Joshua 11:1-15

Joshua obeyed and God was faithful. This was a theme during this season; the Israelites listened to their leader and fought as they were instructed. Joshua heeded the Words of God and reaped the benefits and the LORD's blessings. Again, their reputation preceded them and their enemies fell. "The Lord said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid of them, because by this time tomorrow I will hand all of them, slain, over to Israel. You are to hamstring their horses and burn their chariots.”(Joshua 11:6)

"...Joshua left nothing undone of all that the Lord commanded..." (Joshua 11:15)  One of the reasons we are best served by studying God's Word and applying it to our lives is to follow after Joshua.  In a world that thumbs its nose at the life lived with goodness and humility, Christians are to be a beacon, a light in the darkness.  I am beginning to understand this, but I also can see how challenging living a clean and blameless life is to accomplish.

Moses and Joshua and their people were fighting for the promise they were given.  They were working to vanquish evil and to lay claim to their new home; The Promised Land. They were waging battle against Kings and royalty, against slavery and idolatry. We are fighting for the same thing, our Promised Land.  The terrain is dissimilar, the battle is different, the warring techniques are unique to this time in history, but the enemy is the same. We are fighting the principalities of this world and we are striving to take over the Promised Land which we have been assured is ours.

For us, the enemy uses material things like complacency, indifference, busyness and greed to divert us from the goal.  We have become enamored by meaningless pursuit of personal privilege; distracted by glamour and excitement.  Joshua learned from Moses and followed God.  He obeyed even when the instructions may have seemed illogical.  We must learn from Joshua to do the same.  When the rest of the world is against us, we know who is for us!

Read Joshua 11:1-15 here

Listen to Joshua 11:1-15 here