Read: Judges 3-5
Marked: Judges 3:7, So the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD. They forgot the LORD their God, and served the Baals and Asherahs.
We all serve someone or something. If we forget the Lord, how will we know good from evil?
I may think I’m doing good but am actually doing evil because I’m following a false idea, or image without realizing it.
When I forget God, I wind up suppressing the truth in unrighteousness.
Read: Judges 1-2
Marked: Judges 2:21-22, “I also will no longer drive out before them any of the nations which Joshua left when he died, so that through them I may test Israel, whether they will keep the ways of the LORD, to walk in them as their fathers kept them, or not.”
How committed am I to being obedient to the Lord? When trial or difficulty arises, will I continue to follow the Lord, or resort to my own ways?
The Lord will test my resolve by allowing trials to see if I will “keep the ways of the Lord”. I pray I will not fail the test.
Read: Joshua 22-24
Marked: Joshua 22:12, And when the children of Israel heard of it, the whole congregation of the children of Israel gathered together at Shiloh to go to war against them.
How often have I been ready to go to war over something I’ve heard, or misheard, about what someone said or supposedly did?
Do I take the time to discover the truth, to listen, to reason, or only consider what somebody has told me, or what I think is the truth?
Before I act, or react, do I consider to “let the Lord Himself require an account”, V23? Does God need me to defend His honour?
Read: Joshua 19-21
Marked: Joshua 21:45, Not a word failed of any good thing which the LORD had spoken to the house of Israel. All came to pass.
If someone said to you, “Why would you have faith in a being you can’t see?”, what would you say? I would say, “Because not a word failed of any good thing the Lord has spoken,”
The evidence is indisputable. God says what He means, and means what He says. For example: Numbers 23:19 says, “God is not a man that He should lie, nor a son of man that He should repent. Has He not said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken and will He not make it good?”
You can trust God in His word. I have, and He has not failed me yet.
Read: Joshua 16-18
Marked: Joshua 18:3, Then Joshua said to the children of Israel: “How long will you neglect to go and possess the land which the LORD God of your fathers has given you?
The Lord has given me salvation but I need to possess it. 2 Peter 1:10 says to be even more diligent to make your call and election sure.
The Lord has done the hard work and in Jesus I have the freedom to live a new life. I don’t want to be barren and unfruitful in the knowledge of Jesus Christ. I want to possess everything He has given me. Life! And that more abundantly.
Read: Joshua 12-15
Marked: Joshua 13:13, Nevertheless the children of Israel did not drive out the Geshurites or the Maachathites, but the Geshurites and the Maachathites dwell among the Israelites until this day.
The Israelites had defeated thirty-one kings before they entered the Promised Land. Now Joshua was old and advanced in years and the driving out of the inhabitants of the land had slowed down or wasn’t happening at all. Did they grow weary or even slack in doing what God had commanded?
As time passes, I can grow weary and slack in doing what God commands me to do. I can become busy with other things. Life in general takes over and I forget to do the things of the Lord, to read His word, to pray, or assemble together.
They had allowed the ungodly to dwell among them and it eventually affected their relationship with God. I must drive out all iniquity from my land of promise. Only then can I rest.
I must guard against these impulses reducing the zeal I once had for the things of God.
Read: Joshua 9-11
Marked: Joshua 11:18, Joshua made war a long time with all those kings.
Joshua was commanded by God to remove from the land all the inhabitants because of their great sin.
The battle agains sin isn’t a brief skirmish; it’s a battle that goes on for a long time, and it’s a battle that must be fought. Sin is not overcome by ignoring it.
Read: Joshua 5-8
Marked: Joshua 7:1, But the children of Israel committed a trespass regarding the accursed things, for Achan the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took of the accursed things; so the anger of the LORD burned against the children of Israel.
Israel had had a great victory in destroying Jericho. But that victory was overcome by the sinful act of one man for a few pieces of gold, silver, and some garments.
Even one sinful act can undo great things done in the name of the Lord. it may seem like nothing to me, but can result in serious consequences.
I must never underestimate the effect of sin on myself and those around me. Sin brings trouble and I have enough trouble in this world. Lord, keep me from sin.
Read: Joshua 1-4
Marked: Joshua 1:8, This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.
The Book of the Law, the Bible, was not to depart from Joshua. He was to be a man of the word. It was to be before him day and night and he was to meditate in it and observe, or keep, what was written in it. Then prosperity and success would follow.
Prosperity means, to advance, or to progress and success means, to have understanding, or wisdom.
It is through the word I advance my understanding of God and His will in my life and learn to live wisely.
Read: Deuteronomy 32-34
Marked: Deuteronomy 32:4, He is the Rock, His work is perfect; For all His ways are justice, A God of truth and without injustice; Righteous and upright is He.
Sometimes, when I read the Bible, I find things that are difficult to understand, yet I can’t ignore them.
As a child I did not always understand what my father did, or why he did it. God is my Father, my Rock.
I may not always know or understand the why or the what, but I can know His work is perfect and His ways are justice, a God of truth. Righteous and upright is He.
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