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Devotional
Weekly Bible Devotion By Books
Feb. 6-11, 2023
Enter the presence of the Lord (Psalm 1: 2-3, 6a; Joshua 1: 9b)
(M) But whose delight is in the law of the Lord,
(W) And who meditates on his law day and night.
(All) That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,
(M) And whose leaf does not wither—
whatever they do prospers.
(All) For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous,
For the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.
Confession
God of our Way, we face many choosing in all life contexts everyday. We confess it is often not that easy to make a clear choice in many situations. We are lacking wisdom. We are lacking the vision of our center. We are easy to yield to immediate pressures, sensible temptations, and new trending. O, God, forgive us. And help us be strong. Give us the wisdom to make the choice pleasing you and good for ourselves. Adoration
Scripture Reading: Joshua 1: 7 – 9, 2 Timothy 1:7
7 “Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. 8 Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. 9 Have I not commanded you? 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: 7 – 9)
7 For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. (2 Timothy 1:7)
Thoughts to share Be Strong and Courageous!
In the beginning of the book of Joshua, we find that the promise of given “promised Land” has finally come to the stage of realization. Joshua was selected and commissioned to execute this important mission. Joshua was a long-time assistant to Moses since they came out the Egypt. All Israelites were assigned, commanded, prepared for the pushing in across the Jordan River. It was an exciting moment. It was a moment with much expectation. It was also a testing moment about the fulfillment of God’s promises and about the obedience and faith of the Israelites.
Read through the entire book of Joshua. What come to our eyes? Battle after battle! The Promised Land was not seen as the land with honey and milk at the first sight. Instead, what they faced were many and many unwanted and strong local residents there. They were right on the land where the Israelites were told to have. Apparently, the promise was not an easy promise. They had tough work to do before they really possessed the land. They went in the middle of Central Plateau, then they turned south to conquer the land, then they turned north to seize another piece of land. Lots of fighting and conquering went on and on. They utilized many best effective strategies to reach their goals according to the situations. Joshua also reminded and instructed the teachings passed down by Moses. He carefully and diligently carried out every detail that Moses had told him. Finally, the moment of partition land and possessing land came. They were excited and overjoyed. They were the generation of truly inheriting and experiencing the promise. They were to begin the stage of “residing in the Promised Land”. They joyfully celebrated themselves as one nation, one people under one tabernacle, one God after 40 years of wandering. At the end of Joshua’s time, he assembled people to renew their covenant with God. He restated their history, and warned them of their potential faults and sins. Then, in his final farewell address, Joshua re-affirmed the importance of their duties before God- Choosing God, following his instructions for life and peace.
In the book of Joshua, we see that even the promise has been given, to possess the Promised Land and to reside peacefully in it were another two tasks. Both require them to take lots of risks, to pay the price of hard works, and to continue to take their own responsibilities. There were difficulties, challenges from outside and weaknesses from within. By choosing to follow God’s instruction, Joshua’s generation truly lived in God’s rich blessings for them. Their choosing was a constant act. The act occurred at the real world that was filled with temptations, oppositions, and difficulties.
Walking into this new year ahead us, we need to be reminded to recall these words of God-
“Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go.
Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”
We’ll know that God is sure with us throughout all circumstances. March on! Be diligent! Be responsible! Be wise in choosing!
Prayer suggestions
Do you have your promised land to enter, to possess, and to reside in? Do you want to be prosperous and successful? How? Remember from the lessons we just learned from the book of Joshua.
O, Lord of our leading and visioning, enable us to be strong, be courageous in the promised lands where we are going into this year. Let your word be in our mouths, be on our minds, be in our acts. Guide us, enable us, we’ll walk in your way. Thank you, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
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