Tag: Joshua

Put Away and Incline

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He said, “Then put away the foreign gods that are among you, and incline your heart to the LORD, the God of Israel.” (ESV)

Joshua 24:23

At the end of Joshua’s life and ministry he is recounting to the people of Israel all the goodness and kindness that the Lord God bestowed upon them by fulfilling each and every promise that he had made to them through the years. This recounting of the faithfulness of their loving God was given with a call to serve the Lord. The people with one voice committed to serving the Lord alone, but Joshua was hesitant to allow them to make this commitment. He even tells them that they are unable to serve the Lord! Yet, the people are adamant that they will serve the Lord. So Joshua gives them this command in verse 23, “Then put away the foreign Gods that are among you, and incline your heart to the Lord, the God of Israel.” Our God is a holy God and his call upon our lives is to live a life of holiness. And Joshua is absolutely correct. In our own strength, we are unable to serve the Lord with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. But there is One in whose strength we can serve the Lord. It is only in our Holy Savior that we can ever hope to serve our Lord in holiness.

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Weak and Fearful

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January 03, 2026 Saturday

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.

Joshua 1:9 (ESV)

I have been spending a lot of time this past week reading, studying, and meditating on Joshua 1 as I prepare to teach a lesson about the key themes found in that chapter. As I have been thinking throughout the week, I keep coming back to verse 9. It puzzled me for a while as to why this verse kept pricking me at various times throughout the day. I don’t feel particularly fearful or frightened. In the normal course of my day, I feel as though everything is going fairly well without many worries. Of course there are troubles as there always will be, but my mind was really coasting along without any apparent worries. Unlike Joshua, I am not embarking on a critical mission, leading millions of people into battle for their long-promised land of inheritance. I am not facing the loss of my leader, mentor, and friend. I am just a normal guy, leading a normal life. Yet, this verse spoken as an encouragement to Joshua in his time of trial is here today calling me to examine myself. To look past the surface level of complacency and deal with the fears and doubts that darken the corners of my heart. A call to understand that just as the Lord was with Joshua wherever he went, so too is Jesus with me at every moment and every step. So I too need to be strong and courageous and confront the areas of disobedience and apathy present in my heart.

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Don’t Veer Off

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Journal Entry // June 18, 2022

Therefore, be very strong to keep and to do all that is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, turning aside from it neither to the right hand nor to the left,

Joshua 23:6 ESV

Where is it that I find the struggle with being obedient and following all that is written in the holy Word of God? For the most part, it is not outright disobedience set to go explicitly against what is commanded. Though it is true that my heart does lead me down that path at times and my mind does consciously and knowingly disobey what is explicitly commanded. Most of the time though it is far more subtle. There is this slight veering and turning aside to the left or the right from the teaching of the Bible. There is a gradual mixing of the world into my thoughts and ideas and holy things. There is justification and defensiveness for taking a slight variation on the clear word of the Lord to me.

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Not Immediately

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Journal Entry // June 5, 2022

Joshua made war a long time with all those kings.

Joshua 11:18 ESV

Quick answers. Immediate success. Fast results. These are the expectations of the modern world. We have all come to believe that technology can solve any problem and make our lives better by enhancing these three actions. We let this seep into every area of our lives and we have these expectations even when they are unrealistic and unhelpful. We even let these thoughts overtake our spiritual lives. We don’t want to study the Bible and work through it’s teachings. We want an interesting podcast or short article that can give us an executive summary of how to be a “gospel” whatever. We have let this mentality so invade and dominate our thinking that we don’t realize how shortsighted we have truly become.

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Burning Jericho

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Journal Entry // May 31, 2022

So the young men who had been spies went in and brought out Rahab and her father and mother and brothers and all who belonged to her. And they brought all her relatives and put them outside the camp of Israel.

Joshua 6:23 ESV

As I was reading through this section of Joshua that tells the story of the Fall of Jericho, I was struck by the vision of Rahab and her family standing outside the camp of the Israelites and watching their home and their city being burned and destroyed. This a tremendous story of faith, obedience, and suffering. Truly, I am called to this same faithful obedience in face of danger and heartache.

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Saturate Your Heart

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Journal Entry // May 29, 2022

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 good success.

Joshua 1:8 ESV

This verse has always seemed so attainable to me throughout my walk with Christ. It seems like this should be the easiest and most simple step in all that we are asked to do. Yet, I find that this verse is a tremendous challenge in my life. It is one that I can easily twist just slightly and misunderstand the purpose and power of this statement from God to Joshua. There are three aspects of this call that I need to fully understand and comprehend for faithfulness and fidelity.

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