Devotions (Page 7)

Joshua 3:7-17 (focus verse 17) (NIV)  The priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood firm on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan, while all Israel passed by until the whole nation had completed the crossing on dry ground.  How many people crossed over?  Well, there were 600,000 fighting men.  Scholars calculate that this would mean at least 2.5 million people, including women and children.  It was a mighty miracle—not exactly like the Red…

Joshua 3:15-16a (NIV) Now the Jordan is at flood stage all during harvest.  Yet as soon as the priests who carried the ark reached the Jordan and their feet touched the water’s edge, the water from upstream stopped flowing…(vs 17)  The priests…stood firm on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan. Think of the adventure of all this.  Consider the need for faith and unquestioning obedience.  All those people and all that water and another movement across a waterway…

Joshua 3:6 (NIV) Joshua said to the priests, “Take up the ark of the covenant and pass on ahead of the people.”  So they took it up and went ahead of them.  There is a simple truth embedded in this verse.  Leaders go first.  Leaders must be the first to follow God’s Presence, to walk in obedience and surrender, to model a passion for Christ, to demonstrate a Godly life, to inspire followers to perseverance (see II Timothy 3:10-12).  Who…

Joshua 3:5 (NIV)   Joshua told the people, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you.”  All along the Christian journey we build fresh altars of surrender and reconsecration.  You see it throughout Abraham’s life story as he built altars every time God revealed Himself in a new way.  You see it here on the cusp of the Promised Land.  The people were to consecrate themselves, to make a conscious, willing decision to rededicate themselves to…

Joshua 3:2-3 (NIV)  After three days the officers went throughout the camp, giving orders to the people:  “When you see the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord your God, and the priests, who are Levites, carrying it, you are to move out from your positions and follow it.”  Here on the cusp of the Promised Land, the Children of Israel camped and prepared for their long- awaited entrance.  The orders came.  They were to follow the Ark—the symbol of…

Joshua 2:24 (NIV) (The spies) said to Joshua, “The Lord has surely given the whole land into our hands; all the people are melting in fear because of us.”  Do we really understand how terrifying a fully devoted follower of Jesus Christ is to the powers of evil?  When we are living in unity with one another and the Lord, we have access to divine power.  And evil trembles!  The day is coming when He (Christ) will judge between many…

Joshua 2 (focus verse 21b) (NLT)  …And she tied the scarlet cord in the window.  Rahab’s remarkable story is a story of redemption.  The rope of scarlet thread signified God’s mercy and forgiveness for Rahab; and it has become a symbol of Christ’s redeeming blood.  In every book of the Bible there is a  “scarlet thread of blood redemption”  somewhere.  It is a fascinating study.  (The book, The Scarlet Thread of Redemption, traces the theme of salvation from Genesis to…

Joshua 1:14-15 (focus verse 14b) (NIV)  …you are to help your brothers.  Before the tribes of Reuben and half of the tribe of Manasseh could enjoy their inheritance, Joshua required that they help the other tribes, their  “brothers,” obtain their inheritance.  The response came: Whatever you have commanded us we will do, and wherever you send us we will go.  Just as we fully obeyed Moses, so we will obey you.” (vs. 16-17).  (This was an ominous response considering the…

Joshua 1:12-15 (focus verse 13) (NIV)  Remember the command that Moses the servant of the Lord gave you: “The Lord your God is giving you rest and has granted you this land.”  The tribe of Reuben and half of the tribe of Manasseh had asked Moses if they could settle into the land east of Jordan (Numbers 32:1-19)—a land suitable for their livestock, with grass and fields.  Had they not stopped short of full entry into Canaan, they would have…

Joshua 1:8 (NIV)  Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night…  Great leaders are careful about where they invest their attention.  They are selective in what they read and careful in how they think.  God told Joshua that it would be critical for the welfare of all Israel for Joshua to meditate day and night on God’s Word.  It would give him understanding and wisdom.  Are you living without noticing…

Joshua 1:3 (NIV)  (The Lord to Joshua) “I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses.” The Children of Israel had to do something—to participate in the process of  “going in”  to their Promised Land.  They had to partner with God and  “WALK IT OUT”  in very practical ways, not sit and wait for God to do everything for them.  Together with the Lord’s guidance, they would take possession of everything the Lord had…

Joshua 1:10 (NIV)  So Joshua ordered the officers of the people: “Go through the camp and tell the people, ‘Get your supplies ready.  Three days from now you will cross the Jordan here to go in and take possession of the land…”   In typical form, Joshua took up the leadership mantle and moved into action.  Task #1 – get the supplies ready.  When God is moving us forward into something new, the first task is usually to  “get the…

Joshua 1:9 (NLT) “This is my command—be strong and courageous!  Do not be afraid or discouraged.  For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”   We have a choice when we face crossroads.  God always challenges us to be strong and courageous; and that ability comes from knowing that God is with us.  Fear and discouragement come when we look at our inabilities and inexperience and don’t take into consideration the God who makes all things possible,…

Joshua 1:8 (NIV)  Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it.  Then you will be prosperous and successful.  God wants us to live our highest, best life.  He wants us to grow strong in spirit, be filled with wisdom, and experience the grace of God upon us and through us to others (Luke 2:40).  Prosperity and success in…

Joshua 1:5 (NIV)  “No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life.  As I was with Moses, so I will be with you.  I will never leave you nor forsake you.”   God assured Joshua of His unfailing faithfulness.  Imagine the weight of responsibility that had dropped on Joshua’s shoulders and the importance of these words to him.  Leading people into a better place can be a difficult job.  People are imperfect and…

Joshua 1:1 (NIV)  After the death of Moses, the Lord’s servant, the Lord spoke to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ assistant.  Moses, the great leader, was dead.  But Joshua had always been standing somewhere nearby Moses watching and learning and responding in faith to what he saw.  He had been Moses’  servant who, along with Caleb, believed God for victory when they had searched out the Promised Land (Numbers 14:6-10).  He had been on the scene in some of the…

Joshua 1:1-2 (NLT)  After the death of Moses, the Lord’s servant, the Lord spoke to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ assistant.  He said,  “Moses my servant is dead.  Therefore, the time has come for you to lead these people, the Israelites, across the Jordan River into the land I am giving them.  The book of Joshua records the history of the conquest of Canaan (The Promised Land) by Israel.  Evidently, the  “sin of the Amorites”  had finally  “reached its full…

Joshua 1:8 (NIV) Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it.  Then you will be prosperous and successful.  Joshua was the servant of Moses. God assured Joshua of His unfailing faithfulness (vs. 5), of prosperity and success (vs. 8), and of his divine commission and God’s presence in all places (vs. 9).  All this was contingent on Joshua’s…

Hebrews 4:7b (NLT) …” Today when you hear His voice, don’t harden your hearts” …  As we continue our study of Joshua, remember that Canaan was the Land of Promise.  It was the place of inheritance promised by God to Israel if they walked in their  “covenant”  agreement with Him.  Today, Jesus offers us a  “new covenant” (i.e., New Testament); and when we embrace faith in Jesus Christ, we begin to experience the blessings that come to God’s people who…

Hebrews 3:7 thru 4:13 (NLT) (focus verse 14) For if we are faithful to the end, trusting God just as firmly as when we first believed, we will share in all that belongs to Christ.   The land of Canaan is a type of our inheritance in Christ—a place of struggle and renewed commitments as well as a place of victory.  Joshua is a type of Christ.  He typifies Christ as the captain of our salvation (Heb. 2:10).  Like Joshua,…

Joshua 10:14b (NIV) …Surely the Lord was fighting for Israel.  This is the key phrase of the book of Joshua.  Do you know that the Lord  “fights”  for you, as well?  He loves us, and He wants to teach us how to overcome evil.  Like a good parent, He longs to see us advance in spiritual growth and development, emotional stability, healthy relationships with one another, and wisdom and understanding.  Jesus grew in  “wisdom and stature and in favor with…

Deuteronomy 6:23 (NIV)  He brought us out from there to bring us in and give us the land that He promised an oath to our forefathers.  The book of Joshua records the history of the conquest of Canaan by Israel.  Having led the people  “out”  of Egypt, God now leads them  “in.”  God is always leading us somewhere good.  There are many lessons to learn along the way as was evidenced by the Children of Israel as they traveled from…

Deuteronomy 31:22 (NLT)   So that very day Moses wrote down the words of the song and taught it to the Israelites…  Moses’  last words to Israel included a song that they were to memorize and that he hoped would somehow serve as a deterrent for future generations so that they would not abandon God.  The song contrasted the greatness of God to the ungratefulness of people, the kindness of God contrasted to the provocation of God by his people. …

Deuteronomy 31:23 (NIV)  The Lord gave this command to Joshua son of Nun: “Be strong and courageous, for you will bring the Israelites into the land I promised them…and I myself will be with you.”  God’s calling and commissioning reassures leaders of His divine presence and aid. Without it, all we have is programs. With it people experience illumination and spiritual transformation. We dare not “do church” without it (Acts 1:8).  

Deuteronomy 31:9-13 (NIV) (read it all) (focus verse 11b)  …read this law before them in their hearing…  The last instruction that Moses gave to Israel’s priests was for them to be responsible to teach the people God’s laws, from generation to generation so they can listen and learn to fear the Lord your God and follow carefully all the words of this law.  Their children…must hear it and learn… (vs 12-13).  Today, are people Biblically illiterate and staying engaged in…

Deuteronomy 31:1-8 (focus verse 8) (NIV)  The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.  Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.   Moses assured Israel and Joshua of three things: 1) the accompanying presence of God; 2) assured victory over the enemy; and 3) God’s unfailing faithfulness.  It all rested on the condition that they live in obedience to God’s law–their uncompromising authority.  Sadly, it is the propensity…

Proverbs 4:23 (NIV)  Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.  DON’T NEGLECT YOUR SOUL.  Another version reads: Be careful what you think.  Your thoughts will shape your life.  We are careful to guard our money, our phones, our houses, and cars; but what gets stuck in your heart?  Is it unguarded?  Words get stuck there!  When the heart is unguarded, we lose our joy.  Are you deceived by what you believe? Thoughts take you…

Isaiah 43:18-19 (NIV)  Forget the former things, do not dwell on the past.  See, I am doing a new thing!  Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?  I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland.  DON’T RESIST CHANGE.  Only God stays the same yesterday, today, and forever.  In a recent webinar, Dr. Henry Cloud told how sustained stress over a two-week period can cause people to lose as much as 30 IQ points—no…

Ephesians 1:23 (The Message)  The church, you see, is not peripheral to the world; the world is peripheral to the church.  The church is Christ’s body, in which He speaks and acts, by which He fills everything with His presence.  DON’T MISS YOUR APPOINTMENT, your assignment.  As a member of Christ’s Body on earth, don’t back down or give up.  Disappointment runs in the opposite direction of your appointment.  It never comes from God.  “Dis”  moves us off our assignment,…

Deuteronomy 17:14-20 (focus verse 15) (NIV)  …be sure to appoint over you the king the Lord your God chooses…  While Israel’s government initially was a theocracy, when it came time for a king the criteria was firmly established: 1) “He must safeguard himself against influences that would divert him from God (17:14-17);  2) He must give the word of God the controlling place in his life (17:18-19); 3) He must guard against pride and an undue sense of superiority over…

Deuteronomy 16:16-17 (focus verse 17) (NIV)  Each of you must bring a gift in proportion to the way the Lord your God has blessed you.  Moses repeats the laws concerning various feasts (16:1-8 Passover Feast; 16:9-12 Pentecost Feast; 16:13-15 Feast of Tabernacles), but God showed his righteousness in that  “His requirements are in accordance with man’s ability.”  We are not to  “appear before the Lord empty-handed,” (vs 16) but we are to bring our offerings in proportion to how He…

Deuteronomy 14:1-21 (focus verse 2) (NIV)  …for you are a people holy to the Lord your God.  Out of all the peoples on the face of the earth, the Lord has chosen you to be His treasured possession.   Moses exhorts Israel to  “distinguish themselves from the neighboring nations by a different mode of life in separation from idols.”  They are to  “distinguish themselves from the neighboring nations by a different mode of worship in dedication to God” (vs. 22-29). …

Deuteronomy 13:2b …If they say, “Come, let us worship other gods—gods you have not known before—do not listen to them.  God’s people were cautioned against responding to idolatrous influences from various sources, including religious influences, such as the pretense of false prophets.  Some folks are enamored by supernatural manifestations (fortune telling, interpreting dreams, and signs and wonders).  We should treat as suspect anything that moves us away from a wholehearted worship of Jehovah God.  “Love Him with all your heart…

Deuteronomy 12:8, 28 (NIV)  You are not to do as we do here today, everyone as he sees fit (NIV).  Ye shall not do after all the things that we do here this day, every man whatsoever is right in his own eyes (KJV).  Your pattern of worship will change.  Today all of you are doing as you please (NLT).  These days, everybody has his or her own opinion regarding right and wrong.  People concoct their own brand of religion…

Deuteronomy 12:1-32 (focus verse 28) (NIV)  Be careful to obey all these regulations I am giving you, so that it may always go well with you and your children after you, because you will be doing what is good and right in the eyes of the Lord your God.  Here on the cusp of entering the Promised Land Moses reviewed God’s requirements for Israel.  These rules were meant  “to prevent Israel from corrupting the worship of God with idolatrous practices” …

Deuteronomy 11:26-32  (NIV)  “Having made clear the rewards of obedience and the consequences of disobedience, God leaves the choice to Israel.”  How are you choosing?

Deuteronomy 11:1-8 (focus verse 8) (NIV)  Observe therefore all the commands I am giving you today, so that you may have the strength to go in and take over the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess.  God gives His people incentives for obedience.  God would perform wonders like He had done in the past.  The current generation had heard the stories but had not experienced the drama.  They needed their own miracles.  They needed to know that…

Deuteronomy 10:17-19 (NIV) For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes.  He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the alien, giving him food and clothing.  And you are to love those who are aliens, for you yourselves were aliens in Egypt. “God revealed Himself in his majestic sovereignty, His incorruptible justice, and His compassionate justice.”  This…

Deuteronomy 10:12-13 And now, O Israel, what does the Lord your God ask of you but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways, to love Him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to observe the Lord’s commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good?   This was Israel’s entire duty to God summarized in this statement.  It is our duty…

Deuteronomy 9:4-29 (focus verse 29) (NIV)  They are your people, your inheritance that you brought out by your great power and your outstretched arm.   On this border of conquest, Moses rehearsed the harsh realities.  This was not the time to soft-pedal the truth of what they all had lived through on that hard journey through the wilderness.  Reality is our friend.  The human heart defaults toward rebellion, murmuring, discouragement, unbelief, and disregard for God’s faithfulness.  But these were the…