Joshua 1:10-11 "Then Joshua commanded
the officers of the people, saying, (11) Pass through the host, and
command the people, saying, Prepare you victuals; for within three days ye
shall pass over this Jordan, to go in to possess the land, which the LORD your
God giveth you to possess it."
The people of Israel had been mourning the death of Moses for forty days. They had stayed in that one place. God had allowed them that privilege to do that, but now it was time to go forward. Moses had been an excellent leader for them for all these years. They loved him, but now Joshua was the leader. This would be the first test for Joshua. Would the people listen to him? Would they follow him? Would they insist that he do it a certain way, as they had been accustomed to doing?
God not only called Joshua, He also equipped Joshua with wisdom. He had experienced, through Moses, the manner in which the people had been responding to a change of location. He knew God had been faithful to Moses. He also knew that God had made the same promise to him. "As I was with Moses, so I will be with thee."- As I was.. so I will be. Joshua, you can trust me."
It was Godly wisdom on Joshua's part to give the people ample time to prepare. "Prepare you victuals; for within three days ye shall pass over this Jordan." He was giving them three days advance notice. We are going forward. We are not staying in this place. This is not the land promised to us. We are going to cross "this Jordan". Now, I wonder if the people already knew the Jordan was in its flood stage. If so, there isn't any complaining at this point.
Here is the point that struck me this morning: "Prepare". Do we begin each day, prepared to meet with our Lord? I'm not talking about dying, as so many people associate that phrase. The Lord Jesus Christ prepared us for that when He died on the cross. "I go to prepare you a place." But do we prepare our hearts and our minds to meet with the Lord in worship and service? Do we start the day, asking Him for guidance? Do we begin with the thought that our God is going to give us an opportunity to serve Him - and then look for those opportunities?
Prepare and then go forward. There are things that cause us to be as the children of Israel in this place where they had just sat still. Quite honestly, the Covid virus and the assaults on our cities have caused me to stand still in my sadness and anger. I ask God to forgive me. I'm tired of using those things as excuses for not serving the Lord and lifting up His Holy Name at every opportunity that is given. I'm so sorry that I have not been prepared and gone forward as I should have.
It's time that the church go forward and be the church. There was a time in our nation when the church set the standard for living. In too many instances, we have fallen behind and settled into our own relaxed way. God says, "Woe to them that are at ease in Zion." His Word teaches us, just as Joshua told Israel, Prepare because you are going forward in service unto the Lord. Are we prepared for those days? Or, are we settled into our own ways and missing opportunities to be light in this dark world?
The people of Israel had been mourning the death of Moses for forty days. They had stayed in that one place. God had allowed them that privilege to do that, but now it was time to go forward. Moses had been an excellent leader for them for all these years. They loved him, but now Joshua was the leader. This would be the first test for Joshua. Would the people listen to him? Would they follow him? Would they insist that he do it a certain way, as they had been accustomed to doing?
God not only called Joshua, He also equipped Joshua with wisdom. He had experienced, through Moses, the manner in which the people had been responding to a change of location. He knew God had been faithful to Moses. He also knew that God had made the same promise to him. "As I was with Moses, so I will be with thee."- As I was.. so I will be. Joshua, you can trust me."
It was Godly wisdom on Joshua's part to give the people ample time to prepare. "Prepare you victuals; for within three days ye shall pass over this Jordan." He was giving them three days advance notice. We are going forward. We are not staying in this place. This is not the land promised to us. We are going to cross "this Jordan". Now, I wonder if the people already knew the Jordan was in its flood stage. If so, there isn't any complaining at this point.
Here is the point that struck me this morning: "Prepare". Do we begin each day, prepared to meet with our Lord? I'm not talking about dying, as so many people associate that phrase. The Lord Jesus Christ prepared us for that when He died on the cross. "I go to prepare you a place." But do we prepare our hearts and our minds to meet with the Lord in worship and service? Do we start the day, asking Him for guidance? Do we begin with the thought that our God is going to give us an opportunity to serve Him - and then look for those opportunities?
Prepare and then go forward. There are things that cause us to be as the children of Israel in this place where they had just sat still. Quite honestly, the Covid virus and the assaults on our cities have caused me to stand still in my sadness and anger. I ask God to forgive me. I'm tired of using those things as excuses for not serving the Lord and lifting up His Holy Name at every opportunity that is given. I'm so sorry that I have not been prepared and gone forward as I should have.
It's time that the church go forward and be the church. There was a time in our nation when the church set the standard for living. In too many instances, we have fallen behind and settled into our own relaxed way. God says, "Woe to them that are at ease in Zion." His Word teaches us, just as Joshua told Israel, Prepare because you are going forward in service unto the Lord. Are we prepared for those days? Or, are we settled into our own ways and missing opportunities to be light in this dark world?