Joshua

October 24 – Say What Now? – “March, Sound the Trumpet and Shout, and I’ll Bring Down the Wall”-

Read Joshua 6:1-21

“Joshua fought the battle of Jericho

Jericho, Jericho!

Joshua fought the battle of Jericho

And the walls came a tumbling down!”

If you have grown up going to church, you have probably sung that song a time or two and have learned about the miraculous way the city of Jericho was destroyed with just a shout. But have you thought about how much faith it took to complete that task? Joshua was a warrior. The people of the surrounding land had heard of him. They were curious and, according to Rahab, they were even afraid.  As Joshua got closer and closer to Jericho, the emotions must have been rising to an all time high. 

“How will Joshua attack us? How should we prepare for battle against him?”

When God revealed His plan to Joshua of how to take Jericho, it must have been one of those “Say what now?” moments in time for Joshua.   But he had seen how God had led Moses and was now leading him.  So, the only thing for him to do was to trust God’s leading. God told Joshua to “Be strong and very courageous”.

If this battle had been won in the conventional way, it probably would have just been added to the list of Joshua’s other victories. We would not be singing about it thousands of years later. This victory wasn’t a “Joshua thing”, but a “God thing.”

Can you imagine the gossip spreading throughout the town as the Israelites came and marched around the walled city in total silence except for the trumpets of the priest, only to return to their own camp? They did that for 6 days!  By the time the 7th day rolled around, the entire population of the city would have been curiously standing on the top of the wall. Then, when the wall was completely surrounded that 7th day, Joshua gave the signal for his army to shout and the wall came tumbling down. They had thought they were safe in their walled city that no one would be able to break through the wall and destroy them.

What seemed impossible became possible right before their eyes!

Joshua didn’t have engineers to figure out the weaknesses in the wall or if it was even possible for this to happen. But God knew. Even though it might have sounded silly and wasn’t how Joshua usually would have taken a city, he trusted God for his directions

Are you willing to put your complete trust in God’s plan for your life, even if it seems impossible? Are you willing to follow the plan for success that God gave to Joshua? 

1) Read the word of God and apply it to everything you do. Don’t turn to the left or right of it.  Then you will be successful. Have the words on your lips so you can readily speak them. You might not bring down walls to cities, but you will be able to bring down walls of fear, discouragement, hatred, and doubt. 

2) God repeatedly told Joshua to be bold and courageous, standing up for what is right even if it meant going against the popular thing to do at the time.  We are children of the KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS!

We need to ACT LIKE IT! BE BOLD!

Pat Arnold

September 8 – Life Verses – Joshua 1:8

Read Joshua 1:8

Remember the first time you ever jumped into the deep end of the pool? Maybe it took a whole summer of coaxing before you tried it.

You might not remember the exact day, but you might remember the feeling that combined mind-numbing fear with exhilaration.

I wonder if that’s what the Israelites felt as they stood on the brink of the Promised Land 3500 years ago. God had promised them a land “flowing with milk and honey” (Exodus 3:8; Numbers 13:27). But the Israelites initially succumbed to fear because of a bad report given by scouts who had checked out the land.  Their focus was only on the opposition that might be encountered.

Now after 40 years of wandering in the desert because of their disobedience and lack of faith, the Israelites were back to that critical moment again. Would they “jump in the pool” and experience the blessings of the Promised Land or not?

At this crucial juncture, God spoke to Joshua the new leader of His people who had recently replaced Moses. The Lord urged His servant to be strong and courageous. Then God gave Joshua this challenge: “Do not let this book of the law depart from your mouth; 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” (Joshua 1:8 – NIV).

God was saying: “Joshua, this is your key to success in your new responsibility. Don’t succumb to fear. Don’t recoil when the opposition seems overwhelming. Lean all of your weight on the revealed Word of God. Focus on its truths. And I promise you will be successful.”

I love this verse! It has been my life verse. I have found no greater security in times of uncertainty, fear and confusion than the promises God has revealed in His Word.

Now there’s a three-step process to follow if we are going to benefit from the practice outlined in this verse:

  1. Memorize – We have to commit to memory the actual words in the text of Scripture.  This takes effort.
  2. Meditate – This word means to think about something over and over like a cow chews its cud.  This takes time.
  3. Master – Then we look for ways to apply the principles and promises of God‘s Word to the experiences we face in life.  This takes practice.

Only when I follow these guidelines, does God promise His blessing in my life. It’s a sure-fire formula for “success,” whatever you may encounter in life.   It’s worked in my life!

Bob Fetterhoff

May 14 – Defining Moments – Rahab

Read Joshua 2:1-24

Defining moment: a pivotal decision that changes the trajectory of your life and consequently impacts the lives of others, even future generations.

Rahab’s life was a series of defining moments. 

As a harlot in the wicked city of Jericho, she had a revolving door of men. Each time she opened the door to another man, she was faced with a choice. Another knock. Two more men. But this time she stared at a life changing decision, a decision more foreign than the faces of the Israelite spies that stood before her. Rather than her accustomed use and abuse of her body for profit, she made a radical choice to hide and protect the men.

The books of Joshua, James and Hebrews make it clear that this was an act of faith.

Little did she know that defining moment would alter her, her family’s and future generations’ spiritual direction.  As instructed, she tied a scarlet cord in her window, a lifesaving sign that would provide safety for her and her family, if she held to her oath and remained inside the house at the time of the city’s destruction.

About ten days later, the walls of Rahab’s fortified city came tumbling down. And, of all places, her house was on the wall! She was living on the city wall! (Joshua 2:15) Even though destruction and terror rained down around them, Rahab and her family remained in the house, huddled together, waiting in stillness to be rescued, placing all of their hope in the scarlet cord that hung in the window.

Recently, my daughter shared with me a video of a mother eagle protecting her three eaglets from an intruder.  At the alarm of their mother’s screeching, the three dependents took a “dive and cover ” posture, while she spread her wings of protection over them. The triplets didn’t squawk or frantically run around the nest in fear, but stayed perfectly still under her wings until all danger had passed.

Danger, destruction and death hovered all around the city of Jericho as the Israelites invaded, except at Rahab’s house. (see Joshua 6:22,23) It was the only house left standing on the wall unscathed because of being under the protection of God’s wings of refuge.

“Surely he will save you… He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge.” Psalm 91:3-4

We, too, are under His wings when we accept the scarlet blood of Jesus as our only source of salvation.

That decision is the most defining moment of your life.

Are you placing all of your hope in the sacrificial blood of Jesus?

Are you still and quiet, seeking refuge under His wings? Or are you living in fear and terror because of the destruction you see all around? Claim the words to the familiar hymn, Under His Wings:

“Under His wings I am safely abiding;

Though the night deepens and tempests are wild,

Still I can trust Him- I know He will keep me,

He has redeemed me and I am His child.”

Rahab’s defining moment secured her as God’s child. It changed not only her life, but later in Scripture we learn that she became the great grandmother of King David and, more importantly, part of the genealogy of Jesus Christ!

In spite of her immoral past, her stained life was cleansed. Rahab experienced safety, security, and salvation the moment she chose scarlet. You can too.

“In Him we have redemption through His blood.”

Ephesians 1:7

Charline Engle

September 26 – Living Courageously – Strong & Courageous

Read Joshua 1:1-9

As Joshua was invited to step forward and lead God’s people into the Promised Land, there were certainly reasons that he might cower in fear. Perhaps you can identify with some of those reasons.

  1. He would fill some huge shoes! Moses left quite a void. It is always easier to follow a failure than it is an all-star!
  2. He would face some enormous opposition! The land was occupied by other people groups. In fact, he had been there before and witnessed powerful people (some of them were GIANTS) living in large, fortified cities (Num. 13:27-32).
  3. He would lead some obstinate people. These were the children of those who had repeatedly dragged their feet in rebellion to God’s plan.

In today’s reading, God gave Joshua some great reasons to counter fear with courage. Ultimately, He promised Joshua success. Although Moses’ shoes were big, they would be filled by Joshua as God came alongside of him (v. 5b). Even though the opposition was real, no one would be able to stand against Joshua (v. 5a). In spite of the Israelites history of rebellion, they would possess the land (v. 2).

We are not always like Joshua and the Israelites. In the things we set out to do, God doesn’t always promise us the successful outcome or the fulfillment of our dreams. Still, we can have the same kind of courage. We can have courage as we recognize God’s abiding presence. That was not a unique promise given to Joshua. It is actually restated for all believers in Christ in Hebrews 13:5. Nothing can separate you from His omnipresence (Ps. 139) and His endless love (Rom. 8:35-39).

Like Joshua, we can have courage as we trust God’s eternal word. Did you catch the instruction about the Law? Joshua was to read it, meditate on it, and obey it. If you infuse these practices in your life, you will discover that you are walking in step with the Lord. He will guide you. If you abide in His word, you will know what to ask and will experience His answers (Jn. 15:7).

You and I can live courageously as we walk in His presence and live out His word.

Steve Kern

April 28 – Say What Now? – “March, Sound the Trumpet and Shout, and I’ll Bring Down the Wall”

Read Joshua 6:1-21

“Joshua fought the battle of Jericho

Jericho, Jericho!

Joshua fought the battle of Jericho

And the walls came a tumbling down!”

If you have grown up going to church, you have probably sung that song a time or two and have learned about the miraculous way the city of Jericho was destroyed with just a shout. But have you thought about how much faith it took to complete that task? Joshua was a warrior. The people of the surrounding land had heard of him. They were curious and, according to Rahab, they were even afraid.  As Joshua got closer and closer to Jericho, the emotions must have been rising to an all time high. 

“How will Joshua attack us? How should we prepare for battle against him?”

When God revealed His plan to Joshua of how to take Jericho, it must have been one of those “Say what now?” moments in time for Joshua.   But he had seen how God had led Moses and was now leading him.  So, the only thing for him to do was to trust God’s leading. God told Joshua to “Be strong and very courageous”.

If this battle had been won in the conventional way, it probably would have just been added to the list of Joshua’s other victories. We would not be singing about it thousands of years later. This victory wasn’t a “Joshua thing”, but a “God thing.”

Can you imagine the gossip spreading throughout the town as the Israelites came and marched around the walled city in total silence except for the trumpets of the priest, only to return to their own camp? They did that for 6 days!  By the time the 7th day rolled around, the entire population of the city would have been curiously standing on the top of the wall. Then, when the wall was completely surrounded that 7th day, Joshua gave the signal for his army to shout and the wall came tumbling down. They had thought they were safe in their walled city that no one would be able to break through the wall and destroy them.

What seemed impossible became possible right before their eyes!

Joshua didn’t have engineers to figure out the weaknesses in the wall or if it was even possible for this to happen. But God knew. Even though it might have sounded silly and wasn’t how Joshua usually would have taken a city, he trusted God for his directions

Are you willing to put your complete trust in God’s plan for your life, even if it seems impossible? Are you willing to follow the plan for success that God gave to Joshua? 

1) Read the word of God and apply it to everything you do. Don’t turn to the left or right of it.  Then you will be successful. Have the words on your lips so you can readily speak them. You might not bring down walls to cities, but you will be able to bring down walls of fear, discouragement, hatred, and doubt. 

2) God repeatedly told Joshua to be bold and courageous, standing up for what is right even if it meant going against the popular thing to do at the time.  We are children of the KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS!

We need to ACT LIKE IT! BE BOLD!

Pat Arnold

February 9 – Faithfulness – He fights for us

Read Deuteronomy 3:22, 20:4 and Joshua 23:10

“God, I’m really sorry for…”

Have you ever prayed something like that? It’s a simple call for forgiveness. When we know we have done something wrong and are asking to be forgiven. However, have you ever thought about what takes place in the spiritual realm when a simple prayer like that is uttered?

Let me assure you, it’s not as simple as you may think.

We are in this series talking about God’s faithfulness. He is constant and consistent in many different ways but specifically in the way that He fights for us. You will see in our reading today the promise that was made to the Israelites that God would never forsake them and would always fight for them. If you read just a little of the Israelites’ journey, you will know that they didn’t necessarily deserve to have such divine backup.

The truth is, neither do we. When we pray to God for the forgiveness of our sins. Immediately a battle takes place. Satan, the Accuser, immediately interjects and points out just why we shouldn’t be forgiven.

“Seriously?! Jake wants you to forgive him because of this thing that he said? We can all agree that this is the same guy who has done these things and thought these thoughts, right? If there’s anyone that doesn’t deserve forgiveness, it’s this dude.”

As soon as Satan utters his last word, Jesus agrees.

“Yeah, I know that Jake has said these things, thought these thoughts and done these things. I know that no matter how much I forgive him, he’s still going to sin. However, when I died on the cross I died to cover such sin. An injustice took place, I agree. However, I died for that, it’s paid for.”

Imagine the scene.

Talk about not deserving something.

Now, Romans 6 is very clear in talking about how we shouldn’t abuse grace or continuing to sin thinking that it’s okay because we will always be forgiven. However, we always have someone who will fight for us even when we don’t deserve it.

Jesus fights for you. How are you going to fight for others?

Who in your life needs to be fought for? Who do you need to forgive? Who is discouraged that needs to know someone’s in their corner?

I challenge you to take a moment to think of someone (or multiple people) who you are going to commit to fight for.

Who are we if we know Christ fights for us and don’t return to favor to other people?

Jake Lawson

April 6 – Jesse Tree – Joshua

Read Joshua 1:1-11, 6:1-16,20-21a

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous…do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”  Joshua 1:9

God works in mysterious ways and this is one of those times.   Can you imagine what was going through the minds of the Hebrews when they first heard what the plan was for them to take down the walls of Jericho.  “We are supposed to do ….What?”

How about the conversations from inside the walls of the city?

Day 1….”Here they come…Get ready… What are they doing?… There they go! …What was that all about?”

Day 2 … “Here they come again….  Hey, George, you have gotta’ see this… There they go again…What is up with these crazy people?”

What about the conversations around the dinner table at night….”You wouldn’t believe what happened today!”

Day 3,4,5,6 the crowds would be getting bigger and bigger on the walls as their curiosity must have been getting the better of them.  Then, on that final day, there might have been everyone from the whole city standing on that wall.  Maybe they were even shouting down jeers and insults.

But the Hebrews, with the ark in front of them, did as they were commanded .  They marched around the city again and again in silence until they were told to shout!  Once again, God showed His people that He was with them and, with Him, all things, even ones that seem totally impossible, are possible.

March 3 – Do Not Fear – Where Our Fear Belongs

Read Joshua 6:1-21

Joshua and the Israelites had just crossed the raging Jordan River, at flood stage. So here they camped, poised and ready to conquer the Land of Promise in the name of the One Who had led them to right here. Almighty God.

Still, Joshua had a lot to fear. Jericho was a walled city. Fortified and strong. And Joshua had led the Israelites through exactly zero conquests. Yes, he had all kinds of need for unafraid if he was to lead them into the land God promised generations earlier.

The last time Joshua was mentioned in this story, he lay facedown in the presence of Holy God. (See Joshua 5:13-16.)  It was the perfect place to begin a conquest. The only place to find true unafraid.

If we study the book of Joshua, we find him keeping this stance straight through every battle. Poised at the feet of God Almighty. It was the Israelites’ and his only chance for real life. The kind with victory and vitality and abundance. His only shot at conquest, Joshua knew that there was no way to conquer the land of Canaan but by God’s hand.  His plan.  His way.

So Joshua took every ounce of fear he had, and he placed it in Almighty God. And when he did, he heard God’s objective in one fell swoop of a word.

See… (Joshua 6:2)

God called Joshua to keep his fear in Him alone. He challenged him to live unafraid based on what only God could see.

We are called to the same objective. When we take our fear and place it on the only One Who stands worthy, we can know every battle has already been won. Because we know God, and we trust what He sees.

When we take our fear-filled focus and filter it through faith in God, our unafraid rises, and we find all we need to actually live like He’s called us to.

Facing the everyday calling to share His truth. Trusting His hand when the phone rings with news we dread. Walking through the fear we’ve known for far too long.

Before one toe touched ground on that just-outside-Jericho dirt, Joshua had to see what God considered already done.

See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands . . . (Joshua 6:2)

By God’s standards, the battle was over.  Jericho had already fallen.  And Joshua had every reason to enter the battle completely unafraid.

Bria Wasson

March 1 – Do Not Fear – A Challenge to Live Unafraid

Read Joshua 1:1-9

I read somewhere that the words do not be afraid can be found 365 times in the Bible. That’s one for every day of the year. I actually read somewhere else that it’s 366 — so even Leap Year is covered.

I’ve been thinking about that, and I started wondering what might happen if I started to sort of put one on every morning when I get dressed. What if I took that truth and dressed my mind with it as routinely as I dress my body with my pants? Everyday.

What if every single morning after I get out of the shower, I read one of those do not be afraid’s and ask God to help me wear it well that day? What if every time I put it on, I think through the fabric with which it was made? The fabric of God’s absolute goodness, His Sovereign trustworthiness. And what if as I wear it all day, I consciously choose to pay special attention to that piece of clothing so that, no matter what, I will live? Unafraid.

I think that’s why God said it to Joshua so many times when he took the reigns of leadership over the Israelites. So he wouldn’t forget. So Joshua would wear well the truth of God’s Almighty I-will-never-leave-you grace that always takes care of him. So that he would do what God called him to do, even when the scary got really big.

Joshua had to wear it all the time if he was going to actually lead the Israelites into the land of God’s abundant promise. So should we. Because the life Jesus came to give us is a lot like that Promised Land. Full of His abundant blessings and promise and more life than we can imagine.

So, my friends, I offer up a challenge to you. For the next 14 days here, we’re going to look at what Life Unafraid might look like. What if for the next two weeks, we treat the do-not-be-afraid’s like actual pieces of clothing? And what if we start today. Right here with Joshua. Then tomorrow we’ll get another one and put it on. And we’ll keep on going until God grows our faith into an unshaken kind of unafraid such as cannot be thwarted by any scary. Ever.

Bria Wasson

November 28 – Life Verses – Joshua 1:8

Read Joshua 1:8

Remember the first time you ever jumped into the deep end of the pool? Maybe it took a whole summer of coaxing before you tried it.

You might not remember the exact day, but you might remember the feeling that combined mind-numbing fear with exhilaration.

I wonder if that’s what the Israelites felt as they stood on the brink of the Promised Land 3500 years ago. God had promised them a land “flowing with milk and honey” (Exodus 3:8; Numbers 13:27). But the Israelites initially succumbed to fear because of a bad report given by scouts who had checked out the land.  Their focus was only on the opposition that might be encountered.

Now after 40 years of wandering in the desert because of their disobedience and lack of faith, the Israelites were back to that critical moment again. Would they “jump in the pool” and experience the blessings of the Promised Land or not?

At this crucial juncture, God spoke to Joshua the new leader of His people who had recently replaced Moses. The Lord urged His servant to be strong and courageous. Then God gave Joshua this challenge: “Do not let this book of the law depart from your mouth; 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” (Joshua 1:8 – NIV).

God was saying: “Joshua, this is your key to success in your new responsibility. Don’t succumb to fear. Don’t recoil when the opposition seems overwhelming. Lean all of your weight on the revealed Word of God. Focus on its truths. And I promise you will be successful.”

I love this verse! It has been my life verse. I have found no greater security in times of uncertainty, fear and confusion than the promises God has revealed in His Word.

Now there’s a three-step process to follow if we are going to benefit from the practice outlined in this verse:

  1. Memorize – We have to commit to memory the actual words in the text of Scripture.  This takes effort.
  2. Meditate – This word means to think about something over and over like a cow chews its cud.  This takes time.
  3. Master – Then we look for ways to apply the principles and promises of God‘s Word to the experiences we face in life.  This takes practice.

Only when I follow these guidelines, does God promise His blessing in my life. It’s a sure-fire formula for “success,” whatever you may encounter in life.   It’s worked in my life!

Bob Fetterhoff