Get Ready to Move (3)

'...The Lord is the stronghold of my life - of whom shall I be afraid?' Psalm 27:1 NIV

If you've ever packed up and moved to another house, you may remember saying, 'This is the last time I'm moving!' Now you know how Joshua felt moving almost two million people into a new homeland. And they did it on foot.

So God told Joshua two things: 
(1) 'Be strong and very courageous...' (Joshua 1:7 NKJV). 

Why? 

Because his enemies were going to attack him, and his own people were going to make endless demands on him. 

Where do you find courage?

In these words: 'The Lord is the stronghold of my life - of whom shall I be afraid?' That word 'stronghold' means you are held in the safety of God's strong arms.
That means nothing can get to you, without first coming through Him.

Victor Hugo wrote, 'Have courage for the great sorrows of life, and patience for the small ones. And when you have laboriously accomplished your daily task, go to sleep in peace. God is awake.'

(2) '...I will never leave you nor forsake you' (Joshua 1:5 NIV).

Who but God could make and keep such a promise?
Did He keep His Word to them? Yes! '

So the Lord gave Israel all the land He had sworn to give their forefathers, and they took possession of it and settled there. The Lord gave them rest on every side, just as He had sworn to their forefathers. Not one of their enemies withstood them; the Lord handed all their enemies over to them. Not one of all the Lord's good promises to the house of Israel failed; every one was fulfilled' (Joshua 21:43-45 NIV).

And their God - is your God!

Soul Food: Exo 20:8-11, Isa 58:13-14, Luke 4:16, Heb 10:19-25 (Commandment 4: Remember the Sabbath)

Written by Bob & Debby Gass
Sunday, 26 January 2014

APPS available here

Get Ready to Move (2)

'I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised...' Joshua 1:3 NIV

Can you imagine how Joshua felt stepping into Moses' shoes?


He needed assurance, so God told him: 

(1) 'I will give you every place where you set your foot.'

In other words, just step out in faith and claim it.
It's yours, if you're willing to walk towards it and take possession. Would it be easy?
Would they get there overnight?
No, but their confidence came from the words, 'as I promised'. The song goes: 'Standing on the promises that cannot fail; when the howling winds of doubt and fear assail. Standing on the living Word I shall prevail; standing on the promises of God.'

(2) 'No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life' (Joshua 1:5 NIV).

Will you face criticism? Yes.
Will you come under attack? Yes.
There were 31 kings, seven nations, and giants the size of telephone poles waiting for them in the Promised Land.
But every battle you fight is just an opportunity for God to show Himself strong on your behalf. 

(3) 'As I was with Moses, so I will be with you' (Joshua 1:5 NIV).

If you're anxious about the future, recall God's faithfulness to you in the past.
At the end of his life Joshua wrote: 'Now I am about to go the way of all the earth. You know with all your heart and soul that not one of all the good promises the Lord your God gave you has failed. Every promise has been fulfilled...' (Joshua 23:14 NIV).

And the God who came through for Joshua, will come through for you.

Soul Food: Num 1-2, Matt 9:27-38, Ps 100, Pr 3:7-8

Written by Bob & Debby Gass
Saturday, 25 January 2014

APPS available here

Get Ready to Move (1)

'...Get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give...' Joshua 1:2 NIV

God said to Joshua: 

'Moses my servant is dead. Now then...get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give [you]...I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses. Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the great river, the Euphrates...to the Great Sea on the west. No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give them' (Joshua 1:2-6 NIV).

Today, are you standing at the crossroads of change, contemplating a new season or assignment, and feeling anxious about it? 

If so, observe two things in this story:

(1) When his time came to lead, Joshua was ready. Until then, he faithfully served Moses and found fulfilment in the number-two slot. He didn't push and he didn't play politics; he just prepared himself. And when he was ready, God promoted him.  

(2) He went further than his mentor did. Moses' leadership ended where the Promised Land began. Under Joshua's leadership, Israel would move into it and become a great nation. Every day he had spent in the wilderness equipped him for this moment.

God never wastes experience. 

Everything you've been through, including the things you didn't understand, are preparation for what God has in store for you.

Soul Food: James 3-5, Matt 9:14-26, Ps 96, Pr 3:5-6

Written by Bob & Debby Gass

Friday, 24 January 2014

APPS available here