Now it came about after the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, that the Lord spoke to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ servant, saying, “Moses My servant is dead; now therefore arise, cross this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them, to the sons of Israel. Every place on which the sole of your foot treads, I have given it to you, just as I spoke to Moses. From the wilderness and this Lebanon, even as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and as far as the Great Sea toward the setting of the sun will be your territory. No man will be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I have been with Moses, I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you. Be strong and courageous, for you shall give this people possession of the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. Only be strong and very courageous; be careful to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may have 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 success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.
Anyone who rebels against your command and does not obey your words in all that you command him, shall be put to death; only be strong and courageous.”
Joshua then said to them, “Do not fear or be dismayed! Be strong and courageous, for thus the Lord will do to all your enemies with whom you fight. Joshua 1:1-9, 18, 10:25
We first need to establish ‘Who are God’s people?
Or do you not know, brethren (for I am speaking to those who know the law), that the law has jurisdiction over a person as long as he lives? 2 For the married woman is bound by law to her husband while he is living; but if her husband dies, she is released from the law concerning the husband. 3 So then, if while her husband is living she is joined to another man, she shall be called an adulteress; but if her husband dies, she is free from the law, so that she is not an adulteress though she is joined to another man.
Therefore, my brethren, you also were made to die to the Law through the body of Christ, so that you might be joined to another, to Him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God. For while we were in the flesh, the sinful passions, which were aroused by the Law, were at work in the members of our body to bear fruit for death. But now we have been released from the Law, having died to that by which we were bound, so that we serve in newness of the Spirit and not in oldness of the letter. What shall we say then? Is the Law sin? May it never be! On the contrary, I would not have come to know sin except through the Law; for I would not have known about coveting if the Law had not said, “You shall not covet.” But sin, taking opportunity through the commandment, produced in me coveting of every kind; for apart from the Law sin is dead. I was once alive apart from the Law; but when the commandment came, sin became alive and I died; and this commandment, which was to result in life, proved to result in death for me; for sin, taking an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through it killed me. So then, the Law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good.
Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. Romans 7:1-10, 8:1-4
God’s people are those who have died to their sins thru the sacrifice of Christ and believe He is the Savior.
Because of our sinful nature we were condemned under the law, but thru His perfect sacrifice we are saved and made clean. We are now free from the condemnation of the Law, not meaning we can do whatever we feel like.
Obedience and faithfulness is a couple of words that seem to be left out of our vocabulary. Why are we to be obedient and faithful? The Lord demands us to be obedient and faithful. He is our God and gave us life. He loves us and wants us to worship Him, have fellowship and abide with Him forever. God is perfect and nothing imperfect can coexist with Him.
Let’s take a look at just some of those who were obedient and faithful – strong and courageous:
Sampson – a man who brought the building down to destroy the enemy
Daniel – faithfulness to worship and pray to His one true living God sealed the mouth of lions
David – a shepherd boy who became king and was a man after God’s own heart whose lineage brought forth the Son of God
Job – had much, lost all, and after was given even more
Esther – a people living in exile, she became queen and God’s people were saved
Noah – a man spent many years of his life building a craft under constant humiliation and his family was saved
Joseph – a boy who had a beautiful coat was betrayed by his brothers. He became second in command in Egypt and his family and people were saved
Paul - a man who first persecuted Jesus but became probably the most well-known apostle
There are many more examples in God’s word of those who were obedient and faithful. Yes, they were not without flaw which is a reminder of our own sinful nature, but they were devoted to serving their Lord God. Many of us have grown up hearing God’s Word and living by it. I have to question myself too often if I’m truly serving Him whole heartedly. The Lord knows where each of us are at and that’s something that is between ourselves and Him, but are we standing up using the gifts He has given us to further His kingdom so others too can have eternal life?
Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord. There are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons. But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. For to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, and to another the word of knowledge according to the same Spirit; to another faith by the same Spirit, and to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, and to another the effecting of miracles, and to another prophecy, and to another the distinguishing of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, and to another the interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills. 1 Cor 4:12-11
We do not have to go thru this life’s battle alone. First of all we have God the Father, Jesus Christ the Son, and The Holy Spirit our Helper; and then we have each other - fellow heirs of heaven.
Let us trust and obey for there is no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.
As for me and my house we will serve the Lord! Joshua 24:15
The above devotion was written by Scott Erickson, a member of the World Missions Board.
