Then the land had peace forty years.

Judges 5

Then the land had peace forty years. v31

In the book of Judges, the Israelites do as we all do...we do "evil in the eyes of the Lord". Thankfully, God has raised up for us a Savior in Jesus Christ who nailed all of our sin to the cross so that we would not be caught in the cycle of sin and shame and sin.  

We must be humble and allow Jesus to work in and through our lives - to be transformed to be more like Jesus.  

As I posted yesterday, we may not like what God is doing in our lives but He is always present with us, by our side, working in and for us, refining and training us.

Lord Jesus, please take my life and make me more like You.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are a great God and You are my God. I am Your child.  I desire to be more like You.  I want to please You and glorify You.  Thank You that You loved me enough to not only adopt me as Your child but that You would go to the cross for me.  Thank You Jesus! I am not worth such love.  Please forgive me for my harsh words and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind.  Help me 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.

I will use them to test Israel and see whether they will keep the way of the Lord and walk in it as their ancestors did. The Lord had allowed those nations to remain; he did not drive them out at once by giving them into the hands of Joshua.

Judges 2

I will use them to test Israel and see whether they will keep the way of the Lord and walk in it as their ancestors did.  The Lord had allowed those nations to remain; he did not drive them out at once by giving them into the hands of Joshua. v22-23

Bad things happen in the world because of sin; since the Fall, we no longer live in perfect unity with God.  However, God sent his Son so that we may reconciled to God. As is the case here with the Israelites, God either causes or allows things to happen for his purpose. 

We must all be aware for what God is doing in our lives.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who has refined me, trained me and made me more like You.  Thank You Jesus - it has not been a straight path or an easy one but You have always been with me.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not worth such God - I often neglect You.  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.

But Manasseh did not drive out the people of Beth Shan or Taanach or Dor or Ibleam or Megiddo and their surrounding settlements, for the Canaanites were determined to live in that land.

Judges 1

But Manasseh did not drive out the people of Beth Shan or Taanach or Dor or Ibleam or Megiddo and their surrounding settlements, for the Canaanites were determined to live in that land. v27

God desires the Israelites to take all the land given to them and to drive out those inhabiting the land - yet Israel's obedience is partial.  God wants 100% obedience - yet since the Fall this is impossible so God sent Christ for us.  Although Christ knows we cannot be 100% obedient He does desire us to love the Lord with all of our heart, soul and mind (see Matthew 22:37-40)....not some of our heart, soul, and mind but ALL.

There are consequences in this world (Ananias and Sepphira, The Rich and Kingdom of God) and in Heaven for those who are partial in their devotion to Jesus.

Jesus, help me devote ALL of my life to You.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who gave everything to me (Your life!) so that I could be spared the sting of sin and death.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not worth such a gift.  I worry.  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. 

 

Israel served the Lord throughout the lifetime of Joshua and of the elders who outlived him and who had experienced everything the Lord had done for Israel.

Joshua 24

Israel served the Lord throughout the lifetime of Joshua and of the elders who outlived him and who had experienced everything the Lord had done for Israel. v31

If you experience the Lord, you will serve Him - that is my takeaway from the above.  As a father, I worry about whether my own sons will have faith.  Yet my focus should not be on my worry but on my own faith and if I focus on my faith, God will transform my heart and life and my sons should experience the miracles of transformation in my life.

I must be a light - Lord, please help me be a light.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are the Light of the World and the Heavens - the Lord of Lords, and the King of Kings.  Without You, nothing would exist.  I know You sustain me, and You have blessed me beyond what I deserve - I must dedicate and devote my life to You.  Yet I often worry instead.  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.  Help me 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.

Instead, they will become snares and traps for you, whips on your backs and thorns in your eyes, until you perish from this good land, which the Lord your God has given you....You know with all your heart and soul that not one of all the good promises the Lord your God gave you has failed. Every promise has been fulfilled; not one has failed.

Joshua 23

Instead, they will become snares and traps for you, whips on your backs and thorns in your eyes, until you perish from this good land, which the Lord your God has given you....You know with all your heart and soul that not one of all the good promises the Lord your God gave you has failed. Every promise has been fulfilled; not one has failed. v13-14

Joshua is getting old and offers both words of warning and encouragement which serve all of us well.

1. We must be careful not to conform to the patterns of this world - Paul offers this same warning (Romans 12:2) as does Peter (1 Peter 5:8)
2. Remember all that God has done - for all of His children and specifically for you.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, what an amazing God You are that You have created the heavens and the earth, and everything in them, and You are perfect in all ways.  You chose to give up Your one and only Son - Jesus Christ - so that I could be free from snare of sin and have everlasting life.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not worth such incredible gifts.  I worry.  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.

Then Phinehas son of Eleazar, the priest, and the leaders returned to Canaan from their meeting with the Reubenites and Gadites in Gilead and reported to the Israelites. They were glad to hear the report and praised God. And they talked no more about going to war against them to devastate the country where the Reubenites and the Gadites lived.

Joshua 22

Then Phinehas son of Eleazar, the priest, and the leaders returned to Canaan from their meeting with the Reubenites and Gadites in Gilead and reported to the Israelites. They were glad to hear the report and praised God. And they talked no more about going to war against them to devastate the country where the Reubenites and the Gadites lived. v32-33

The Jordan separated the 12 tribes and the Reubenites, Gadites and the half tribe of the
Manasseh built an altar to the Lord on the east of the Jordan - seemingly duplicating the one altar to the Lord that already existed west of the Jordan.  This of course raised suspicions within the tribes of the west.  Yet once the western tribes determined the motives or heart condition of the eastern tribes - suspicions were dampened.

There are many occasions in our life when we question ourselves or others about obedience to God's commands.  While our actions are important, our internal heart condition is more important because our heart condition is the source where everything flows.

A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of. Luke 6:45

Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. Proverbs 4:23 

Spending time with God daily and with the Word transforms our hearts and lives to be more like Him (see also Romans 12:2).

Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. Psalm 139:23-24

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who has given me faith and through that strength, peace, hope, encouragement, direction, etc.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not worth such love and blessing.  I worry and I am harsh with my words and actions.  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.

So the Lord gave Israel all the land he had sworn to give their ancestors, and they took possession of it and settled there. The Lord gave them rest on every side, just as he had sworn to their ancestors. Not one of their enemies withstood them; the Lord gave all their enemies into their hands. Not one of all the Lord’s good promises to Israel failed; every one was fulfilled.

Joshua 21

So the Lord gave Israel all the land he had sworn to give their ancestors, and they took possession of it and settled there. The Lord gave them rest on every side, just as he had sworn to their ancestors. Not one of their enemies withstood them; the Lord gave all their enemies into their hands. Not one of all the Lord’s good promises to Israel failed; every one was fulfilled. v43-45

Just as I posted yesterday, the Lord is faithful.

I know there are times when things are difficult - I have experienced these times.  God does not promise that things will be easy or that you will not have trouble.  On the contrary, God tells us that we will have difficulties:

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

When we have these difficulties we can hold onto God's many promises, including:
He will never leave or forsake us
As we suffer, our faith is refined

For no word from God will ever fail. Luke 1:37

God is good and while we may experience difficulty, God does not change and He is always faithful. 

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God full of love and compassion for me and always faithful!  Thank You Jesus for Your many promises and for being faithful to all of Your promises.  I am not worth such love and faithfulness. I worry - often.  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.