Moses, the servant of the LORD, gave you on the east side of the Jordan River.”

            Inheritance and rest go together in the sense that God had promised both of them to Israel and now He has given both to Israel and because of this it was time for Joshua to discharge the men from the two and a half tribes east of the Jordan River to go home. This rest that was given to them means more than just to take a nap or sit down and rest because of being tired.  The concept of rest here involves security and victory.

            This kind of rest is spoken of in Hebrews chapters three and four and for those who have ceased from trying to obtain salvation on their own and have trusted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior they will receive this very rest, but the believer can have an even deeper rest, the kind that Jesus speaks of in Matthew 11:28-30:  “28  "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. 29  ‘Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS. 30  "For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.’”  “When we come to Him, He gives us rest.  When we take His yoke of discipleship, we find deeper rest.”

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  I don’t think that I have ever compared the two “rests” from Hebrews and Matthew, but I can see the difference now.  I am to be yoked with the Lord Jesus Christ as His disciple in order to receive this rest that He offers in Matthew 11:28-30.

My Steps of Faith for Today:

1.    Take off the old and put on the new for today.

2.    Give myself to the Lord for worship and service.

3.    Put on Christ’s yoke in order to be yoked with Him to find rest because of the inheritance that I already have in Him.

4.    Trust the Lord to guide my path today.

5.    Put on the Spiritual Armor for protection in the battle today:  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.

11/2/2009 8:35 AM