11/18/2009 8:01 AM
SPIRITUAL DIARY
My Worship Time Focus: What the Lord would do to Israel
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Joshua 23:11-16
Message
of the verses: “11 ¶ "So take diligent heed to yourselves to
love the LORD your God. 12 "For if
you ever go back and cling to the rest of these nations, these which remain
among you, and intermarry with them, so that you associate with them and they
with you, 13 know with certainty that
the LORD your God will not continue to drive these nations out from before you;
but they will be a snare and a trap to you, and a whip on your sides and thorns
in your eyes, until you perish from off this good land which the LORD your God
has given you. 14 "Now behold,
today I am going the way of all the earth, and you know in all your hearts and
in all your souls that not one word of all the good words which the LORD your
God spoke concerning you has failed; all have been fulfilled for you, not one
of them has failed. 15 "It shall
come about that just as all the good words which the LORD your God spoke to you
have come upon you, so the LORD will bring upon you all the threats, until He
has destroyed you from off this good land which the LORD your God has given
you. 16 "When you transgress the
covenant of the LORD your God, which He commanded you, and go and serve other
gods and bow down to them, then the anger of the LORD will burn against you,
and you will perish quickly from off the good land which He has given you.’”
This
paragraph in Joshua twenty-three is a great example to follow today as there
are three admonitions in this address by Joshua: “Keep God’s Word (Joshua 23:8) ‘Be very firm,
then, to keep and do all that is written in the book of the law of Moses, so
that you may not turn aside from it to the right hand or to the left.’” “Cleave to the Lord (Verse 8). ‘But you are to cling to the LORD your God,
as you have done to this day.’” “Love
the Lord (Verse 11). “So take diligent
heed to yourselves to love the LORD your God.”
There
are blessings if I follow the Lord and disciplines if I do not follow the Lord,
but all of this is done in love: “11 My son, do not reject the discipline of the
LORD Or loathe His reproof, 12 For whom
the LORD loves He reproves, Even as a father corrects the son in whom he
delights.” (Proverbs 3:11-12). This is also repeated in Hebrews 12:6.
Joshua
speaks of the “good land” and this phrase is seen scattered throughout this
book and also in the writings of Moses as God has called Canaan the “good land”
and that it is even today: “The argument
is obvious: Since God has given us such
a good land, the least we can do is live to please Him.”
Spiritual meaning for my life today: As stated above this section has much
application for live today in the 21st Century America, as it seems
to me that the church today has failed some of these things that are written
here like not being thankful to the Lord for this good land that we live in,
and also not loving or clinging to the Lord and not keeping God’s Word. I am a failure in some of these areas,
especially not in giving thanks for all of the good things that the Lord has
given to me, such as a good church, a good family, a good house to live in, and
most of all a perfect Lord and Savior to worship. I do not want to fall into the category of
worshiping the gifts that the Give has given me, but to worship the Giver of
the gifts.
My Steps of Faith for Today:
- Be a thankful person.
- Trust the Lord to teach me and for me to learn contentment.
- Trust the Lord to guide my path today.
- Put on the spiritual armor: The belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shoes of the gospel of peace, take up the shield of faith, put on the helmet of salvation, and take up the sword of the Spirit.
11/18/2009 8:43 AM
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