Allow God to Lead I will not fail you or abandon you. (Joshua 1:5) Listen to the promises God made to Joshua: “You must lead my people across the Jordan River into the land I am giving them. I promise you what I promised Moses: ‘Everywhere you go, you will be on land I have given you—from the Negev Desert in the south to the Lebanon mountains in the north.’ … No one will be able to stand their ground against you as long as you live …. I will not fail you or abandon you …. You will be successful in everything you do …. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:2-9). We could go on if time and space permitted, but the point is simple: God ordered the Israelites’ days and took care of them as clearly as the sun rises in the morning. He promised to be faithful, and he kept that promise. When God is allowed to lead, he not only leads lovingly but decisively. That truth is displayed throughout the story of Joshua. God has given you and me the same promise. “I am with you always, even to the end of the age,” Jesus tells us (Matthew 28:20). Just as God went before the Israelites ordering their days, he is walking beside us today, guiding our every step. Do you find that as comforting as I find it? Does it make your heart soar to learn that he cares enough to leave his throne and walk through the desert with you? Does it bring a tear to your eye to think that the God of the universe, the Creator of heaven and earth, the God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joshua is also the God of Fred and Martha and Frank? As you read through the story of Joshua, a clear pattern quickly arises. Whenever the Israelites followed God and remained faithful, they prospered. They won every battle with ease, ate and drank in abundance, and lived fruitful, happy lives. But when they went their own way, leaving God and his commandments behind, they failed. Without exception. Apart from God they had no chance of winning, but when following God’s lead, they had no chance of losing. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out the best approach. Knowing that truth, why would we want to set out on any conquest without letting God take the lead? Why try to even start the day without first looking to God for guidance?
Today’s Reading Joshua 1:5; 3:7-17 Reflection How did God work in this passage to reveal his provision to Israel? How has he worked to reveal his provision in your life?
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