A Joshua like Change.

Book of Joshua
January 15, 2017
Key Text: Joshua 1:8

15 days ago 2016 ended with a bang. We know welcome the New Year. Before any
year starts, people always look back and reminisce the past, evaluating their strong and
weak points. Upon knowing their weak points, people now list these weaknesses and
tell themselves “For this year I will change for the better”. These changes now becomes
part of their New Year’s Resolution. Resolution is a firm decision to do or not to do
something. Almost all people in the world always have these list as another year starts.
But most of the time we start strong on these resolutions but end weakly. Why? Simply
because these resolutions that we had set are shallow. We never really take them
seriously. We try to achieve them for just a moment.
If one person really wants to change, he/she should be taking steps in order to bring
about the change he/she desires! The steps one should be taking is the steps that will
bring about a permanent change in him/her. Change is permanent, we do not change
something in ourselves just for a moment. We change something in ourselves that the
effect of this change will last for a lifetime.
A Christian believer must change the way God wants him/her to change. He/she must
not do things which seems to be right for him/her. If a believer changes the way God
wills for him/her, surely it will bring forth an Everlasting Change. A change for the better
and forever.
Today let us look on one mighty man of God who was changed from no one into
someone. A man who obeyed God’s by heart.
Moses not being able to hallow God’s command resulted to the forfeit of his entry
to the promise land. Upon knowing God’s judgement, he asked the Lord to give the
Israelites a successor for him. Then it was Joshua whom God had chosen to be his
successor (Numbers 27:12-37).

Joshua’s Profile.
1st war Battle at Rephidim. He was assigned by Moses to lead some men who
will battle against the Amalekites (Exodus 17:8-16).
One of the 12 Spies. Appointed to go ahead and see what awaits for them in the
promise land. Only he and Caleb brought a good report. (Numbers 13)
1.) Speak of the Word

This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth,

During Moses’ time, the Israelites (even though are stiff necked people)
were always waiting to what will he say. Upon his death, Joshua now
becomes the leader. In one of the wars of the Israelites, Joshua said to
them:

Joshua 10:25
Then Joshua said to them, “Do not be afraid, nor be dismayed; be
strong and of good courage, for thus the Lord will do to all your enemies
against whom you fight.”

Joshua spoke this line to the Israelites when they captured the 5 kings
who allied against them. After Joshua told the people of this they went on
and continue until they totally conquered the whole south. This simply
implies that whatever Joshua will say, it will affect the whole Israel army.

Application: As Christians, we should always be aware of what we are

speaking. James lent a whole chapter of his letter telling us about how
powerful the tongue is. He is speaking about there the importance of what
we are speaking. One of the things that we cannot take back is “the word
after it’s said”. What we speak will have an impact for your own life as well
with for other people who will hear it.

Proverbs 18:21
Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will
eat its fruit.

For this very reason, Christians should have a habit of speaking God’s
word meaning our mouths have to be occupied of God’s words.
Some reasons why we should speak of the Word.

A.) God Honors.

Numbers 14:28 (Amplified Version)
Say to them, ‘As I live,’ says the Lord, ‘just what you have spoken in
My hearing I will most certainly do to you;
 Joshua 10:13

B.) Empowers
Deuteronomy 31:6 (NIV)
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.”

C.) Possesses
Numbers 13:30
Then Caleb quieted the people before Moses, and said, “Let us go up
at once and take possession, for we are well able to overcome it.”
 Joshua 14:6-15 Caleb inherited Mount Hebron

D.) Life Changing

2 Corinthians 5:17
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have
passed away; behold, all things have become new.

Gods’ word is powerful beyond our comprehension, thus the situations

we have in our lives must be in lined with Gods’ Words. We become of
what we speak for ourselves.
2.) Meditate the Word

but you shall meditate in it day and night,

One could not speak of something he/she doesn’t know.

Meditate is the act of thinking deeply or carefully. The bible has specific
messages for each believer. These messages differs for each one of us.
Christians should meditate on what God wills to tell them through His
words.

Joshua was not of a speaker upon hearing his and Caleb’s report after
they spied out Canaan, the people wanted to stone them until they die
(Numbers 14:7-8). But during Joshua’s commissioning, God spoke to him,
something that he lived on.

Joshua 1:6
Be strong and of good courage, for to this people you shall divide as an
inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give them.

Joshua 1:9
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid;
do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever
you go.”

Courage is that quality of mind that enables men to encounter

danger and difficulty with firmness and resolve in spite of inner fears

2 Timothy 1:7
For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and
discipline.

“Timidity” is deilia meaning cowardice, the opposite of courage.

“Power” is dunamis, the ability to do what we should.
“Love” is agape, a mental attitude of sacrificial concern for others.
“Discipline” is sophronismos meaning sound-mind thinking, a product of
biblical understanding, which holds our fears in check, changes values
and priorities, and gives courage and decisiveness.

Joshua knowing God’s message for him become one of the greatest
leaders in the history of mankind. If Joshua meditated on his past, surely
he will never be able to lead the Israelites into possessing their promised
land.
Application: In one’s life, there are situations that we are facing or had
faced. We either became the victor or the victim of that past situation. As
Christians, one of the ways to become victors on these situations is by
meditating on what God had said for that certain situation you are in now.
Before meditating on what other people can say, be sure that we had
meditated first on what God says.
Proverbs 23:7
For as he thinks in his heart, so is he. “Eat and drink!” he says to you,
But his heart is not with you.

Good Attitudes when Meditating the Word.

 Reverence: This is God Breathed (2 Timothy 3:16). This is not our
normal or usual comic books that we read to get jokes or pick-up
lines or to be asleep.
 Commitment: Have your own quiet time. A time where in nobody or
nothing can distract you when meditating (1 Pe 2:2-3).
 Humility: Do not change and challenge the word. We meditate to be
challenged and be changed. (James 1:21)
 Fresh Approach: Always read like you’ve never read before. Be
expectant that everyday God has something new instore for you
(Psalms 119:97-104).
3.) Observe the word.

that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it.

The Israelites was under slavery in Egypt for 400 years. They had never
been into any wars before they came to the promise land. If you are
Joshua, how will you lead these men, knowing that they are
unexperienced?

All of the battles that Joshua and the Israelites encountered was
strategized by the Master Tactician, none other than, the Lord God
Himself. Joshua did not think too much all he did was to execute God’s
strategy CORRECTLY.

Joshua 3:1-17 (Crossing Jordan)

Joshua 6:1-15 (The Fall of Jericho)
Joshua 8:1-29 (The Fall of Ai)

Joshua’s total obedience to what God says lead them to absolute victory.
But as they said all men of God had a flaw, on Joshua 9, Joshua was
tricked by the Gibeonites. This scenario implies that believers of God
mustn’t be over confident about their achievements. Joshua not hearing
anything from God regarding this matter resulted to him being fooled out
by the Gibeonites.

Application: The written word must not remain a written word. It must be a
LIVING word! Only by applying the word of God in our daily lives can we
make the WRITTEN WORD a LIVING WORD!

James 1:22
But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.
(Ezra 7:10, Mat 7:21-23)
Conclusion:
This year 2017 pretty much sure most of us challenged ourselves to be a
better version of our former selves. Some wanted to have career growth,
physical development, mental growth etc. But let us not forget that we are just
passers in this world. The most important growth that a believer should be
working out in his/her life is his/her SPIRITUAL GROWTH! One should be
having a RELATIONSHIP GROWTH with God. This is the ultimate growth
that a Christian should desire for. I pray and hope that this year 2017, we will
grow deeper and deeper with our relationship to God.