All The Land From Egypt To Canaan

FROM: JANUARY 9 @ 15, 2018

TOPIC: "All The Land From Egypt To Canaan" Joshua 1:1-7

Before dying, Moses spoke to all of Israel in Deuteronomy 31:6 "Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you." There was a promise for those who strived and it was this: Jehovah your God is the one who will go with you and will not leave you nor forsake you! And God said to Joshua in Joshua 1:6 "Be strong and courageous..." to conquer and get where you need to go, YOU HAVE TO STRIVE! One has to exert himself, that is to make a very strong effort to get something done. One has to be COURAGEOUS! One has to have a determined character to face difficult and dangerous situations with courage. The brave act with determination in difficult or dangerous situations; they are bold! God also wants us today to become brave, to not avoid or stop in situations of danger. God speaks to Joshua and tells him to be a courageous man. The reason for the mandate was that Joshua would be the captain of Israel's forces and the victory over his enemies was assured! Moses, before dying, also encouraged Joshua publicly regarding his NEW RESPONSIBILITY and let him see that the mighty God would be with him (Deuteronomy 31:7, 8 "Then Moses summoned Joshua and said to him in the presence of all Israel: Be strong and courageous, for you must go with this people into the land that the Lord swore to their forefathers to give them, and you must divide it among them as their inheritance. The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged."). When you get weary because of the harsh and adverse situations of life you are insecure, it seems that you lose your faith and you cannot function. But, even so, God asks you for EFFORT AND COURAGE. He asks you to have courage and confidence for what has to be done. First, Moses spoke to Joshua, but later God himself also spoke to him about the topic. There was a great land with promise for the people of Israel that had been given by God, and now the day came for Joshua to be brave and striving so that such promise would be fulfilled for those people. The Lord gave this man a solemn assignment regarding the important task that awaited him. The land had been promised to Israel, but now it was necessary to possess it in its entirety. They would fight to possess all the land from the desert and Lebanon to the great River Euphrates, from Egypt to Canaan. It was a hard road and task; God did not sent him to something comfortable or easy. And there was no other option, all that was expected of Joshua was PURE OBEDIENCE. That's how it is for everyone who God calls to serve Him in His kingdom, it is a matter of COURAGE, of STRIVING and of OBEDIENCE. The route of the road to reach Canaan was already marked, it is the same for you on your long journey. Moses tells Joshua, but God had already told Abraham before that he would give Canaan to his descendants. So it is not an order of the moment, because 430 years had already passed since God had given the promise to Abraham. So now Joshua had to enforce that promise WITH COURAGE! Joshua had to face wars, face the enemies of Israel and suffer because of some of the people who were sinners and rebels, who weakened the rest of the people. Those men made God angry. In Joshua 7:6-10 God speaks to Joshua and says: "Stand up; What are you doing down on your face? Israel has sinned, they have broken my covenant, they have an anathema; that is why the people cannot face the enemy." The Canaanites, inhabitants of that land, were not stronger than the people led by Joshua, but rather Israel was weakened because sin had entered the camp. Then, God tells Joshua that it was time to act and not to pray; IT WAS THAT SOMEONE BRAVE WAS NEEDED!

The brave is one who strives and goes above the natural because he goes with his faith exercised in God. God wants us to conquer according to the orders that He has given us, according to what He wrote for what we have to do. Let's leave the nonsense! Joshua needed to strive and be very brave and OBEDIENT. You know, have you not paid attention to everything that others think and how much strength each one causes you for their own cravings? What is needed is the obedience of one who strives and is brave. We only obey, it is not ours or for us, it is a matter of God and what He wants to conquer, because the devil from the beginning wants it for him. It is what has to be done for God, it is what you should do. Now, as it was before with Joshua, there is an assurance to be prosperous when our heart and mind are satiated with the Word of God and we obey it. Three times the Lord said to Joshua: "Be strong and courageous" (Joshua 1:6, 7, 9). The size and the devotion for the work that awaited him, the pressures to guide stubborn people and the absence of his spiritual mentor, Moses, at that time weighed in Joshua's mind. But the Lord was not calling him without enabling him. There were two good reasons why Joshua could strive: the promise of God: a sure guide, and, the presence of God: a sustaining power. Austin Sparks said: "Here is the true battle of the faith, not what we are but what He is! It's not what we feel but His truths!" Amen.