Summer is flying by! I actually did my devotions for the rest of last week but forgot to post. It was Parade of Homes week so I got home fairly late a few days. I don't know why I love the Parade of Homes so much. I think it's because I love home. I love the concept of home, a place for family and everyday life. I love to see the changes every year, new concepts, new ideas. I look forward to it every year and love every minute. I wish it would last longer!!!!
I hope you are taking time to smell the roses. This last week, the mama deer brought her spotted little baby out for us to see. Only once. She comes out and eats corn we leave out for her and leaves her baby sleeping, growing, close by. I saw a painted bunting fly through the front yard migrating to somewhere else, but he was beautiful. I saw a bunny taking a dirt bath. I didn't know they did this until I saw my daughter's chinchilla taking a bath in the dirt. I saw a chickadee land in a crepe myrtle right beside me and take a flower bud and fly off. Didn't know they did that. I was driving home and a baby deer jumped out of the bar ditch and ran for the woods. I'm always amazed at God's creations and how He puts things in my path that are a part of nature that make me happy. If I am looking, He always shows me.
We are having a wedding .....and a baby all in the same year....this year! That makes me happy! That makes me ecstatic! Everyone will be here for the 4th of July and I am so excited. We will have a new son-in-law and a new little person at the table next year. It's beyond words. I keep asking Emily when is the baby going to have ears because I need to tell her (?) that I love her, Jesus loves her and we can't wait to meet her. Life is always changing, you better hold on. It is exciting and I am so happy for my children. It is a double blessing!
I wonder if that's what Joshua felt like. Wandering around for years and years and years. Now, God was going to give them their homes (kind of like their Parade of Homes!) Were they giddy? Were the women decorating in their thoughts and discussing drapes and colors and landscaping? They were packing up. They were heading for green, lush land, milk and honey. Could they sleep at night or were they daydreaming of land and gardens and children playing, finally relaxing in their own homes? I imagine there was a buzz and they were all talking and excited and couldn't wait to get there. So we get to go on their journey with them. We are on the banks of the Jordan, getting ready to cross. I am excited and happy for them. Can't wait to travel on their journey with them. Are you ready?
JULY 1 - TUESDAY - JOSHUA 1
JULY 2 - WEDNESDAY - JOSHUA 2
JULY 3 - THURSDAY - JOSHUA 3
JULY 4 - FRIDAY - JOSHUA 4
JULY 5 - SATURDAY - JOSHUA 5
JULY 6 - SUNDAY - JOSHUA 6
JULY 7 - MONDAY - JOSHUA 7
I love my Message commentary on Joshua: "God's great love and purposes for us are worked out in the messes, storms and sins, blue skies, daily work and dreams of our common lives, working with us as we are and not as we should be."
ReplyDeleteMoses is gone. Time to leave the past behind and the mistakes with it and go forward. God has some victories to "give" you. But you have to "step" to get them v. 3 Faith requires you to move. You can't sit still when God says move.
v. 5 "Noone will be able to stand against you all the days of your life." OBEDIENCE IS POWERFUL!
"Be strong and courageous"
Obey and don't wander away or get distracted.
Meditate on God's ways and thoughts until they become a part of who you are, your guiding force
You are going to have opportunities in the life to be terrified and discouraged. But choose strength and courage knowing the Lord walks with you, even carries you if He has to. Your life's fruit will be prosperity and success if you make the right "God" choices.
v. 13-15 Sometimes rest is coming, but you have to help others get to their Promise Land first. You have to help them fight their battles and be strong and courageous because sometimes it is very hard by yourself to be that strong and that courageous. There is blessing enough for everyone!
My favorite verse of all time is vs 9! It was the biggest ah ha moment in bible study I have ever had....be courageous for God is with you. I love it!
DeleteI like that God told Joshua to get up and go! Don't worry, he will take care if everything, we just have to obey. Such great advice for us today. We have to obey and do what it right and everything will work out.
Joshua 2
ReplyDeleteI love the story of Rahab. But the thing that stood out this time was that everyone knew about God and the Red Sea and other miracles. And knew that they were in Gods chosen land and even that the Israelites were going to kill them all. How scary for them. I wonder if more tired to help them out, or if they all had hatred in their hearts for them.
I know, Aimee. You would think that they all had heard and if they were wise, they would've been switchin sides!
DeleteI love that God looks past all the things we don't. A person's past sticks to them like an eternal label. Its the first thing we think of and usually how we judge that person. I'm thankful that God looks at the heart. Just think of Rahab's testimony. Her past and reputation didn't matter to God. Her confession is what mattered.
Joshua 3
ReplyDeleteThe people cross the Jordan on dry land! We always study how they cross the Red Sea, but I forget that this happened too. I wonder what the people that lived in the city Adam thought LOL! No wonder they all knew and feared the Israelites and knew they were God's people.
I had exactly the same thing in my notes! I wonder what those other people thought! And I totally forgot about the Jordan drying up so they could get across.
DeleteJoshua 4
ReplyDeleteAs they cross the Jordan each tribe gets a rock to make a memorial so they can tell their children in years to come. Being the fourth of July it makes me think of the War memorials and even the one for OKC bombing and how we go to them to remember important times or people.
Joshua 5
ReplyDeleteThey circumcised everyone born in the wilderness with flint knives. Ouch! They also observed passover and had the last meal of manna because they will eat from off the land now. (God always provides for those that get out and work). The commanding angel of Gods army showed up and told Joshua he was in a holy place.
I loved that when they ate the produce of the Promise Land, the manna stopped. I don't think I ever saw that!
Deletev.1 - God's reputation destroyed the courage of the enemies!
v. 9 "Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you." I love, love, love that! The labels are gone, the past is gone, you don't have to live as a slave ever again. I know that God has told me the exact same thing. He has rolled my reproach away. My choice is to live in freedom or live like it's still there!
Joshua 6
ReplyDeleteI love the story of how they defeat Jericho and save Rehab. And "devote all in the city to destruction with the edge of their sword". How brutal, but they had to get everyone out of the promised land.
The curse on Jericho was fulfilled in I Kings 6:34 when Hiel rebuilt Jericho and lost his oldest and youngest sons.
DeleteJoshua 7
ReplyDeleteSomeone sinned and took some spoil from Jericho and it caused them to loose a battle. This is true in life, if you have sinned you are not at your best because you can be distracted or vulnerable. And Thank God we don't have the punishments that this guy had!! They stoned him and his whole family... even the animals!!
No kidding!!!! My take was partial obedience is still disobedience.
Deletev. 10 Joshua fell into a pit of self-pity and God would have nothing of it. "Why are you on your face? Get up!" Love that!!!!!
v. 13 a little sin, like you said, will destroy your power
The sin of that man and his family could've spread all through his tribe where they thought it was okay and all disobeyed if they saw him get away with it. There had to be swift consequences because of the influence they all had on each other (the 12 spies!)
JOSHUA 8
ReplyDeleteV. 1 immediately so their fear and discouragement wouldn't overtake them, and because of their obedience, God gave them victory. This time, they got to take the plunder and livestock. Those who were obedient now got a reward. Joshua read the 10 commandments and their covenant was renewed!!!!!
I love that after God so strictly made them learn the lesson of not taking the plunder, he told them it was OK to take it at the next battle. I feel that way sometimes. I work so hard to not do something, and once I get over it He tells me it is OK Lol!
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