Tag: Joshua

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Joshua Devotionals

Leaving nothing undone

Joshua

Just as the Lord had commanded his servant Moses, Moses commanded Joshua. That is what Joshua did, leaving nothing undone of all that the Lord had commanded Moses. (Joshua 11:15)

There are several famous verses in the book of Joshua, including chapter 1, verses 5-9, and chapter 24, verse 15.

But this is also one of my favorites. “Joshua left nothing undone of all that the Lord commanded.”

I want to be that way too. Especially when it comes to sin.

I don’t want to make excuses for my sins. I don’t want to treat them lightly. I want to wipe them out as thoroughly as Joshua and the Israelites wiped out the Canaanites and their evil from the land. (See Leviticus 18, especially verses 24-25).

Father, help me to do just that. Let me leave nothing undone of all that you command.

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Joshua Devotionals

Whether hard or pleasant

Your Word is Life

Joshua read aloud all the words of the law—the blessings as well as the curses…There was not a word of all that Moses had commanded that Joshua did not read. (Joshua 8:34-35)

Those words struck me today.

Joshua didn’t just read the parts of God’s word that he liked. He read the parts that were hard to read too.

Not all places in the Bible are pleasant, talking about God’s love and mercy.

Some places are hard, talking about God’s justice and judgment.

Forgetting that can lead us to treat sin, and more importantly, God, lightly as Achan did (Joshua 7).

But beyond that, whether hard or pleasant to hear, all God’s words are for our good.

So let’s not just read the parts of the Bible we like and which are easy to read. Instead, like Joshua, let’s read all of it, not failing to read a single word.

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Joshua Devotionals

Casting crowns

Casting Crowns

When Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua approached him and asked, “Are you for us or for our enemies?”

“Neither,” he replied. “I have now come as commander of the Lord’s army.”

Then Joshua bowed with his face to the ground in homage and asked him, “What does my lord want to say to his servant?” (Joshua 5:13-14)

This chapter has so many awesome things in it.

I love the idea of the rolling away of our past. (9)

I was also thinking about how failing to trust and obey God will lead us to wandering around the desert instead of finding the life God desires for us. (6)

But for some reason, whenever I read this chapter, I always gravitate toward verses 13-14. This is now the fifth article I’m writing on it.

I love how the English translation of the Jewish Bible describes Joshua’s response to the commander of the Lord’s army.

Joshua threw himself face down to the ground and, prostrating himself, said to him, “What does my lord command his servant?” (14, Tanakh)

Here was Joshua, the leader of God’s people. But when the commander of the Lord’s army shows up (who many Bible scholars believe is actually Jesus), he throws himself down before him, and asks, “What do you want of me?”

It reminded me of the response of the 24 elders in Revelation 4.

Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor, and thanks to the one seated on the throne, the one who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before the one seated on the throne and worship the one who lives forever and ever.

They cast their crowns before the throne… (Revelation 4:9-10)

Just as the twenty-four elders cast their crowns before the throne of God, so did Joshua before his commander, submitting to God’s authority in his life.

And that was my response to Jesus today.

Jesus, I cast my crown before you. You are my King. I surrender reign over my life to you. What do you want me to do?

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Numbers Devotionals

Eyes of faith. Eyes of fear.

Joshua and Caleb

When Moses sent them to scout out the land of Canaan, he told them, “…Be courageous.” (Numbers 13:17, 20)

Those words really stuck out to me this morning.

One of the things Moses told the twelve scouts before they went out to spy out Canaan was to be courageous.

But only two of them, Joshua and Caleb, came back courageous.

Why? Because they had eyes of faith. They saw how big God is.

The rest of them came back with eyes filled with fear.

Why? They could only see how big the Canaanites were.

How often do we fear the future, how often do we fear where God is leading us because we forget how big he is?

And just as importantly, how good he is.

I happened to be praying through Psalm 16 today, and verses 5-8 seemed particularly appropriate.

Lord, you are my portion and my cup of blessing; you hold my future.

The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.

I will bless the Lord who counsels me—even at night when my thoughts trouble me.

I always let the Lord guide me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. (Psalm 16:5-8)

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Joshua Devotionals

Who is in charge?

Joshua

This is always a striking passage when I read it. And it always makes me think  about my relationship with God.

So many times, people ask, “God, are you really for me?”, as if we were the center of the universe. As if we were the ones calling the shots and God has to fall in line with us.

But God answers us as he did Joshua in this passage. “No. I have now come as commander of the Lord’s army.” (Joshua 5:14)

In short, “Wrong question. I’m the one in charge. I’m the one calling the shots. So the question is not whether I am for you and will support you in your plans. The question is whether you will fall in line with me and my plans.”

Joshua’s response?

What does my lord want to say to his servant? (14)

And he worshiped.

Lord, you are worthy of my worship. You are worthy of my obedience. So like Joshua, I ask, “What do you want to say to your servant?”

Help me to hear your voice clearly. To not just charge ahead with my own plans. But to submit myself to yours. Let my whole life to you be praise. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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Joshua Devotionals

When God listened to a man

Joshua

As I was reading this passage about how God made the day longer and helped the Israelites conquer their enemies, this verse struck me.

There has been no day like it before or since, when the Lord listened to a man (Joshua), because the Lord fought for Israel. (Joshua 10:14)

Certainly what God did that day was incredible. But since the time that those words were written, we have seen such a day when God listened to man.

Ironically, that man had the same name…Joshua, or in the Greek form of the name, “Jesus.”

The writer of Hebrews wrote,

During [Jesus’] earthly life, he offered prayers and appeals with loud cries and tears to the one who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence.

Although he was the Son, he learned obedience from what he suffered. After he was perfected, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him…(Hebrews 5:7-9)

Certainly, there were many days that Jesus prayed. But the crucial time came when he hung on the cross, and cried out, “It is finished. Father into your hands I commit my spirit.”

The Father heard him, and three days later raised him from the dead.

Truly there has never been a day like that before or since when the Lord listened to a man’s cry, saved him, and in the process saved us.

All I can say to that is, “Thank you Father. And thank you Jesus for all you’ve done for us.”