TODAY’S SCRIPTURE READING:
Read Joshua 1
THE CALL TO “GET READY”
“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” (v. 9). - Joshua 1:6–9
Many times in life, we find ourselves in circumstances where success seems all but impossible. In starting a new job, we are often nervous and wonder how we will accomplish all that has been given to us. In college, we see the mountain of assignments given to us at the beginning of a new semester and we convince ourselves that we will not finish them all. As new parents, we feel helpless, having been given a job that is impossible to be prepared for. When the specter of serious disease arises, we often do not know how we will make it through.
Joshua faced far more difficult circumstances. He had assisted Moses from his youth, and after Moses’ death he was tasked with leading the outnumbered Israelites against the people of Canaan to drive them out of the land (Num. 11:28; 33:50–56; Deut. 31:23). Few men in history have needed more encouragement than Joshua. He needed to know that he could do what the Lord called him to do. And as the leader of Israel, he needed particular strength, for if he were weak, the people would certainly be weak as well.
God gave Joshua the encouragement he needed when he and the Israelites were about to enter the promised land, as we see in today’s passage. Having promised to be with His people (Josh. 1:1–5), God told Joshua to be strong and courageous. Indeed, what more encouragement should Joshua have needed than the Lord’s promise to be with him?
However, while the power behind Joshua’s and the Israelites’ success would be the presence of God— He pledged to go before them and fight for them — Joshua and the Israelites would not succeed if they lived contrary to the will of God. We see this in Joshua 1:7–8, where the Lord promises success only when the people of God meditate on His Word and are careful to obey it. There is indeed a connection between God’s favor, victory and obedience.
7 “Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Mosesgave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. 8 Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; 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.
Let me take this moment to clarify something. God allows the rain to fall on the just and the unjust. Sometimes those who obey God’s law will suffer—as in the case of Job—and sometimes those who disobey God seemingly prosper. For this reason, we cannot judge God’s favor/approval of our own or someone else’s life merely by what we see or don’t. In the end, there is a price to pay for obedience and disobedience and we get to choose what we pay for. Those who obey the Lord ultimately win and those who reject Him will fall for eternity.
What does this have to do with 2021 being GREATER for you.
EVERYTHING!
Today, decide that you are choosing the path of obedience. By doing so you open the door for victory in your life. You get to confidently walk through every battle knowing like Joshua that God is with you and for you.