Joshua 15:14 From Hebron Caleb drove out three Anakites….
Today has me thinking about what it means to be bold in Christ. Boldness, according to Google, means “willingness to take risks…; confidence or courage.” As I mentioned yesterday, I don’t feel bold in Christ, but as a dear friend reminded me, claiming God’s promises, even when it feels like desperation, can be incredible boldness.
Joshua 15:16 And Caleb said, “I will give my daughter Aksah in marriage to the man who attacks and captures Kiriath Sepher.”
Maybe when desperation leads me to say, “Lord, I believe You are here because You promised You would never leave me nor forsake me. I believe You are holding me securely even though the world feels like it is falling apart at the seams because You told me repeatedly to be strong and courageous.” Maybe KNOWING that He is with me in my darkness because it’s the only thing I have to cling to, the only truth I will not abandon, maybe THAT is the ultimate boldness.
Joshua 15:18 One day when she came to Othniel, she urged him to ask her father for a field. When she got off her donkey, Caleb asked her, “What can I do for you?”
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for dear friends who engage me in important contemplation about You. Thank You for opening my eyes to this new view of boldness. You say that You will turn my ashes into beauty, Lord, and by turning my desperation into boldness in You, I catch a glimpse of how You work. Thank You. Draw me closer. Amen.
Joshua 15:19 She replied, “Do me a special favor. Since you have given me land in the Negev, give me also springs of water.” So Caleb gave her the upper and lower springs.
Have a blessed day.
Be Bold…. (devo reflection)
Joshua 14:12a “Now give me this hill country that the LORD promised me that day….”
Commentary about this section says: “We should imitate Caleb’s boldness in asking for what God Promised him….God appreciates this kind of boldness.” And Hebrews 4:16 says: “So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God.” But when I think of myself in God’s presence, bold is not the word that comes to mind.
Joshua 14:12b “…You yourself heard them that the Anakites were there and their cities were large and fortified, but, the LORD helping me, I will drive them out just as he said.”
I want to dismiss this passage, somehow rationalize it and therefore neutralize it by saying times were different then, God doesn’t speak quite as directly to us anymore. But even as I type the words, they feel like a cop out. Help me, Jesus.
Joshua 14:13 Then Joshua blessed Caleb son of Jephunneh and gave him Hebron as his inheritance.
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for calling me to be bold in You. I do not in any way see myself as bold, Lord, but You created me, and I trust You know what I’m capable of, so help me to be like Caleb, boldly approaching Your throne, boldly claiming Your promises for me. Your will, Lord, not my own. Draw me closer. Amen.
Joshua 14:14 So Hebron has belonged to Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite ever since, because he followed the LORD, the God of Israel, wholeheartedly.
Have a blessed day.
Just give me Jesus…. (devo reflection)
Joshua 13:33 But to the tribe of Levi, Moses had given no inheritance; the LORD, the God of Israel, is their inheritance, as He promised them. (NIV)
Joshua 13 is all about the division of lands among the Israelites in the Promised Land. Everybody got a share. Everyone except the Levites. They didn’t get land. They got God.
Joshua 13:33 …the LORD, the God of Israel, had promised that He Himself would be their allotment. (NLT)
I wonder how they felt about that. Was there any jealousy? Was there contentment? Did they truly understand the amazing magnitude of their inheritance? The refrain of a song is echoing through my mind as I type this: “You can have all this world. Just give me Jesus.”
Joshua 13:33 …the LORD God of Israel is their inheritance, just as He said to them. (ESV)
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for the reminder that nothing in this world is as important or eternal as You. Help me to live my life with You, in You, for You, and through You. Help me to keep the refrain on my lips: “You can have all this world. Just give me Jesus.” Draw me closer. Amen.
Joshua 13:33 …The LORD, the God of Israel, is their inheritance, just as He had promised them. (BSB)
Have a blessed day.
Verbal memorial stones…. (devo reflection)
Joshua 12:1 These are the kings of the land whom the Israelites had defeated and whose territory they took over….
As I was reading Joshua 12, the memorial stones from Joshua 4 came strongly to mind. Joshua 12 feels to me like a verbal stack of memorial stones to help Israel remember the steadfastness of God. Any time they fumble or are uncertain, they can remember God’s guidance and victory as they moved into the Promised Land.
Joshua 12:6 Moses, the servant of the LORD, and the Israelites conquered them….
I’ve said before that when times get tough, really tough, I often resort to literally counting my blessings, naming them one-by-one, to help me remember God’s steadfast love and sovereignty. This tactic also works when facing change or uncertainty. We may not know what lies ahead, but we know Who’s in control, and we know we can trust Him. Always.
Joshua 12:7 Here is a list of the kings of the land that Joshua and the Israelites conquered on the west side of the Jordan….
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for this reminder that in doubt and uncertainty we can always count on You. Thank You for the ability to look back over our lives and see Your presence, Your love, so clearly. Draw us closer. Help us to walk confidently in Your will. Amen.
Joshua 12:24 …thirty-one kings in all.
Have a blessed day.
God does that for me, too…. (devo reflection)
Joshua 11:6 The LORD said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid of them….”
Joshua 11 is a pretty bloody chapter. There is a lot of killing and destruction, all sanctioned by the LORD. I’m not going to lie—it’s a bit hard for me to read. Don’t get me wrong. I understand that this was the land the LORD promised Israel. I understand the inhabitants were not God’s people, worshiped gods and idols, but the violence and death are difficult for me, regardless.
Joshua 11:9 Joshua did to them as the LORD had directed….
So I am left asking myself, “What can I take from this chapter?” And I find several applicable lessons: The LORD encourages Joshua. Fear is an emotion I am more familiar with than I prefer, and I need way more encouragement than I’d like to admit. It gives me hope that Joshua struggled in these areas, too. Also, even though inheriting this Land was God’s plan for the Israelites, it wasn’t an easy road. But God provided guidance and encouragement. He does that for me, too.
Joshua 11:15a As the LORD commanded His servant Moses, so Moses commanded Joshua, and Joshua did it….
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for Your love and encouragement. Thank You for showing up, always, when I seek You. Help me to glorify Your name always. Draw me closer. Amen.
Joshua 11:15b …he left nothing undone of all that the LORD commanded Moses.
Have a blessed day.
Seeking His will for me daily…. (devo reflection)
Joshua 10:8 The LORD said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid of them; I have given them into your hand. Not one of them will be able to withstand you.”
As I read through Joshua 10, I am strongly reminded of Joshua 5:13-14, when Joshua sees a man with a drawn sword and asks if he is with them (Joshua and the Israelites) or with their enemies. The reply is “Neither, but as commander of the army of the LORD I have now come.” There is a solid message in Joshua 10 that “God is for us,” but I think it is crucial to remember that God is for them because they are for God, on His side, in line with His will for them.
Romans 8:32 “What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?”
I believe that I am a deeply, fiercely loved child of God. I love my Savior deeply, and though I still struggle with fear, doubt, and bitterness, I am learning to trust Him and walk faithfully and obediently on the paths He has for me. Sometimes it is easy for me to see the way in which He wants me to go. Sometimes I have to go one next step at a time, praying, seeking, correcting my course. But I know that if I continue to seek Him and His will for me, I will find both every time.
Joshua 10:25 Joshua said to them, “Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Be strong and courageous. This is what the LORD will do to all the enemies you are going to fight.”
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for this reminder that it is crucial that I seek Your will for me daily. Thank You for the reminder that You are for me because I am for You. Help me, always, to make Your will my own. Draw me closer. Amen.
Joshua 10:42 All these kings and their lands Joshua conquered in one campaign, because the LORD, the God of Israel, fought for Israel.
Have a blessed day.
By faith and not sight…. (devo reflection)
Joshua 9:8 …Joshua asked, “Who are you and where do you come from?”
I would encourage you to take a moment and read through all four verses of scripture before reading my reflection. The Gibeonites had heard of the LORD’s power and the Israelites’ victories, and they were afraid. The Israelites were coming off an overwhelming victory at Ai and were feeling pretty good about life and their own abilities. Commentary says, “They walked by sight and not by faith.” They bought into the well executed ruse of the Gibeonites. Had they bothered to ask God what to do in this situation, God would have provided. He always does. But they didn’t.
Joshua 9:9 They answered: “Your servants have come from a very distant country because of the fame of the LORD your God. For we had heard reports of Him: all He did in Egypt….”
Romans 8:28 comes to mind in this chapter. The Gibeonites created such an elaborate ruse because they feared the LORD and His power. They genuinely chose service to the LORD over death. The Israelites, once realizing their own error, were bound by their oath and were forced to press the Gibeonites into service for Him since they couldn’t destroy the Gibeonites. God could have wiped the Israelites off the earth for disobeying yet again, but He did not. He worked all things to their good and His glory.
Joshua 9:12 “This bread of ours was warm when we packed it at home on the day we left to come to you. But see how dry and moldy it is.
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for this reminder not to trust our eyes but to come to You, seeking Your will, always. Thank You for Your willingness and ability to work all things for our good and Your glory if we will allow. Draw us closer. Amen.
Joshua 9:14 The Israelites sampled their provisions but did not inquire of the LORD.
Have a blessed day.
The need for humility…. (devo reflection)
Joshua 8:1a Then the LORD said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged….”
It must have been humbling to be personally encouraged by the LORD after a resounding defeat that was your own doing. But the LORD tells us that “…as far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us” (Psalm 103:12). Still, my tendency is to wallow in my failure instead of ponying up the humility to say, “I messed this up big time, Lord, and I’m sorry.”
Joshua 8:1b “…Take the whole army with you, and go up and attack Ai….”
Joshua 7 dealt with getting right with God. By Joshua 8, God has turned the page. He encourages Joshua for the battle and victory ahead. If God can separate us from our sins in that manner, it seems even more selfish and sinful for us to cling to our own shortcomings instead of humbly confessing. Help me, Jesus.
Joshua 8:1c “For I have delivered into your hands the king of Ai, his people, his city and his land.”
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for the reminder to humble ourselves before You when we stumble, to get right with You, then to move forward instead of castigating ourselves for our failures and shortcomings. Help us to humble ourselves before You, so that we can receive Your mercy and grace. Draw us closer. Amen.
Joshua 8:2 “You shall do to Ai and its king as you did to Jericho and it’s king, except you will carry off their plunder and livestock for yourselves….”
Have a blessed day.
I need God…. (devo reflection)
Joshua 7:3 When they returned to Joshua, they said, “Not all the army will have to go up against Ai…for only a few people live there.”
I can’t decide if the Israelites just think they are invincible since God told them repeatedly that He is giving them this land flowing with milk and honey or if they are just so full of themselves from the astounding and unheard of victory at Jericho. Regardless, it seems like they totally left God out of their Ai attack plans, and the result was devastating. Not only did they realize they weren’t invincible, but they also realized one of them had sinned against God, rousing His anger.
Joshua 7:4-5a So about three thousand went up; but they were routed by the men of Ai, who killed about thirty-six of them….
It is easy to sit in judgment of their behavior, but I’m guilty of getting a bit big for my britches, too. I’m guilty of backing off of my seeking and talking with Christ when I don’t feel the deep need of crisis. I’m trying to get better about living the saying, “May I never forget, on my best day, that I need God as desperately as I did on my worst day.” I’m slowly getting more mindful, but it’s definitely a process.
Joshua 7:5b …They chased the Israelites from the city gate…and struck them down on the slopes….
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for my deep need for Your presence in my life. Help me to seek You and to know You better with every passing day. Help me to understand my deep need for You always. Draw me closer. Amen.
Joshua 7:5c At this the hearts of the people melted in fear and became like water.
Have a blessed day.
An audacious plan…. (devo reflection)
Joshua 6:2 The the LORD said to Joshua, “See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands, along with its king and its fighting men.”
Before the battle even began, Joshua knew the Israelites would be successful because God told him that He had already delivered Jericho into their hands. So when God laid out what sounded like a preposterous plan—march around the city for six days, on the seventh, march around the city seven times, blow a trumpet, shout, and voila—Joshua has total faith that God would do what He promised.
Joshua 6:3 “March around the city once with all the armed men. Do this for six days.”
Do I have that kind of bold faith? Do I have that level of solid trust? Am I that in-tune with my precious Savior that if He laid an audacious plan on my heart that I would see it, understand it, and obey it? Jesus, Help me!
Joshua 6:5 “When you hear them sound a long blast on the trumpets, have the whole army give a loud shout; then the wall of the city will collapse and the army will go up, everyone straight in.”
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for the bold audacity and humble obedience of Joshua and the Israelites at Jericho. Help me to be humble enough to continually seek Your will for my life. Help me to be sure I am standing in Your will and not just in my own comfortable routine. Help me to be bold and trusting and obedient even when I am afraid. Draw me closer. Amen.
Joshua 6:27 So the LORD was with Joshua….
Have a blessed day.