KJB Daily Devotion – Following Jesus Through Every Chapter
Date: Friday, March 23, 2018
Chapters: Joshua 1-4
Message: Commanded To Be Strong
Hello My Friend,
The Book of Joshua contains twenty-four chapters, the author is Joshua and it was written to Israel, the timeline for these events is approximately 1451 BC to 1427 BC. Christ is seen in this book as the Captain of Lord’s Host. The purpose of the book was to record the details on how Joshua led the people of Israel into the promised land and explains the division of the land among the tribes. What we are to learn from the book is that no moral or spiritual battles are won without God, He gives victory to all who let Him lead them. “There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.” – Joshua 1:5.
Before you truly walk with Jesus Christ you might think of yourself as a pretty independent and strong person. I know I did, I thought I could do anything, I had no fear, whatever I wanted I did whatever it took to get it. That was until my strength was truly put to the test, I remember how bad I was feeling, wondering how I ever let things get so far out of hand, and how I could get out of it. About six months later I knew it was Christ that I needed, and now I realize just how weak I am. We often talk to God about strength, but we dare not ask Him for it because we just know that He is going to place something before us that would test our strength. Imagine what Joshua must have thought when he was told that he had to lead Israel after Moses died and God telling, no commanding, him to be strong? However, God did promise that He would be there to help him.
“There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them. Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest. This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.” – Joshua 1:5-9.
“but thou shalt meditate therein day and night,” The key to our strength is not in our own physical abilities, it is in our spiritual abilities as we learn of Christ and follow Him. Since Jesus is the Word made flesh, we must keep Him with us at all times, He is our strength to handle whatever task God gives us. The key to success and prosperity is the Word of God, it must be our guide in every decision we make. If fact, God is the only one who can guide us, teach us, and reach us in a way that not only blesses us, but gives us the strength to endure everything. Joshua sent two men over into Jericho to search it out, just to see what they were up against. Word had already gotten out that the people of Israel, and their God, were about to come in and siege the land so when people found out that they were there they searched all over to capture and kill them. The men ran into a woman, a prostitute named Rahab, she hid them and asked them for one thing in return for her kindness.
“And Joshua the son of Nun sent out of Shittim two men to spy secretly, saying, Go view the land, even Jericho. And they went, and came into an harlot’s house, named Rahab, and lodged there. And the woman took the two men, and hid them, and said thus, There came men unto me, but I wist not whence they were: And before they were laid down, she came up unto them upon the roof; And she said unto the men, I know that the LORD hath given you the land, and that your terror is fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land faint because of you. For we have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red sea for you, when ye came out of Egypt; and what ye did unto the two kings of the Amorites, that were on the other side Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom ye utterly destroyed. And as soon as we had heard these things, our hearts did melt, neither did there remain any more courage in any man, because of you: for the LORD your God, he is God in heaven above, and in earth beneath. Now therefore, I pray you, swear unto me by the LORD, since I have shewed you kindness, that ye will also shew kindness unto my father’s house, and give me a true token: Then she let them down by a cord through the window: for her house was upon the town wall, and she dwelt upon the wall.” – Joshua 2:1,4,8-12,15.
“I know that the LORD hath given you the land,” Do you think that the world does not hear about all the incredible and miraculous things that God has done for His people? Many fear Him because of this, but far too many are too proud to ask Him to save them. Do you see where Rahab and her family lived? It was in the very wall that was to crumble to the ground. So many know of God and how to be saved, yet refuse to get in the dwelling place that will save them. Ignorance cannot save us, the only way we are saved is by knowing Jesus Christ as our Saviour. “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.” – Revelation 3:20.
The spies returned three days later, Joshua gathered the congregation together to make the trip over the Jordan, they would literally be walking across the Jordan river on dry land, just as they did with Moses on the floor of the Red Sea. He instructed the Levites to go ahead of everyone else, as God commanded, but before their journey it was important that they clean themselves that night.
“And it came to pass after three days, that the officers went through the host; And they commanded the people, saying, When ye see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, and the priests the Levites bearing it, then ye shall remove from your place, and go after it. Yet there shall be a space between you and it, about two thousand cubits by measure: come not near unto it, that ye may know the way by which ye must go: for ye have not passed this way heretofore. And Joshua said unto the people, Sanctify yourselves: for to morrow the LORD will do wonders among you. And Joshua said, Hereby ye shall know that the living God is among you, and that he will without fail drive out from before you the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Hivites, and the Perizzites, and the Girgashites, and the Amorites, and the Jebusites.” – Joshua 3:2-5,10.
“that ye may know the way by which ye must go:” It is Christ that guides us and leads us into the promised land, if we want to get into the promised land we must be sanctified, cleansed of our sins. Christ is not only our guide, He is the one who sanctifies us so we can go into the promised land. It is not enough to know who Christ is, we must come to Him willingly, and ask Him to save us. “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” – Romans 10:9-10.
Just as Moses was able to lead the Israel across the Red Sea on dry land with God’s mighty hand, Joshua led the new generation across the Jordan River the same way. God commanded them to gather twelve stones out of the Jordan, one man from each tribe was to gather a stone to represent each of the children of Israel and place them all together in the midst of the Jordan.
“And it came to pass, when all the people were clean passed over Jordan, that the LORD spake unto Joshua, saying, Take you twelve men out of the people, out of every tribe a man, And command ye them, saying, Take you hence out of the midst of Jordan, out of the place where the priests’ feet stood firm, twelve stones, and ye shall carry them over with you, and leave them in the lodging place, where ye shall lodge this night. And Joshua set up twelve stones in the midst of Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests which bare the ark of the covenant stood: and they are there unto this day. For the priests which bare the ark stood in the midst of Jordan, until every thing was finished that the LORD commanded Joshua to speak unto the people, according to all that Moses commanded Joshua: and the people hasted and passed over. And it came to pass, when all the people were clean passed over, that the ark of the LORD passed over, and the priests, in the presence of the people. On that day the LORD magnified Joshua in the sight of all Israel; and they feared him, as they feared Moses, all the days of his life.” – Joshua 4:1-3,9-11,14.
“For the priests which bare the ark stood in the midst of Jordan,” Jesus not only guides us, He is right there in the midst with us. The stones were a reminder that God miraculously led them through the water on dry land into the promised land. We are to never forget how Christ miraculously led us into the promised land, it takes great strength to admit we are sinners to begin with once we understand that we need Him to save us. If the only strength we have is coming to Christ than we have followed God’s command to be strong. Remember, in our weakness, Christ is our strength. “Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.” – II Corinthians 12:10.
Jesus Christ Magnified: “Behold, when we come into the land, thou shalt bind this line of scarlet thread in the window which thou didst let us down by: and thou shalt bring thy father, and thy mother, and thy brethren, and all thy father’s household, home unto thee. And it shall be, that whosoever shall go out of the doors of thy house into the street, his blood shall be upon his head, and we will be guiltless: and whosoever shall be with thee in the house, his blood shall be on our head, if any hand be upon him.” – Joshua 2:18-19.
Today’s Prayer:
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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