So Hebron has belonged to Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite ever since, because he followed the Lord, the God of Israel, wholeheartedly.

Joshua 14

So Hebron has belonged to Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite ever since, because he followed the Lord, the God of Israel, wholeheartedly. v14

God is faithful - every one of His promises comes to pass.  For Caleb, the land inheritance promised him in Numbers 14:24, 30) is finally his - 45 years later.

Now then, just as the Lord promised, he has kept me alive for forty-five years since the time he said this to Moses, while Israel moved about in the wilderness. So here I am today, eighty-five years old!  I am still as strong today as the day Moses sent me out; I’m just as vigorous to go out to battle now as I was then. Now give me this hill country that the Lord promised me that day. You yourself heard then that the Anakites were there and their cities were large and fortified, but, the Lord helping me, I will drive them out just as he said.”

 

Then Joshua blessed Caleb son of Jephunneh and gave him Hebron as his inheritance. v10-13

While we wait we often believe that God has forgotten His promise to us or that He has forsaken us but we can rest assure that He has not and WILL NOT.

And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. Matthew 28:20

 

God always keeps His promises.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are indeed a great and faithful God, one whose promises always come to pass.  You are true and faithful - while the world is not.  Thank You for Your faithfulness and love.  I am not worthy of such love. I often place too much faith in myself or I worry.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome such sin and turn towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You do. Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength. Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Afterward, Joshua read all the words of the law—the blessings and the curses—just as it is written in the Book of the Law. There was not a word of all that Moses had commanded that Joshua did not read to the whole assembly of Israel, including the women and children, and the foreigners who lived among them.

Joshua 8

Afterward, Joshua read all the words of the law—the blessings and the curses—just as it is written in the Book of the Law. There was not a word of all that Moses had commanded that Joshua did not read to the whole assembly of Israel, including the women and children, and the foreigners who lived among them. v34-35

Just as God is perfect, the Bible is perfect - as is God (see also John 1).  God wants us to read the whole Bible and KNOW it.  We must not to add to or subtract from it - it becomes important for many reasons, including that it enables us to put on the full armor of God.  Most importantly, when we know the Bible we know God.  

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God, and Your Word is perfect and I am blessed to have Your Word where I can spend time with You, understand more about You and Your will for my life.  Thank You Jesus - I am not worth such blessings.  I am harsh with my words and thoughts.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal and cure Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo. Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others. Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Then all Israel stoned him, and after they had stoned the rest, they burned them. Over Achan they heaped up a large pile of rocks, which remains to this day. Then the Lord turned from his fierce anger. Therefore that place has been called the Valley of Achor ever since.

Joshua 7

Then all Israel stoned him, and after they had stoned the rest, they burned them. Over Achan they heaped up a large pile of rocks, which remains to this day. Then the Lord turned from his fierce anger. Therefore that place has been called the Valley of Achor ever since. v25-26

Achan disobeyed Joshua's instructions - relayed from God - to handover all plunder from Jericho to the treasury (see Joshua 6:18-19). What is important here is how both Rahab are in focus and in contrast to one another - Rahab's family is spared for working on behalf of the Lord and Achan is not because of his sin.  God wants us to know how he rewards faithfulness to Him while He also wants us to know how there are consequences from sin.  Throughout scripture we see the impact of sin:

The Fall
The Flood
Sodom and Gomorrah
David
Solomon
Ananias and Sapphira

Sin ALWAYS has consequences.  It is important for us to remember this.  When we know that sin always has consequences, we can better appreciate what Jesus has done for us.  

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8

My Prayer: Lord Jesus - You are a God full of compassion and patience and grace - my sin continues yet I know You died for me so that I would not be a slave to my sin and so I could have eternal life with You.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not worth such a gift.  I am lazy.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo. Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

The commander of the Lord’s army replied, “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did so.

Joshua 5

The commander of the Lord’s army replied, “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did so. v15

As Joshua takes over leadership from Moses and as he prepares to lead the Israelites into the Promised Land, he encounters an angel of the Lord who will command the Israelites into battle with Jericho.  The angel speaks to Joshua and commands reverence - or "profound adoring awed respect".  God commanded this of Moses as well when God spoke to Moses through the burning bush.

The question is - when are we NOT to feel as if we are standing on holy ground.  Since God created the Heavens and the Earth and everything in it and He is in everything and holds everything together (Colossians 1) - we should be in reverence ALL of the time.  God is everywhere and in everything.

 Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst?  If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person; for God’s temple is sacred, and you together are that temple. 1 Corinthians 3:16-17

Paul also claims that we are to be a living sacrifice (Romans 12:1). Reminder that we exist to glorify God.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who has created the heavens and the earth and everything in them and You created me in Your image and then rescued me from the pit by nailing Yourself to the cross - to free from death and from being slave to sin.  Thank You Jesus!  The greatest gift of all time...I am not worth such a gift.  I am hard on others...too hard.  Please forgive me and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith. Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.

Joshua 1

Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go. v9

In the first nine verses of Joshua, the Lord tells Joshua to strong and courageous three times (v6,7,9), including verse 7 where Joshua is told to be "[b]e strong and very courageous".   

God wants Joshua to be strong and courageous because He will be with us wherever we go (v9).  We are also to be strong and courageous because there is temptation and sin in the world and we will face difficulties.

In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. John 16:33

God give us His Son, the Holy Spirit, His Word, faith, the church, brothers and sisters in Christ who pray and support us, etc.  With all of this we have the armor of God.

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Ephesians 6:10-17

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who protects us and keeps us strong during times of difficulty - You are our Rock.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not worth such love and blessing.  My sin continues.  Please forgive me and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day. 

Since then, no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face, who did all those signs and wonders the Lord sent him to do in Egypt—to Pharaoh and to all his officials and to his whole land. For no one has ever shown the mighty power or performed the awesome deeds that Moses did in the sight of all Israel.

Deuteronomy 34

Since then, no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face, who did all those signs and wonders the Lord sent him to do in Egypt—to Pharaoh and to all his officials and to his whole land. For no one has ever shown the mighty power or performed the awesome deeds that Moses did in the sight of all Israel. v10-12

As I close the chapter of Deuteronomy and reflect on Moses - indeed Moses' greatness is surpassed only by Jesus.  The question in my mind becomes, what is to become of us?  God has a plan for all of us (Psalm 139, Jeremiah 29).  God gives us the Holy Spirit - which is a mighty power indeed.

I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. 

That power is the same as the mighty strength he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come.  Ephesians 1:18-21 

 

So if God has a plan for us and He gives us this mighty power - we should have confidence and aspire to do great and hard things - right? 

 

I believe so. 

 

Lord Jesus - help me understand the great power that You have given me and help me aspire to do great things in Your name.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who has defeated sin and death on my behalf...and given me this same power so that I can glorify Your Name.  I am blown away by what You have done for me - thank You Jesus!  I am not worth such efforts.  I am often harsh with my words. Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith. Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Take to heart all the words I have solemnly declared to you this day, so that you may command your children to obey carefully all the words of this law. They are not just idle words for you—they are your life.

Deuteronomy 32

Take to heart all the words I have solemnly declared to you this day, so that you may command your children to obey carefully all the words of this law. They are not just idle words for you—they are your life. v46-47

God's word IS our daily bread - without it we lack sustenance.

[M]an does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord. Deuteronomy 8:3

Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens. Psalm 68:19

Give us each day our daily bread. Luke 11:3

Two things I ask of you, Lord; do not refuse me before I die: Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, ‘Who is the Lord?’ Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God. Proverbs 30:7-9

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God, full of love and compassion for me - giving me many, many second chances - You are SO patient!  Thank You Jesus!  I am not worth such efforts because I fail to give others such second chances.  Please forgive me and help me overcome and turn from my sins towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo. Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.