August 18 -- "Finishing Well"

 Today’s Reading: Joshua 19

"Finishing Well"

The Promised Land has been conquered by Israel.  The land now has rest from war. The leaders of Israel are nearly finished dividing the land.  Each of the tribes has received their allotment.  The last thing for them to do is bestow an allotment upon Joshua the son of Nun.  They ask him which parcel he would like and he responds “Timnath-serah in the hill country of Ephraim on the north (side) of the mountain of Gaash.”

Timnath-serah was a beautiful area with mountains, rolling hills, and numerous brooks and streams of fresh water.  It is also a well-protected area. Because of its high vantage point, Joshua could easily see for miles and would be alerted if any intruders were approaching. That’s Joshua – always thinking like a military leader.

Joshua was nearly forty years old when he originally participated in the exodus from Egypt.  When they passed over Jordan he was eighty-four years of age; and after about twenty-six years laboring as the conquering leader of Israel he is now around one-hundred-ten years old.

The allotment of land to Joshua is a fitting reward for his years of faithfulness and hard work.  He had lived an exemplary life with not a single blot on his record recorded in the Scriptures.  He was a man of diligence, faith, and confidence in the God he loved.  He seems to have served the Lord with singular fidelity. His life was truly a reflection of the LORD of Hosts, the God he served.

Joshua finished well.  Unlike many who set out with good intentions but then falter somewhere along the way, Joshua remained faithful until the very end.  He, like the Apostle Paul, was able to say, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith.” (2 Timothy 4:7)

Finishing well doesn’t happen by accident. It takes an intentional effort on the part of every follower of Christ to “fight” the good fight and to stay on course daily throughout our lives.  It is a fight – filled with struggles and conflicts and spiritual combat - to finish well.  We finish well when we fight until the devil is soundly defeated.  This is the only way we will get out of the ring alive.

We also finish well by not dropping out of the race before reaching the finish line. Joshua, like Paul, was able to say, “I have finished the course.”  So, don’t give up, dear pilgrim, press on to the finish line.  I don’t know how long you’ve been running the race, but I’m guessing it is nowhere near 110 years.  So keep going.  Finish well.  The reward for your diligence and faithfulness awaits.  “Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day– and not only to me but also to all who have longed for his appearing.” (2 Timothy 4:8)

August 17 -- "Shiloh: Our Worship Center"

 Today’s Reading: Joshua 18

"Shiloh: Our Worship Center"

When the children of Israel first crossed the Jordan, they initially set up the Tabernacle at Gilgal, a convenient place because it was just across the river.  But now, after subduing the Land, they move their worship center to Shiloh.  Shiloh was westward from the Jordan and located about 30 miles north of Jerusalem.  Shiloh was located at the geographic center of the Promised Land.   From this location, the worship center could be easily accessed by all of Israel’s tribes. The Tabernacle would remain at this location for nearly 300 years until the Philistines attacked and destroyed the city (See 1 Samuel 4:1-11).  This would be the place for the spiritual gathering of the people.

It is believed that Joshua himself, acting under direct revelation from God, gave the town its name.  “Shiloh” is a Messianic word that is first mentioned in Genesis 49:10, “The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh comes; and to Him shall be the obedience of the people.”  We recognize this as one of the greatest Messianic prophecies of the entire Bible, referring to the Person who would be the future King of Israel (Jesus Christ) .  The name of this town would be a constant reminder to the nation of God’s promises to send the Rescuer and Redeemer to save the people.  This glorious Messianic word was applied to the site of the Holy Tabernacle, because the Tabernacle itself, with its High Priest, its numerous sacrifices, and its focus on the LORD was typical of Messiah himself. 

It was totally appropriate that this town be located at the center of Israel and be established as the worship center for the Nation.  Its centrality communicates that worship of God must always be the heart of their national identity.  Worship of God must be the epicenter of all that they are and all that they do.

In like manner, our worship of God must never be an afterthought or just a Sunday morning routine.  Our worship of God must be the epicenter of all that we are and all that we do.  We must recognize that assembling together at the place for worship is our most awesome privilege and opportunity to connect directly with God, with our Messiah, and with His people.  Jesus would later on remind us that “God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." (John 4:24). Our Shiloh is not a geographic location, but that place at the center of our heart where we “worship and bow down; Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.” (Psalm 95:6) Like Israel, Shiloh – not the place – but the Person, is our worship center.

August 16 -- "Not Utterly Driven Out"

 Today’s Reading: Joshua 16 & 17

"Not Utterly Driven Out"

This was a failure on the part of Joshua and the children of Israel. By not utterly driving out the Canaanites, they failed to take full possession of the Promised Land, thereby not entering into the complete victory God had promised them.  

The whole experience of the children of Israel coming out of the bondage of Egypt, passing through the wilderness, and coming into the Promised Land can be viewed as a spiritual allegory. It is representative of us as Christians coming out of our “Egypt,” the bondage to sin. The Red Sea is equivalent to our baptism and coming into a new relationship with God. God has promised unto us a life of victory over our flesh if we will follow Him and trust Him. Forty years in the wilderness is like those periods of time in our lives where we struggle with our faith and trust in God. Crossing the Jordan River represents us finally coming into the walk and the life of the Spirit that God wants each of us to experience and to know. 

The Lord wants us to take every square foot of His promises!  He desires that we take full victory over every area that the enemy has had a stronghold in our lives. If we allow any of these strongholds of the enemy to remain, they are going to be a continual and constant problem to us in our spiritual growth.

All the areas of your flesh (maybe it is a bad temper, maybe it is anger, maybe it is pride, or lust, or whatever) have to be dealt with in your life. God wants to give you complete and full victory over every area of your flesh. He has provided all that you need. But many times, just as the children of Israel failed to utterly drive out their enemies and those enemies return to cause future trouble, we too can fail to drive out these “inhabitants” of our hearts.  

Their failure to drive out the enemy utterly worked to their own disadvantage. So many times in our own lives, those areas where we fail to go in and lay claim to our victory in Christ are the very areas where we find ourselves attacked by Satan in the future, and oftentimes defeated in the future because we failed to fully take the promise that God has given to us and lay claim to the full victory that we can have as we walk in the Spirit.

The failure of complete victory is one of the sad and tragic notes of Joshua’s leadership. They did not utterly drive out the inhabitants. They did not fully take the land. They did not conquer all that God had given, and it later worked to their own harm. So let us not follow after the same example, but let us press into our walk in the Spirit, entering into His fullness by conquering every aspect of our fleshly nature.

Don’t put limitations on your limitless God.  He is not limited by your fears or failures.  And don't let a single inhabitant remain in the "land." None of them are as innocent or as impotent as we may perceive.  Failure to utterly drive them all out will work to your disadvantage. He can conquer every enemy in “the land!”  So, press on and utterly drive out the unwanted inhabitants of your heart by the power of His Spirit.

August 15 -- "Victory Over Your 'Big' Problems"

 Today’s Reading: Joshua 15

"Victory Over Your Big Problems"

One group of adversaries Caleb faced during his efforts to conquer the portion of land granted to him were the “sons of Anak.”  Known collectively as “Anakim” (plural of Anak), this people group presented a formidable challenge.  

The Anakim were a very tall people. Deuteronomy 9:2 describes them as "a people great and tall, the sons of the Anakim, whom you know, and of whom you have heard it said, 'Who can stand before the sons of Anak?'"  The Anakim were descendants of Anak, a renowned figure who was described as a giant or a member of a tribe of giants. They are often associated with great stature and strength. The Anakim were a powerful foe of the Israelites in ancient times.

It was the Anakim that terrified the spies Moses had sent to investigate the land.  They reported, "And there we saw the Nephilim (the sons of Anak, who come from the Nephilim), and we seemed to ourselves like grasshoppers, and so we seemed to them." (Numbers 13:33)  They were a “big” problem!  So much so, that ten of Israel’s spies withdrew in fear, believing they didn’t stand a chance against them.  And they persuaded the nation to not even try.

Nevertheless, Caleb trusted God.  He knew that the Anakim were no match for God’s power.  Caleb realized that the “enormity of a job is always measured by the agent doing the work.”  In other words, if you have a big and strong enough "agent", any problem can be conquered.

If you need to dig a swimming pool, don’t use a tablespoon as your "agent" – use the power of an excavator and backhoe.  They are big and strong enough to conquer even the hardest soil.  If you need to conquer the huge sins in your life, don’t undertake the battle on your own, relying on a tablespoon of "positive thinking" or a teaspoon of "self-help." No, call upon the Lord to do the work. He is the greatest "Agent" of all, and if He is the agent, every adversary will fall.

Sometimes we too have problems or challenges that seem too “big” to conquer.  We may think, “Oh sure God can take care of my small issues, like my foul mouth or my anger, but He could never conquer my drug addiction or alcoholism.  These problems are just too big even for Him.”  Don’t fall for this line of thinking.  There is no sin, no challenge, no problem that God is not big enough and strong enough to conquer!  If God is the “Agent” doing the work, every adversary will fall before Him!

August 14 -- "The Blessing of Wholehearted Faith"

 Today’s Reading: Joshua 14

"The Blessing of Wholehearted Faith"

Caleb the son of Jephunneh was one of the twelve Israelite spies that Moses had sent into Canaan to investigate the land and gather intelligence about their potential enemies.  When the spies returned, only two of the twelve came back with a faith-filled glowing report about victory.  The other ten brought back fear and dread.  One of the two men of faith was Caleb. 

After receiving his positive intelligence report, Moses - led by God - made a promise to Caleb, "Look Caleb, when we take the land, you can have that territory that you spied out. That's yours."  Because of his faith and because he wholly followed the Lord, he was given a special promise from God. 

It is now forty-plus years later and Caleb remembers this promise. So Caleb came to Joshua, and he said, "Hey Josh, remember when you and I spied out the land, when we came back and gave our report to Moses, and Moses promised me that I could have for my family, the territory that we spied out? Now look I'm eighty-five years old, but I'm just as strong as the day that we spied out the land.  I want your permission now to go down and take that land that was promised to me.”

I love the grit of this old fellow. Eighty-five years old, he says, "Man, I'm ready to go to battle. I'm ready to take that land that God had promised to me, that Moses promised that I could have. I want your permission now to go down and take it." So Joshua gave Caleb the permission to go down the area of Hebron, and those areas around Hebron, the areas that were promised to him. So Caleb went down and conquered that area around Hebron.  Afterwards, Joshua blessed Caleb by granting him title to the land he was promised.

Verse 14 tells us the reason that Caleb received this special allotment of land: because he wholly followed the LORD, the God of Israel.  Caleb was tenacious in his faith and his obedience to the Lord.  He was never half-hearted or lukewarm in his faith.  He “wholly” followed his God.  And the reward for his wholehearted faith was that God kept the promise he had made years earlier.

How’s your faith today?  Is it half-hearted or lukewarm?  Are you bringing back reports of fear and dread?  If so, it’s never too late to turn back to the Lord and to begin following Him with your whole heart.  God promises a special blessing to those who wholly follow Him.

August 13 -- "The Lord Our Inheritance"

 Today’s Reading: Joshua 13

"The Lord Our Inheritance"

As Joshua divides the land amongst the tribes of Israel, we read that he gave no allotment to the tribe of Levi. This is because the Lord, the God of Israel, had promised that He Himself would be their allotment.  In the original Hebrew this reads, “Yahweh Elohim-of Ishral” is their allotment (or portion).  This was not a "gag gift" or a "booby prize."  This was the greatest allotment of all.  The Levites were not to receive the deed to land, but rather the unique and incredible opportunity of fellowship and service to God, Himself.  This was their prize.

The Bible is full of references to the inheritance believers have in Christ. Ephesians 1:11 says, "In [Christ] we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will." Like the Levites, our inheritance is not something physical or material.  You can’t touch it.  Our inheritance is far greater than anything of this material world.  Our inheritance is Christ.  According to the Apostle Peter, we have been born again "into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you." (1 Peter 1:4)

One day, we will take possession of our portion, our heritage, our full inheritance. We do not have the full enjoyment of it at present.  But we walk in hope of our eternal inheritance, knowing that one day our true heritage will be realized.  The same God who was the allotment of the Levites - Yahweh Elohim-of Ishral – is our future inheritance.  And there is nothing greater than the opportunity to spend eternity with the God of Light and Love.

Revelation 21 gives us a brief but beautiful glimpse of our future inheritance: “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”  Amazing!  God will be with us.  We will be with Him. He is our portion.  He is our prize!

“My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” (Psalm 73:26)

August 12 -- "Defeating All Your Enemies"

 Today’s Reading: Joshua 12

"Defeating All Your Enemies"

Now that Israel controlled all the territory that was to become its homeland, the writer (believed to be Joshua) summarizes the entire conquest. Once Israel had won control of the land as a whole, Israel’s leaders began the task of dividing it among the tribes. Throughout the country, however, there were many areas that the Canaanites still occupied, usually because they had either escaped the Israelites or proved too difficult to conquer.

It was a major oversight that Israel left these small pockets of unconquered territory.  As we read on, we will discover that this becomes a problem for Israel later on. These “hidden” enemies will later on wreak havoc on Israel.  In the same way, we must conquer all of the enemies in our lives.  We must not let any sin or weakness or corruption be left unchallenged in our walk with Christ.  If we let our enemies escape or “hide” we, too, will discover that unconquered sin will become a problem for us later on.

I’ve seen it many times.  An enthusiastic Christian finally comes to their “Jordan River experience” where they despair of self-help and put their trust in God to fully conquer their enemies.  As they begin to experience victory, we see strongholds fall to God’s Spirit.  “Big” sins like inappropriate indulgence in sexual pleasure, drunkenness, idolatry, and carousing fall as they are confronted by conviction from the Holy Spirit.  The believer, like Joshua, may even give testimony and tout these victories publicly. But sometimes, the believer fails to attack other heart attitudes like strife, anger, lust, or envy and the like with the same fervor.  They simply let these “small” sins, and others (such as quarrelling, dissensions, and factions) remain unconquered.  They “hide” them in the valleys of their heart.  These areas remain unconquered.

Tragically, later on - at the most unsuitable moments - these “hidden” sins emerge and wreak havoc on their Christian walk.  Perhaps it is anger that emerges and causes a breakdown of a relationship.  Or interest in pornography causes the destruction of a marriage.  These are the types of things that can happen if the believer fails to confront and conquer every enemy sin that lurks in their heart.

There is no such thing as a “small” sin.  Any sin left unchecked in our hearts is a future opportunity for failure. So, conquer ALL your enemies, dear believer, not just the “big” ones.   Don’t let a single one - no matter how inconsequential it may seem - avoid the conquering power of God.