Joshua 1:5-9 says...

Today's verses are Joshua 1:5-9 which read,

5 - "No man will be able to stand before you all the days of your life.  Just as I have been with Moses, I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you. 
6 - Be strong and courageous, for you shall give this people possession of the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. 
7 - Only be strong and very courageous; be careful to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may have success wherever you go. 
8 - This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success. 
9 - Have I not commanded you?  Be strong and courageous!  Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go."

This passage starts with a great promise from God and ends with a great promise for God.  God says, "No man will be able to stand before you all the days of your life.  Just as I have been with Moses, I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you."  Then God ends with, "Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go."  Jesus also echoed these types of words many times in the New Testament to the disciples.  God's presence and His power there with us is something great to know but do we act and speak as if God's presence and power are there?  I know many times that we don't...

God goes on to say to Joshua in the face of these great promises from Him to "be strong and courageous" not once and not twice but three times.  Why do we need to be commanded to "be strong and courageous" if we have the promises of God's power and presence?

"To prevail and to be solid" is another way to say this phrase.  So "to prevail and to be solid" in what?  In ourselves?  No, not by this scripture or any other but to, "...do according to all the law...do not turn from it to the right or to the left....book of the law shall not depart from your mouth...shall mediate on it day and night...be careful to do according to all that is written in it..."  All those phrases deal with us prevailing and being solid about knowing the law, obeying the law, speaking the law, studying the law, and living out the law.

Could it be that we need to be commanded 3 times to "be strong and courageous" in the face of some great promises of God because we are not doing this with the law of God?  We are not "prevailing and being solid" with God's book.  

If I am focused on knowing and obeying and speaking and studying and living out the Word of God, I will see God's presence and power.  If I am not and I want to see God's presence and power, then I need to know and obey and speak and study and live out the Word of God.  These two go together.  

"Lord, may the fullness of Your word given to us be played out in our lives today."

Pastor Adam

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