DAY 1
BIBLE READING: Joshua 1: 1-9
Earlier in this series we read together part of the book of Exodus. We left the Children of Israel camped at Mt Sinai, but that was not the place God intended them to live permanently. Nor did he intend that they should wander for ever in the wilderness. His plan was to take them to Canaan. The book of Joshua tells us how they entered into that land.
This book tells us of their experiences and we can learn many lessons from those happenings. Here is historical fact which illustrates spiritual truth. There are three sections in the book:
- Entering the land - Chapters 1-5
- Overcoming the land- Chapters 6-12
- Occupying the land - Chapters 13-24
The story centres around the man Joshua. He had been born in Egypt and lived through the 40 years of the wilderness wanderings. He had been faithful when others complained and rebelled.
Now, as leader of the people, God gives to him three promises and three commands. Look at verse 5 again. God said, 'I will be with you; I will not fail you; I will not forsake or leave you'. Aren't those tremendous promises?
Then God said to Joshua 'Be strong'. That means he must have felt weak as he looked ahead. 'Be courageous.' That means he must have been afraid. 'Be not dismayed.' Does that mean he felt like resigning?
Fear is one of our worst enemies. Faith is the answer to it. Faith is made stronger by spending time in the Word of God, the Bible. Notice what God also said to Joshua in verse 8. Joshua had only the first five books of the Bible. We have the whole Bible. But our responsibility and privilege are the same - to spend time in reading and meditating on what God has said.
A QUESTION:
What is your response to verse 8?
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