A Valley Overlook Near Gothic,
Colorado
Facing An Unknown Future
I began this writing on Friday, April 10,
2020. Since that time, the Coronavirus
has left the whole world in a pandemic mode. As of this day, there are 1,895,
258 confirmed
cases and 108,791 deaths
(as of June 2).
There are
streets in some areas of country that are empty of people that are
normally crowed,
parks are closed, stores are closed, grocery store shelves are empty or
have a limited amount of supplies, many people have lost their jobs,
many people are confined to their homes
How long will this last? There are protest and riots in many of the
cities across the US in part because of the murder of a black man by a
white police officer. What will the new world look like?
Joshua was faced with going into an unknown land
where there were giants. There would be unknown battles ahead. There
would be a rebellious people to keep in check. There
would be new diseases to face. There would be rain and drought. What
would the new world for Joshua and the Israelites look like? In book of
Joshua Chapter one, we see God preparing Joshua to lead the people into
this new world.
Foremost, it
is important to see the character of
God in this chapter.
"Now
after the death of Moses the servant of the LORD it came to pass, that
the LORD spake unto Joshua the son of Nun, Moses' minister, saying,
Moses my servant is dead; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan,
thou, and all this people, unto the land which I do give to them, even
to the children of Israel. Every place that the sole of your foot
shall tread upon, that have I given unto you, as I said unto Moses.
From the wilderness and this Lebanon even unto the great river, the
river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and unto the great sea
toward the going down of the sun, shall be your coast. There shall not
any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was
with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake
thee. Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt
thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their
fathers to give them. Only be thou strong and very courageous,
that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my
servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the
left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest. This
book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt
meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do
according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy
way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. Have not I
commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither
be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou
goest" (Joshua 1:1-9).
1. God was
personable, in that He spoke to Joshua
directly as an individual. Our God is not a distant impersonal God out
there somewhere. He speaks to individuals. Remember that God walked
with Adam and Even in the garden of Eden. "And they heard the voice of the LORD
God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife
hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of
the garden" (Genesis 3:8). Jesus said, "My sheep hear my voice, and I know
them, and they follow me" (John 10:27).
2. God knew exactly where
Joshua was and that Moses had died and knew what Joshua was facing. "Great in counsel, and mighty in work:
for thine eyes are open upon all the ways of the sons of men: to give
every one according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his
doings" (Jeremiah 32:19).
3. God didn't leave him just wondering, but God gave
him some specific
instructions. Jesus said that the Holy Spirit is to lead us today. "But the Comforter, which is the Holy
Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all
things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have
said unto you" (John 14:26).
4. We can also see that
God is the Lord over the earth. He is ultimately in control! He said
that He gave the land to the people. When Nebuchadnezzar came to his
right mind he said, "And at the
end of the days I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and
mine understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the most High, and I
praised and honoured him that liveth for ever, whose dominion is an
everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to generation:
And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he
doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the
inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him,
What doest thou?" (Daniel 4:34-35)
5. God told Joshua that He had
given him every place where the soul of his foot touched. Jesus said, "Then said he unto them, Therefore every
scribe which is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto a
man that is an householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure
things new and old" (Matthew 13:52). Paul wrote, "For all the promises of God in him are
yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us" (II
Corinthians 1:20).
6. God
promised Joshua that no one could be able to stand against him.
Paul, in the New Testament said it this way, "What shall we then say to these things?
If God be for us, who can be against us?" (Romans 8:31).
7. God
promised that He would be with him and not fail him. "Let your conversation be without
covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath
said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee" (Hebrews 13:5).
8. God told Joshua to remember
that in the past He did not fail Moses and that he would not fail him.
The book of Hebrews chapter elven encourages us to remember the heroes
of the faith. The chapter concludes with, "And these all, having obtained a good
report through faith, received not the promise: (Hebrews 11:39)
God having provided some better
thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect"
(Hebrews 11:40).
10. Based upon these truths, God told Joshua that
he was to be strong and of a good courage. Paul wrote, "Finally, my brethren, be strong in the
Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God,
that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For
we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities,
against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world,
against spiritual wickedness in high places" (Ephesians
6:10-12).
11. God again reminds
Joshua the He has given the Land to the people. Paul wrote concerning
Believers today, "He that spared
not his own Son, but
delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give
us all things?" (Romans 8:32).
12. God adds that Joshua
is to engraft the book of the law and to keep the law and not to turn
from it so that he
will
be
prosperous and successful. Everything that comes out of David's mouth
is to be in line with the Word of God. David said, "Blessed is the man that walketh not in
the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor
sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the
law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he
shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth
forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and
whatsoever he doeth shall prosper" (Psalms 1:1-3).
13. God again commands
that Joshua to be strong and of good courage. Furthermore, God repeats the
admonition to be strong and of a good courage three times for EMPHASIS.
Paul wrote, "For God hath not
given us the spirit of
fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind" (II
Timothy 1:7).
14. God told Joshua that he is not to allow himself
to become confused and fearful because God
with be with him wherever he goes. "Yea,
though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no
evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me"
(Psalms 23:4).
https://www.wholeperson-counseling.org/trials/trials_menu.html
