Category Archives: Joshua

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A Promise Made Is A Promise Kept

Joshua 21:1-24:33

A Promise Made Is A Promise Kept

Not a single one of all the good promises the Lord had given to the family of Israel
was left unfulfilled; everything he had spoken came true.
Joshua 21:45

Go Deep: A certain Bible scholar has pointed out that God has made over 6,000 promises to us in the Bible.  Some of those promises are universal in nature—all believers anytime and anywhere who are walking in obedience to his commands can claim them.  Other promises are quite specific to certain people at certain times, and the Holy Spirit reveals them to us through prayer and the study of God’s Word in response to situations that arise in our lives.

Whether God’s promises are universal or personal, what we are taught over and over again in the Bible, including this verse in Joshua, is that God is a promise maker, and more importantly, God is a promise keeper.  The fact is, God has never broken a promise—not even one!  I can’t say that about me, and you probably can’t say that about you, but we can say that with complete certainty about God.  With him, a promise made is a promise kept.

When I was a little kid in Sunday School, we would often sing a song about God’s promises that went something like this:

Every promise in the Book is mine
Every chapter, every verse, every line.
I am standing on his Word Divine,
Every promise in the Book is mine!

Over 6,000 promises—and he will bring every single one of them to pass.  A few of those promises are for you.  Which one are you “standing” on, as the little song goes?

That he will forgive all your sins? (Psalm 103:3)

That he will supply all of your needs? (Philippians 4:19)

That he will never leave you or forsake you? (Hebrews 13:5)

That he will give you Divine wisdom for your lack of human understanding? (James 1:5)

That he will turn all of your circumstances to your good and for his glory? (Romans 8:28)

What is your area of concern?  There is a promise that covers it, so look it up in God’s Word.  Fulfill your end of the promise—that’s the big caveat here—and then rest in God’s proven character.  With him a promise made is a promise kept, so you can expect that “God will perfect everything that concerns you.” (Psalm 138:8, NKJV)

Just Saying… Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the German pastor and theologian who was martyred by the Nazis toward the end of World War II, said, “God does not give us everything we want, but He does fulfill His promises…leading us along the best and straightest paths to Himself.”

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The Tragedy of Having Sight But No Vision

Joshua 16:1-20:9

The Tragedy of Having Sight But No Vision

The people of Joseph replied, “The hill country is not enough for us, and all the
Canaanites who live in the plain have iron chariots…”
Joshua 17:15-16

Go Deep: “Mom, I’m starving, and we have nothing to eat!” If I said that once, I said it a hundred times as a kid—all the while staring into our fully stocked refrigerator.  Of course, I wasn’t the first little brat to utter that complaint—it’s a universal whine that’s been heard early and often in one form or another since the beginning of time.

Obviously, when kids make that complaint, what they’re saying is that they don’t like the choices sitting right in front of them, or they don’t want to do the hard work of actually taking those ingredients and making them into a tasty meal.  What they really want is mom to come to the rescue and make life easy for them—usually by cooking up something that tastes really yummy but is not so nutritious.

That’s kind of what the tribes of Joseph were doing here. They had been given land, but they weren’t so excited about the hard work that would be required to drive out the godless enemies who were squatting there.  Rather than measuring their divine inheritance by the potential of the land to be possessed, they looked only at existing cities and already cleared territory.

They suffered from a problem common to humans: They had sight but no vision.  Helen Keller, the first person to overcome both deafness and blindness to earn a Bachelor degree, went on to become a prolific author and has endured as one of the world’s most inspiring figures. Understanding more than others this sad human tendency, Helen wrote, “The only thing worse than being blind is having sight but no vision.”

The tribes of Joseph had sight but no vision.  That’s why their leader, Joshua, gave them a figurative kick in the butt and pointed them to the yet-to-be cleared hill country.  He said, “look, you are a large and strong tribe, so open your eyes and see all the land that’s yet to be conquered.  Sure, there are enemies there, but so what, God has already given it to you.  So get on with it already—you can do it!” (Joshua 17:15,17-18, my translation)

I have a feeling that this story was recorded not just to fill out the white space in Joshua’s book, but to serve as a reminder to us that it would be a shame for us to settle for less than God’s best in our lives.  It’s true that possessing God’s promises will take some work on our part, but he has guaranteed our success. So use this little reminder today as a proverbial kick in the rear to quit surrendering to limitations and start envisioning your potential.

And then, get on with it already! You can do it.

Just Saying… James Russell Lowell, the 19th century American poet wrote, “Not failure, but low aim, is crime.” I hope you don’t commit that crime today!

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Failure To Drive

Joshua 11:1-15:63

Failure To Drive

But the Israelites failed to drive out the people of Geshur and Maacah,
so they continue to live among the Israelites to this day.
Joshua 13:13

Go Deep: What is it for you—your “Geshur”?  What are the “Maacahs” still squatting in your Promised Land—sinful influences that are keeping you from living in the security and satisfaction of God’s fullness?

Perhaps there is a chronic temptation putting distance between you and God’s best—an ungodly friend with whom you always seem to descend into inappropriate language and course joking; an irresistible form of entertainment that leaves unwholesome images in your mind; a closet full of needless stuff because you just can’t say “no” to anything with the letters S-A-L-E on it; activities which seduce you to slide into behaviors you would never do if Jesus were with you.

The book of Joshua reminds us that God has a Promised Land of success and happiness for every believer, but that place of promise has to be procured through diligent faith and obedient effort. Just like the Israelites of old, there are enemies standing in your way, and they have to be evicted from your land.  For sure, God will help—wants to help.  He wants you in the Promised Land so much that he has actually promised to go before you and secure the way. (Joshua 1:3)  But the fulfillment of the God’s promise requires your partnership.

Unfortunately for the Israelites, they didn’t hold up their end of the bargain.  In too many instances, they failed to drive out the ungodly nations from the land (Joshua 13:13,15:63,16:10, 17:12), thus settling for a peaceful coexistence with these Canaanite peace-robbers. The result of this détente was that for generations to follow, these nations continued to distract Israel from their holy call. As long as they were there, the distance between Israel and their place of promise was never fully closed.

The lesson for us from Joshua is clear: The only thing that can keep us from the release of God’s favor are these foreign enemies of the Christian life.  God wants to grant you success, achievement, satisfaction and peace, and the only thing standing in the way are the things that will create distance between you and the God who loves you.  Maybe there was a time you had overcome them, but they’ve returned.  Perhaps you’ve never really gained victory over them, and there have been recurring spiritual irritations to you over the years.  It might be that you’ve even grown accustomed to having them as your neighbors

They are not good neighbors; they are enemies of promise! Today is a great day to re-declare war on those enemies!  Serve notice on them. Go after them ruthlessly and relentlessly until they’ve been driven from your life.  Enlist the help of some fellow strugglers if you need to, and for sure, ask God for his help.

I have a feeling—no, I’m certain actually—that God himself will fight for you if you will step up to the plate and take another swing at the things that are keeping you from his best.

Just Saying… On January 1, 1780, the American Methodist circuit rider (and later bishop) Francis Asbury wrote this prayerful entry in his journal: “My God, keep me through the water and fire, and let me rather die than live to sin against thee!”  What would happen if you adopted that mindset toward your familiar sin? Simply this: Sin wouldn’t stand a chance!

 

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Ask First!

Joshua 6:1-10:43

Ask First!

The men of Israel looked them over and accepted the evidence.
But they didn’t ask God about it.
Joshua 9:14 (Msg)

Go Deep: “But they didn’t ask God.”  No matter how overwhelming the evidence, no matter how good it seems, no matter how much something makes sense, we dishonor God when we don’t go to him and ask.  Leaving God out of the picture is a tried and true recipe for, at the very least, putting distance between God and us, and at worst, for disaster.

Frankly, a failure to ask is the very essence of sin. It was the chief strategy Satan used on Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden when he seduced them into sinning.  What if the original couple has simply come to God and asked for his thoughts on the tempter’s enticement?  Obviously, simply asking first would have saved them, and the rest of us, the untold pain and misery that has haunted the human race ever since.

In this case, Joshua and the leaders of Israel made a hasty decision about the Gibeonites.  They should have destroyed them according to God’s decree, but they were deceived into thinking the men from Gibeon were not a part of the Canaanite city-states devoted to destruction.  Had Joshua, who otherwise was a great and godly leader, simply asked God for his wisdom, both he and Israel’s leaders would have been spared the embarrassment of this disobedience.

Interestingly, Joshua honored his treaty with the Gibeonites even after discovering it had been made under false pretenses.  By all rights, he could have broken the vow and destroyed Gibeon, but their submissive posture and willingness to take on the faith of the Israelite community spared them from destruction.  Joshua observed what King David later wrote about in Psalm 15:1-4,

“Who may dwell in your sanctuary, Lord? …He who keeps his oath, even when it hurts.” (Psalm 15:1,4)

The point is, however, that painful oaths and other’s needless suffering could be eliminated by one simple act of trust and obedience on our part: Coming to God on a day by day, perhaps moment by moment basis, and asking: “Father, what is your will concerning this matter?  How can I advance your kingdom through this decision? Will this circumstance bring you glory or will it cause you dishonor?”

How about staying in a constant conversation with God today—and invite his input in every decision you make.  Just do this: Pray—then obey! And that, my friend, is the recipe for blessing.

Just Saying… D.L. Moody observed, “Some people think God does not like to be troubled with our constant coming and asking. The way to trouble God is not to come at all.” So make sure you ask God to reveal his will to you in things great and small.  “Asking,” as Spurgeon said, “is the rule of the kingdom.”

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What Makes A Leader Great?

Joshua 1:1-5:15

What Makes A Leader Great?

“The Lord told Joshua, ‘Today I will begin to make you a great leader in the eyes of all the Israelites.  They will know that I am with you, just as I was with Moses’ … That day the Lord made Joshua a great leaders in the eyes of all the Israelites, and for the rest of his life they revered him as much as they had revered Moses. ”
Joshua 2:7, 4:14

Go Deep: What a makes a leader great?  Some would say charisma is the key.  Others might say it’s a combination of skill, intellect and the ability to inspire others to accomplish the mission. Then there are those who would argue that not only are charisma and persuasion necessary, but it’s a matter of also being the right person in the right place and the right time.

I wouldn’t argue with any of those ideas.  But first and foremost I would argue that what makes a leader a great leader is simply God’s touch upon his or her life.  Or at least that’s what should be the defining factor in great leadership.  Where God makes a man or woman great in the eyes of the people, there you have the makings of a leader who is one for the ages.  Joshua was just such a leader.

In Joshua, you find true success!  Not that he leveraged his considerable talents, sharp intellect, political capital and magnanimous personality to lead the people to victory, but that God made him great in the eyes of the people.  Never did Joshua take any credit for himself in the victories and miracles that God performed. As Moses had been a humble leader, so too was Joshua.  Like his predecessor, he was a true servant of God and priestly guide of the Israelites.  He served at God’s pleasure and recognized that his success came only by God’s power and grace. And God made Joshua great before all Israel.

That’s the kind of leader I want to be. I want to be a great leader because of the touch of God on my life; because of the work that he does in, for and through me.  If there is anything that makes me worth following, may it be because of what God has done. What I do through my own gifts, personality and personal determination will, at best, quickly fade.  But what God does through me will last for all eternity, and best of all, bring all the glory to the God who has equipped me to lead.

What about you?  Do you desire to be a leader?   You might feel unqualified and unworthy. Part of you may want to let someone else lead; someone more qualified, smarter, holier, better than you.  But it could be that God has placed in you the kinds of gifts, talents, brainpower and favor that he wants to use in leading people to extend his Kingdom in this world.

If God is calling you to leadership, submit your life to him.  Then let God make you great in the eyes of those you would lead.

Just Saying… When you think of the advancement of God’s kingdom over the millennia, it is amazing how many times this saying has been true of its leaders:  “God didn’t call the qualified, He qualified the called.” Maybe he’s wanting to qualify you–he’s still looking for a few good men…and women!