God-Breathed & Good
“When Jabin king of Hazor heard of this, he sent word...to the northern kings who were in the mountains...to the Canaanites in the east and west; to the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites and Jebusites in the hill country; and to the Hivites... They came out with all their troops and a large number of horses and chariots—a huge army, as numerous as the sand on the seashore. All these kings joined forces and made camp together at the Waters of Merom to fight against Israel. The Lord said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid of them, because by this time tomorrow I will hand all of them, slain, over to Israel...Joshua and his whole army came against them suddenly at the Waters of Merom and attacked them, and the Lord gave them into the hand of Israel. As the Lord commanded his servant Moses, so Moses commanded Joshua, and Joshua did it; he left nothing undone of all that the Lord commanded Moses. Joshua waged war against all these kings for a long time. So Joshua took the entire land, just as the Lord had directed Moses...Then the land had rest from war.”
Joshua 11:1-8, 15, 18, 23
Every time it seemed like Joshua was making progress towards the promised land another army would rise up against him. Does it ever feel like that in your life? If it is not one thing then it is the next? It says that the armies against him were as numerous as the sand on the seashore. Sounds pretty bad. Sounds like if Joshua would have done the math that the odds would not have been in his favor. But, Joshua was not fighting the battle alone and neither are we. When the odds are stacked against us and problems see insurmountable we have to remember that you plus God is greater than an army more numerous than the sand on the shore.
What was the key to victory? The text says that Joshua did all that God said. Is it really that simple? All Joshua had to do to win the battle was trust God and obey what He said to do. Are we any different? Do the pages of the bible not proclaim that the key to victory in this chapter is the same as the key to victory for us? The great Shema that Jesus quotes is to hear God, love Him with all of our self trusting in Him, and do what He says.
Pay attention to the phrase Joshua did all that he was commanded. He left nothing undone of all that the Lord said. Do we go all in all the time? Do we have the same approach or do we stop part way and wonder why we didn't see complete victory? God is calling us to total devotion and complete commitment like a marriage. What have you left undone that God wants to see completed? Where could you take a step of obedience in following Jesus today?
“Great is the Lord, and most worthy of praise, in the city of our God, his holy mountain. When the kings joined forces, when they advanced together, they saw her and were astounded; they fled in terror. You destroyed them like ships of Tarshish shattered by an east wind. As we have heard, so we have seen in the city of the Lord Almighty, in the city of our God: God makes her secure forever. Within your temple, O God, we meditate on your unfailing love. Like your name, O God, your praise reaches to the ends of the earth; your right hand is filled with righteousness. For this God is our God for ever and ever; he will be our guide even to the end.”
Psalms 48:1, 4-5, 7-10, 14
The word of God is all connected. Only God would design a bible devotional plan that perfectly aligns scripture with Joshua going against kings that joined forces then have David sing the same song. The scriptures point to the plans of God and describe who He is. God has a plan and He knows what is to come. He knows how to make all things work for good even when we do not see the bigger picture. He is worthy of all praise and trustworthy at all times. How does knowing God has a plan help us to overcome our fears when the odds are not in our favor?
David faced a lot of battles. He constantly faced death. David knew the pain of anxiety, frustration, animosity, and stress. The key is where David put his focus. He did not give in to statistical odds that said he should be afraid. David chose to meditate on God's unfailing love and believe that He would protect Him through potential danger. What are you thinking about today? Are you focused on the unfailing love of God and the fortress He will provide you?
“Let him lead me to the banquet hall, and let his banner over me be love. My beloved spoke and said to me, “Arise, my darling, my beautiful one, come with me. Flowers appear on the earth; the season of singing has come, the cooing of doves is heard in our land. My beloved is mine; he browses among the lilies."
Song of Songs 2:4, 10, 12, 16
Can you hear the contentment in the words of the loved one? Can you sense the freedom and joy in her heart? She is not worried about the stresses of life. She is overwhelmed by the thoughts of love. Her heart is free and full. This is how we are meant to feel each day as we focus on growing closer to God. Do you see how humble and open she was to be one with the one she loved? She says he is mine and I am his. The same is true for us. We are His beloved and He is ours.
Jesus said consider the lilies of the fields they neither toil nor spin. All of creation points to God having a plan and the power to provide all that we need. How could you slow down so you can spend more time seeing the signs of God in the lilies of the fields around you? How could this help you feel free so you follow Him closer out of a response of love not as a set of rules?
“Hear this, you elders; listen, all who live in the land. Has anything like this ever happened in your days or in the days of your ancestors? Tell it to your children, and let your children tell it to their children, and their children to the next generation. A nation has invaded my land, a mighty army without number; it has the teeth of a lion, the fangs of a lioness. Declare a holy fast; call a sacred assembly. Summon the elders and all who live in the land to the house of the Lord your God, and cry out to the Lord."
Joel 1:2-3, 6, 13-16, 19-20
No matter who you are there will be times where you do not feel like you are walking in victory. You will experience loss. You will have pain. We live in a world of brokenness and we are not yet in heaven. Joel is given insight into what can help us when we are in the middle of the misery. He says two things. Hold on to the evidence of God's faithfulness declaring to others the ways you have seen God move and declare a holy fast.
What do those two mean to you? How much time do spend sharing the stories of how God has moved in your life? How has God shown up to help you win a battle you faced or overcome a hardship? How has His grace brought a smile to your soul? Truth tells us that it is good to share. You cannot speak two things at the same time so as you are sharing the goodness of God you are overriding the false ideas that are spread through speaking fear. Remembering God's favor puts a blanket over the fires of fear. Sharing it help pick up others in the process.
Joel says you are to declare a holy fast. Fasting is one of the best spiritual practices to help you draw closer to God. A fast does not have to just be food. It can be anything you sacrifice to gain spiritual intimacy with God. You can fast time, you can fast words, you can fast food, you can fast pride, you can fast any desire of the flesh. In exchange, you will gain the blessings of obedience because your actions demonstrate your trust in God. Your fast declares that God is greater than whatever you face and you believe that He will give the greater spiritual need that satisfies your soul. What would a holy fast look like for you?
“People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— having a form of godliness but denying its power...You, however, know all about my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance, persecutions, sufferings—what kinds of things happened to me in Antioch, Iconium and Lystra, the persecutions I endured. Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them. In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
2 Timothy 3:2-5, 7, 9-12, 16-17
It is amazing to see the connections of scripture and how truths emerge from the Word of God. Joshua wanted to live a godly life and lead his people to the promised land. Paul says you cannot live a godly life without being persecuted. Is that your expectation? Did anyone tell you that when you made your confession of faith? That message is not usually the one that we lead with in church, but it is the same message that Jesus shared when he said you have to pick up your cross. How could it help us to expect to be persecuted? It will help take away the component of surprise.
God calls us to be proactive. It is the very reason that we are meant to put on the armor of God described in Ephesians 6. We are meant to prepare for the battle so we are ready to fight the schemes of the enemy of our lives. We are meant to be prepared so that when we face people who reflect the ways of the world, we do not become like the people who are represented in Paul's list above. How could you grow in being proactive knowing that times of persecution will come? Jesus said blessed are the persecuted for righteousness for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Paul gives us the same key as the one found in Joshua. He says that the word of God will help us be equipped. Joshua listened to God and did what He said. He lived with intentionality and humility then walked in victory. His obedience to listening to God and trust in God's power unlocked the blessing. Paul says the same thing. If you want to see victory in your life, let the word of God shape it. God's word will teach, rebuke, correct, and train you for life's battles and help you receive God's blessing. How much time are you spending in the word? How could you declare a holy fast so that you dedicate more time to listening to God by studying His word. The goal is not just to get into the word, but get the word into us so that we are prepared to do every good work He has planned for us. So take heart, do not be afraid, be proactive in your preparation, and declare a holy fast of the things of this world so that you can hold fast to the promises you have in God.