Be strong and courageous, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land that I swore to their fathers to give them. Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go. This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
Just a few thoughts on this passage. Joshua is given two basic commands that, if obeyed, will ensure the taking of the Promised Land. We may not be making physical war, but we are fighting a spiritual war, so these instructions are for us today the same as they were for Joshua.
Firstly, Joshua is told to have faith. "Be strong and courageous." The command is essentially this: Trust God. It's so simple and yet so profound. In tough times, we worry. Why? Why should we worry? It's a lack of faith. Those who truly trust the power and the wisdom of God have nothing to worry about. Obviously no one has perfect faith and no one can in this life, but as we get older in Christ, God uses our circumstances to build our faith and our dependence on Him and our deference to His will. Do you trust God more today than a year ago?
Secondly, Joshua is told to meditate on God's Word. We can glean quickly two reasons for this. In the first place, dwelling on the commands and promises of God should aid us in following the first command--trusting God. Understanding the will and the character of God is a major part of trusting Him, and that requires being familiar with the Word that He has given us.
The second reason to meditate on Scripture is to infuse our own character with the morality found therein. If we allow (or force) our minds to dwell on the things of God, and if we faithfully study His Word daily, then it will become our active response to the situations of life. God's Word should never stay in our minds. It should never simply be manifested by our words. The real goal of meditating on Scripture is living it out. Jesus told us that it is he who hears and also does the commands of God that will be blessed by them. To hear and know and even teach God's Word means nothing if it does not shape our lives.
Just a few thoughts on this passage. Joshua is given two basic commands that, if obeyed, will ensure the taking of the Promised Land. We may not be making physical war, but we are fighting a spiritual war, so these instructions are for us today the same as they were for Joshua.
Firstly, Joshua is told to have faith. "Be strong and courageous." The command is essentially this: Trust God. It's so simple and yet so profound. In tough times, we worry. Why? Why should we worry? It's a lack of faith. Those who truly trust the power and the wisdom of God have nothing to worry about. Obviously no one has perfect faith and no one can in this life, but as we get older in Christ, God uses our circumstances to build our faith and our dependence on Him and our deference to His will. Do you trust God more today than a year ago?
Secondly, Joshua is told to meditate on God's Word. We can glean quickly two reasons for this. In the first place, dwelling on the commands and promises of God should aid us in following the first command--trusting God. Understanding the will and the character of God is a major part of trusting Him, and that requires being familiar with the Word that He has given us.
The second reason to meditate on Scripture is to infuse our own character with the morality found therein. If we allow (or force) our minds to dwell on the things of God, and if we faithfully study His Word daily, then it will become our active response to the situations of life. God's Word should never stay in our minds. It should never simply be manifested by our words. The real goal of meditating on Scripture is living it out. Jesus told us that it is he who hears and also does the commands of God that will be blessed by them. To hear and know and even teach God's Word means nothing if it does not shape our lives.
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