Category: Joshua

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.

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.

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.

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.

Joshua 5:13a Now when Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand….
A dear friend once told me, “Any time we draw a line between ‘us’ and ‘them,’ God is always on the other side.” That philosophy has stuck with me. God is love, mercy, and compassion. He’s not about hate, division, and labeling. However, this section of Joshua brings up another really important point, a crucial question, “Am I on God’s side?”
Joshua 5:13b-14a …Joshua went up to him and asked, “Are you for us or for our enemies?” “Neither,” he replied, “but as commander of the army of the LORD I have now come….”
I understand why Joshua asked the question he did. There’s about to be a battle. Here’s this man with a drawn sword. Joshua wants to know if this man is for “us” or “them.” Whose side is he on? “Neither,” he replied, “but as commander of the army of the LORD I have now come….” 
Joshua 5:14b …Then Joshua fell facedown to the ground in reverence, and asked him, “What message does my Lord have for his servant?”
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for the reminder that even more important than not reducing sides to “us” and “them,” it is absolutely crucial that we make sure that whatever we are fighting for in life, that we are on Your side, standing in Your will, fighting Your battles and not our own. Humble our hearts and draw us closer to You. Always. Amen.
Joshua 5:15 The commander of the LORD’s army replied, “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did so.
Have a blessed day

Joshua 4:6-7 “…In the future, when your children ask you, ‘What do these stones mean?’ tell them that the flow of the Jordan was cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD.”
I love to tell the story of how I met my husband. It’s probably a bit longer story than some can appreciate, but to me, it is one of the first times I can say unequivocally that the LORD guided me to exactly where He needed me. I just don’t see any other explanation for the way events lined up as they did than God’s providence, and you will never convince me otherwise.
Joshua 4:21-22 …“In the future when your descendants ask their parents, ‘What do these stones mean?’ tell them, ‘Israel crossed the Jordan on dry ground.’”
When I was living through the events, at the time, I couldn’t see His providence. I felt anger and frustration at what I saw as denied prayers. However, with time and perspective, I see His guiding hand clearly through all the ups and downs. And I am able to rest on that rock, the rock of His faithfulness, when the sands start to shift beneath my feet. He is in control. He has a plan. It may look incredibly different than my plan, but He is loving and sovereign and I CAN trust Him. And for that knowledge, I am so very grateful.
Joshua 4:23 “For the LORD your God dried up the Jordan before you until you had crossed over. The LORD your God did to the Jordan what He had done to the Red Sea….”
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for the reminder to share our stories of Your faithfulness. Telling each other of Your goodness, reminding ourselves of Your providence and provision, gives us hope and courage when our present path seems dark and uncertain. You are sovereign, fiercely loving, steadfast. We can trust You, even when we are afraid. Thank You, Jesus. Amen.
Joshua 4:24 “He did this so that all the people’s of the earth might know that the hand of the LORD is powerful and so that you might always fear the LORD your God.”
Have a blessed day.

Joshua 3:3 …“When you see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God…you are to move out from your positions and follow it.”
As I was reading Joshua chapter 3 this morning, I was struck particularly by verse 5, where Joshua tells the Israelites to purify (sanctify or consecrate) themselves. Commentary says that to do so means “they were to separate themselves from common things to focus on the LORD.” That idea put me in mind of a song our praise band sings called “Holy Now.”
Joshua 3:4 “Then you will know which way to go, since you have never been this way before….”
The lyrics of the song talk about how as children, we often relegate God to church and miracles to things that only happened in the Bible, but as the speaker grows and matures in his faith, he begins to see that “everything is holy now.” I think when we view our lives through the lens of our faith, we are able to see Christ—His presence, His mercy, His love—in all things, and that is a beautiful gift.
Joshua 3:5 Then Joshua told the people, “Purify yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do great wonders among you.”
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for the fact that, because of You (and in You and through You), everything is holy now. Help us to always see You in our circumstances. Draw us closer. Amen.
Joshua 3:13 “…as soon as the priests who carry the ark of the LORD—the Lord of all the earth—set foot in the Jordan, it’s waters flowing downstream will be cut off and stand up in a heap.”
Have a blessed day.