Joshua and God’s Promise

“Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the instructions Moses gave you. Do not deviate from them, turning either to the right or to the left. Then you will be successful in everything you do. Study this Book of instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do.” Josh. 1:7-8. This is God speaking to Joshua as he is about to take over leading the people of Israel after Moses’ death. Can you imagine the great responsibility this guy had? In Numbers 13, he is given the assignment with 11 other men to spy out the Land of Promise. Ten of the men come back with the report that there is no way that we can do it, they are much bigger than we are, they have all kinds of crops and walled cities. There is no way we can do it. But only Joshua and Caleb take a stand for God and tell the people that “we can do it, after all, God Promised us that he would do it”. (Duh, the reason we call it the Promised Land!) But the people listen to the majority (a good reason to most of the time not listen to the majority of people). So those people, 20 and older aren’t allowed by God to enter the Promised Land, they will die in the wilderness and the people wandered around for another 40 years. Now Joshua is having to stand up in front of their children and lead them into the Promised Land. He has to be wondering what has been said about him in their tents at nighttime. But here he is speaking with God just like he knew that Moses used to do. And now God promised Joshua something – SUCCESS not just in tomorrow’s speech about what they are going to do, not just in the taking of the Promised Land, but in whatever he does! That’s a pretty big promise. But with that promise God lays down some conditions. He also has a priority over all the conditions: God’s word is the only path to success! Keep God’s word your priority. Today and tomorrow’s true success will come from our sticking with and living by God’s Word. So, today as I end, let me ask you to pray that God will fill your mind and heart today with his word, so that you can make the right decisions to be on path with God for your life. Priority 1: God’s word is the only true path to success.