(Dear Lord Jesus, guide me and give me insight as I read and study Your word...)
(Joshua 23:1-16) Now it came about after many days, when the Lord had given rest to Israel from all their enemies on every side, and Joshua was old, advanced in years, 2 that Joshua called for all Israel, for their elders, their heads, their judges, and their officers, and said to them, “I am old, advanced in years. 3 And you have seen all that the Lord your God has done to all these nations because of you, for the Lord your God is He who has been fighting for you. 4 See, I have apportioned to you these nations which remain as an inheritance for your tribes, with all the nations which I have eliminated, from the Jordan even to the Great Sea toward the west. 5 And the Lord your God, He will thrust them away from you and drive them from you; and you will take possession of their land, just as the Lord your God promised you. 6 Be very determined, then, to keep and do everything that is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, so that you will not turn aside from it to the right or to the left, 7 so that you will not associate with these nations, these which remain with you, or mention the name of their gods, or make anyone swear by them, or serve them, or bow down to them. 8 But you are to cling to the Lord your God, as you have done to this day. 9 For the Lord has driven out great and mighty nations from before you; and as for you, no one has stood against you to this day. 10 One of your men puts to flight a thousand, for the Lord your God is He who fights for you, just as He promised you. 11 So take great care for yourselves that you love the Lord your God. 12 For if you ever go back and cling to the rest of these nations, these which remain with 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 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; they all have been fulfilled for you, not one of them has failed. 15 But it will 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 warnings, until He has eliminated you from this good land which the Lord your God has given you. 16 When you violate the covenant of the Lord your God, which He commanded you, and you 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 the good land which He 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; they all have been fulfilled for you, not one of them has failed. 15 But it will 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 warnings, until He has eliminated you from this good land which the Lord your God has given you. 16 When you violate the covenant of the Lord your God, which He commanded you, and you 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 the good land which He has given you.”
TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:
This chapter ends on a negative... a warning. Some people really need that! Some people need to learn the hard way! But let's look at the positive as we exit out of this most interesting year. The Israelites were reminded that God's good word had never failed, and it never will fail. And God's word was that He would continue to fight for them, AS LONG AS they were determined to cling to the Lord.
This chapter ends on a negative... a warning. Some people really need that! Some people need to learn the hard way! But let's look at the positive as we exit out of this most interesting year. The Israelites were reminded that God's good word had never failed, and it never will fail. And God's word was that He would continue to fight for them, AS LONG AS they were determined to cling to the Lord.
Being determined is to make a very firm decision to do something and then be persistent in actually doing it. We should be determined to cling to the Lord - because God's word has never failed and it never will fail.
In 2020, if you had been determined to faithfully rely on and rest in the Lord and you had peace in your heart and soul - then you have experienced how His word really does work - so continue relying on and resting in the Lord and His good word. If this past year with all its unique challenges didn't go well, consider that a wake-up call.
The great thing about God is that we don't have to wait for a new year to change! Everyday - every hour - every minute - is the right time to become determined to rely on and cling to the Lord - and He is faithful to change us from the inside out!
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