LOOKING FORWARD TO TOMORROW

Can I pray for you in any way?

Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

In Christ, Mark

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

** Follow The Christian Walk on Twitter @ThChristianWalk

** Like posts and send friend requests to the author of The Christian Walk, Mark Cummings on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/mark.cummings.733?ref=tn_tnmn

** Become a Follower of The Christian Walk at http://the-christian-walk.blogspot.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

Early in the morning, Joshua and all the Israelites set out from Shittim and went to the Jordan, where they camped before crossing over. After three days, the officers went throughout the camp, giving orders to the people: "When you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, and the priests, who are Levites, carrying it, you are to move out from your positions and follow it. Then you will know which way to go, since you have never been this way before. But keep a distance of about a thousand yards between you and the ark; do not go near it."

Joshua told the people, "Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you."

Joshua 3:1-5

This ends our reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

As Joshua, chapter 3 opens, we pick up after the Israelite spies successfully returned from their reconnaissance mission in Jericho, having been sheltered and shielded by the prostitute, Rahab. In the opening five verses, we find “Joshua and all the Israelites” setting “out from Shittim” and heading “to the Jordan where they camped” for “three days” before they would cross over the river into the Promised Land. The scriptures then tell us that the “officers went throughout the camp” and gave the following orders to the people:

"When you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, and the priests, who are Levites, carrying it, you are to move out from your positions and follow it. Then you will know which way to go, since you have never been this way before. But keep a distance of about a thousand yards between you and the ark; do not go near it."

You may remember that the ark of the covenant represented God being with His people and so it was only fitting that the ark would always precede the Israelites and they would follow it wherever they went. They were about to enter a foreign land with lots of uncharted territory…and so they would need their Lord to lead and guide to where He wanted them to go. All they needed to do was remain faithful and obedient, placing their full trust in Him.

Given all this, we find Joshua telling the Israelites to "consecrate” themselves because “the Lord” was about to do “amazing things among” them the next day and I’m sure there must have been loads of eager anticipation within the camp about finally getting to cross the Jordan and into Canaan. It was something the previous generation of Israel sinfully failed to do after not trusting God (Numbers 14) and this current generation was determined to not make the same mistake again.

Since God would be leading His people into the land He promised, a land that would be considered holy ground, the Israelites were expected to consecrate themselves, setting themselves apart from the world and its ways before they were participated in such a holy event guided by a holy ark and a holy God.

Now, you’ll recall that consecration required washing of clothes and abstinence from sexual relations (Exodus 19:14-15). In other words, purity was critical and the Lord expected His people to be holy because He was holy (Leviticus 19:2)...and it was in and through His holiness and power that amazing things happened in plain sight of the Israelite people.

Friends, this is great news for us today for the same God of Israel is the God we serve now, a God who still consistently and persistently does amazing things in our midst. He is the God of unlimited possibility…meaning that there’s nothing to impossible for Him to do (Matthew 19:6). Indeed, our Lord routinely takes the ordinary and makes it extraordinary.

This becomes a game-changer for when we believe and trust that God can do all things, that’s when we find Him showing us just that. He allows us to be eyewitnesses of His miraculous works which lead us to a place where we hold the greatest reverence, respect, and awe of Him.

Like Israel, all believers should look forward to tomorrow with the highest level of excitement over what God might do. For He and He alone is capable of making the improbable probable and indeed He always makes something remarkable happen every day.

What an awesome Lord we serve!

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

CHANGED AND USED FOR A PURPOSE

Can I pray for you in any way?

Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

In Christ, Mark

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

** Follow The Christian Walk on Twitter @ThChristianWalk

** Like posts and send friend requests to the author of The Christian Walk, Mark Cummings on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/mark.cummings.733?ref=tn_tnmn

** Become a Follower of The Christian Walk at http://the-christian-walk.blogspot.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

Then Joshua, son of Nun, secretly sent two spies from Shittim. "Go, look over the land," he said, "especially Jericho." So they went and entered the house of a prostitute named Rahab and stayed there.

The king of Jericho was told, "Look! Some of the Israelites have come here tonight to spy out the land." So the king of Jericho sent this message to Rahab: "Bring out the men who came to you and entered your house, because they have come to spy out the whole land."

But the woman had taken the two men and hidden them. She said, "Yes, the men came to me, but I did not know where they had come from. At dusk, when it was time to close the city gate, the men left. I don't know which way they went. Go after them quickly. You may catch up with them." (But she had taken them up to the roof and hidden them under the stalks of flax she had laid out on the roof.)

So the men set out in pursuit of the spies on the road that leads to the fords of the Jordan, and as soon as the pursuers had gone out, the gate was shut.

Before the spies lay down for the night, she went up on the roof and said to them, "I know that the Lord has given this land to you and that a great fear of you has fallen on us, so that all who live in this country are melting in fear because of you. We have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to Sihon and Og, the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan, whom you completely destroyed. When we heard of it, our hearts melted and everyone's courage failed because of you, for the Lord your God is God in Heaven above and on the earth below. Now then, please swear to me by the Lord that you will show kindness to my family, because I have shown kindness to you. Give me a sure sign that you will spare the lives of my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all who belong to them, and that you will save us from death."

"Our lives for your lives!" the men assured her. "If you don't tell what we are doing, we will treat you kindly and faithfully when the Lord gives us the land."

So she let them down by a rope through the window, for the house she lived in was part of the city wall. Now she had said to them, "Go to the hills so the pursuers will not find you. Hide yourselves there three days until they return, and then go on your way."

The men said to her, "This oath you made us swear will not be binding on us unless, when we enter the land, you have tied this scarlet cord in the window through which you let us down, and unless you have brought your father and mother, your brothers and all your family into your house. If anyone goes outside your house into the street, his blood will be on his own head; we will not be responsible. As for anyone who is in the house with you, his blood will be on our head if a hand is laid on him. But if you tell what we are doing, we will be released from the oath you made us swear."

"Agreed," she replied. "Let it be as you say." So she sent them away and they departed. And she tied the scarlet cord in the window.

When they left, they went into the hills and stayed there three days, until the pursuers had searched all along the road and returned without finding them. Then the two men started back. They went down out of the hills, forded the river and came to Joshua, son of Nun, and told him everything that had happened to them. They said to Joshua, "The Lord has surely given the whole land into our hands; all the people are melting in fear because of us."

Joshua 2

This ends our reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

As we get to the second chapter of Joshua, we find Israel’s new leader deciding to secretly send two spies across the Jordan and into Canaan to “look over the land…especially Jericho”. In our passage for today, we find that the two spies do as Joshua commands and the scriptures tell us they entered “the house of a prostitute named Rahab” where they stayed.

Of interest, although the spies believed they had entered Canaan undetected, we read where the king of Jericho somehow finds out about them, sending the following message to Rahab:

“Bring out the men who came to you and entered your house, because they have come to spy out the whole land."

How did Rahab respond?

Well, we see where she had no intention of blowing the spies’ cover. Instead, she hid them under the stalks of flax on the roof of her home before saying this to the king’s men:

"Yes, the men came to me, but I did not know where they had come from. At dusk, when it was time to close the city gate, the men left. I don't know which way they went. Go after them quickly. You may catch up with them."

With this, we see where the king’s men believed Rahab and “set out in pursuit of the spies” traveling “the road that leads to the fords of the Jordan”. The gate of the city was shut “as soon as the pursuers had gone out”.

So for now, the spies were safe but there was now some urgency for them to depart before the king’s men returned. This is why we find Rahab going to them before they “lay down for the night”, saying:

“I know that the Lord has given this land to you and that a great fear of you has fallen on us, so that all who live in this country are melting in fear because of you. We have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to Sihon and Og, the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan, whom you completely destroyed. When we heard of it, our hearts melted and everyone's courage failed because of you, for the Lord your God is God in Heaven above and on the earth below. Now then, please swear to me by the Lord that you will show kindness to my family, because I have shown kindness to you. Give me a sure sign that you will spare the lives of my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all who belong to them, and that you will save us from death."

The words of Rahab reflected her faith in the God of Israel. She knew of God and what He had done, believing that He could indeed do all that she had heard and more. This is why she feared the Lord, begging the two Israelite spies to intercede for her and her family. Specifically, she asked that their lives might be spared in similar fashion to how she had made the way for the spies to avoid death at the hands of the Jericho king. Note that the spies agree to honor her request but only if she continues to conceal them and not report them to the Jericho authorities.

And so Rahab lowers the spies “down by a rope through the window, for the house she lived in was part before giving them the following guidance:

“Go to the hills so the pursuers will not find you. Hide yourselves there three days until they return, and then go on your way."

We read where the spies agreed to honor Rahab’s request, ensuring her that she and her family would be protected when Israel entered with one condition. She had to tie a “scarlet cord in the window through which (she) let (them) down”. She was then required to have her entire family in the house because it was the only way they would be safe. If anyone chose to leave the home and go outside, the promise would be broken and no fault would fall on the spies for their deadly decision.

With this, Rahab sent the spies on their way before tying the scarlet cord in her window as requested. The spies followed Rahab’s direction and “went into the hills” where they “stayed…three days” until their “pursuers had searched all along the road” before returning to Jericho “without finding them”. The spies then “started back”, going “down out of the hills” where they “forded the river and came to Joshua, son of Nun”, telling “him everything that had happened to them”. Then, they added these words of assurance to their leader:

"The Lord has surely given the whole land into our hands; all the people are melting in fear because of us."

As we close this passage, we need to keep in mind that the Israelite spies only were able to return to Joshua because of the actions taken by Rahab who was willing to harbor and protect them. This made her an important player in God’s overall plan, even though she was a prostitute by trade.

Overall, this is an amazing story in Israelite history and lore. Through it, we learn two important things:

First, we should never underestimate what God might do to fulfill His plan.

If someone would have been asked to guess who the hero or heroine might have been who saved the two Israelite spies, I’m pretty sure Rahab the prostitute wouldn’t have been in the top 100. And yet, God used her in powerful ways for His glory and to ensure His will and way were done.

In the end, she and her family become part of the Israelite family.

Today, as we ponder what God might do in our lives or the lives of others, we should do so understanding that all options are open and all people are instruments for God to use. In Rahab, we see how our Lord truly transforms people from the inside out…especially when they acknowledge and revere Him like she did.

Second, never rule out who God might use for His awesome purposes.

When we look at the New Testament outside of the Gospels, the person most mentioned is the Apostle Paul. His writings dominate that part of the Bible and this might lead someone to think Paul had been the epitome of faithful servitude and holiness his entire life but it wasn’t so. For before Paul the apostle came along, he was Saul the persecutor and killer of Christians…that is until he encountered Jesus in a big way while traveling the road to Damascus. That engagement set in motion the steps that would transform Paul forever, diverting him towards the cause of Christ.

Rahab just serves as another example as God chose to use her for His purposes although she had represented the highest levels of sexual immorality. He transformed and changed her heart to not only serve Him and His people but earn her way into His family of faith.

If you’re like me, I’m sure you have looked at someone in society and judges them, perhaps even thinking that the act they committed had left them in a place that was beyond forgiveness. We are very adept in society at labeling people for the crimes they commit, labeling them with the crime they carried out. Some of those labels might be murderer, rapist, thief, child molester, abuser…and in today’s scripture, prostitute.

But here’s the thing about labeling…we’re not as good at labeling ourselves, are we?

What we are good at is giving ourselves a pass when we don’t do the same for others. In fact, we tend to view ourselves as somehow being better than others who have committed greater sins than we have. In some extreme case, people can judge while giving the impression that they had never sinned before, although the Bible makes it clear that every single person is a sinner that falls short of the Lord’s glory (Romans 3:23).

It’s equally true that no one is beyond the transforming, reforming work of the Holy Spirit and this means there is hope for anyone who would choose to repent, turn from their wicked ways, and commit themselves to the Lord’s service. This is what Rahab did…it’s what Paul did…it’s what every single Christ believer has done…and it’s what anyone else can do too, now and in the future.

And so let this be our prayer for all people everywhere…that they would turn from their sin and exchange their old life for a new one in Christ Jesus, a new life that will be dictated by God’s desire for their lives. For our scripture passage for today reminds us that the Lord can and will change anyone so to fulfill His plan, a plan which will ultimately lead to His glory.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

ALL FOR ONE AND ONE FOR ALL

Can I pray for you in any way?

Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

In Christ, Mark

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

** Follow The Christian Walk on Twitter @ThChristianWalk

** Like posts and send friend requests to the author of The Christian Walk, Mark Cummings on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/mark.cummings.733?ref=tn_tnmn

** Become a Follower of The Christian Walk at http://the-christian-walk.blogspot.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

So Joshua ordered the officers of the people: "Go through the camp and tell the people, 'Get your supplies ready. Three days from now you will cross the Jordan here to go in and take possession of the land the Lord your God is giving you for your own.'"

But to the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh, Joshua said, "Remember the command that Moses the servant of the Lord gave you: 'The Lord your God is giving you rest and has granted you this land.' Your wives, your children and your livestock may stay in the land that Moses gave you east of the Jordan, but all your fighting men, fully armed, must cross over ahead of your brothers. You are to help your brothers until the Lord gives them rest, as He has done for you, and until they too have taken possession of the land that the Lord your God is giving them. After that, you may go back and occupy your own land, which Moses, the servant of the Lord, gave you east of the Jordan toward the sunrise."

Then they answered Joshua, "Whatever you have commanded us we will do, and wherever you send us we will go. Just as we fully obeyed Moses, so we will obey you. Only may the Lord your God be with you as He was with Moses. Whoever rebels against your word and does not obey your words, whatever you may command them, will be put to death. Only be strong and courageous!"

Joshua 1:10-18

This ends our reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

At the very beginning of the Book of Joshua, chapter 1, the Lord gives instruction to His newly chosen leader of Israel, the man who this book is named after. In the earlier verses of this chapter, you’ll recall that God told him to get Israel “ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them”…a land that would include “every place where (Joshua) set (his) foot”…a “territory (that would) extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the great river, the Euphrates…to the Great Sea on the west.” This was the Promised Land…the land of Canaan that God had promised every leader of Israel from Abraham until Joshua.

Now, God was about to fulfill that promise. All Joshua and the Israelites had to do was remain obedient to what the Lord had commanded, remember that He was with them always, and with that, be strong and courageous…confident that they would have victory over any enemy within the land they were inheriting because their Lord was fighting with and for them.

So Joshua goes to the “officers of the people” and commands them:

"Go through the camp and tell the people, 'Get your supplies ready. Three days from now you will cross the Jordan here to go in and take possession of the land the Lord your God is giving you for your own.'"

He further reminds the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh that they will inherit the land where they presently were (the land east of the Jordan River) as God promised but all fighting men were to cross the Jordan and fight with their fellow Israelites. In other words, victory for Israel would be a team effort…all of their fighting men from each of the twelve tribes coming together to battle on behalf of their one true God…and that one true God would ensure victory.

In other words, it was essentially all for One (God) and One for all.

Well, after giving orders to the officers of the people, we see that the officers respond with an obedient, powerful response saying:

“Whatever you have commanded us we will do, and wherever you send us we will go. Just as we fully obeyed Moses, so we will obey you. Only may the Lord your God be with you as He was with Moses. Whoever rebels against your word and does not obey your words, whatever you may command them, will be put to death. Only be strong and courageous!"

And so we know that Joshua didn’t only have God on his side but the people of Israel as well. He was now fully ready to step forward into Moses’ role and lead the Israelites into Canaan.

You know, this passage reminded me of a concern I have with the Christian church today. For when the church first started, everyone were just Christians…no other distinctions...just one body of Christ-believers who were all committed to one Savior and Lord (Jesus).

That first century Christian church was all for One (Jesus), knowing that the He was one with the Father (John 10:30) and the One who was the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6)…the One who was with them and for them.

Now, ask yourself if we look like this as the Christian church today.

Are we REALLY all for One (Jesus) lock-stepped together for the common cause of Christ Jesus?

Or are we a world of Christ believers who identify more with a denomination or home church more than we identify with the world-wide body of Christ?

You see, my fear is that we have allowed the enemy to enter into the Christian church and fragment it, dividing and conquering the people of Jesus so that they might not reach their full effectiveness for the cause of the Gospel and he gets away with it because of our pride. He (Satan) is very skilled at getting individual churches and denominations to get all puffed up in the productive work they do within their respective frameworks for the cause of Christ, so much so that they get caught up in self aggrandization and satisfaction, unable to see how they could accomplish so much more for Jesus if they would come together with all other Christians in support of a common, collective Gospel cause.

Friends, it’s high time for a revival of ecumenicalism to reign supreme in the Christian church. It’s time for us to tear down the walls that Christ believers have built between themselves and truly join together as the universal body of Jesus Christ, the One who is the Head of the church (Colossians 1:18).

If this happened, can you imagine the power the church would hold…and how the world would be turned on its head by the groundswell of united Christian believers carrying out their Great Commission calling together. There’s simply no more time to be inefficient, ineffective, and dysfunctional as a body in carrying out what Jesus has called us to do. Now is the time for all Christians to be for the One (Jesus) as the One (the Head of the church) surely expects us to be, the One who is for us all, without question.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

GOD'S TIPS FOR SUCCESS

Can I pray for you in any way?

Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

In Christ, Mark

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

** Follow The Christian Walk on Twitter @ThChristianWalk

** Like posts and send friend requests to the author of The Christian Walk, Mark Cummings on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/mark.cummings.733?ref=tn_tnmn

** Become a Follower of The Christian Walk at http://the-christian-walk.blogspot.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

After the death of Moses, the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua, son of Nun, Moses' aide:

"Moses, My servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them—to the Israelites. I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses. Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the great river, the Euphrates—all the Hittite country—to the Great Sea on the west. No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

"Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give them. Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law My servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go."

Joshua 1:1-9

This ends our reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

As the Book of Joshua opens, the Moses era has ended and a new era begins as the Israelites fall under the command of Joshua. As chapter 1 begins, we see the Lord speaking to Moses’ successor saying:

"Moses, My servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them—to the Israelites. I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses. Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the great river, the Euphrates—all the Hittite country—to the Great Sea on the west. No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

The scriptures have showed that Joshua was a protégé to Moses so he was very well versed in everything God had done for him when he was in charge of leading the Israelites. Given this, what an awesome assurance and comfort it had to be for him to hear God would be with him just as He was for Moses. Basically, Joshua had nothing to worry about for no one would be able to stand against him all the days of his life. He knew this because the Lord told him so and everything He promises is perfectly true.

The rest of this passage, from the end of verse 5 through verse 9, offers Joshua further encouragement as he assumes leadership. They also serve as words of assurance for us, offering special tips for success within our own lives. They include:

1. I will never leave you nor forsake you.

Like Joshua and the people of Israel, God is ever with us…always and forever.

And as long as we continue to be loyal to Him and His Word, persistently seeking and following His will and way, He will guide us to do the right thing which naturally leads to success through a life that is pleasing in His sight.

My brothers and sisters, what an awesome assurance we have, knowing that our Lord will never abandon us! It’s a wonderful truth that sets us free to overcome and triumph over any challenges this life might bring.

2. Be strong and courageous. Don’t be terrified or discouraged.

The road to success can be full of difficulties and obstacles…matters that can sap your strength and cause you to question your ability to reach your goals while meeting the tasks at hand. In harder situations, we can even find ourselves paralyzed by fear and anxiety, so much so that we feel as if we can’t move forward with anything.

So how do we deal with these feelings and move past them for success?

Simply put, we go back to tip number 1 and remember that God has guaranteed that He would never leave nor forsake us. With this, ask yourself if that is anything you can’t make it through when He is alongside. Indeed, in Him, we find the power and courage we need to persevere and come out on top, not by our own might but through His. As the scriptures assure us, we can do all things through the One who gives us strength.

3. Be obedient to God’s word.

Going back to our scripture passage, we find God saying this to Joshua:

“Be careful to obey all the law My servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go.”

This final tip from the Lord to help us find success hinges on our ability to travel on the right path in life, the narrow of path of righteousness which we only walk on through an unwavering commitment to obey God’s word. Like with Joshua, God doesn’t want us to turn off this narrow path either “to the right or to the left”. This is because a diversion from the way of the Lord will lead someone down a path of destruction that takes them away from the success God wants them to have.

We can avoid this from happening if we don’t allow His Word to depart from our mouths. He expects us to meditate on the scriptures and then act on them, living a life that He wants us to live. If we do this, then we can be sure the Lord will make sure we are prosperous and successful.

In closing, it may see like fully complying with God’s word is a daunting task but it really isn’t as long as we remain committed to tips 1 and 2. For our Lord is indeed always with us and won’t forsake us and it’s because of this truth that we can ever be strong and courageous.

Thanks be to God for all He has been, all He is, and all he is yet to be as He helps any of us to be the people He wants us to be while living an abundantly successful life in Him.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

A BLESSED EULOGY

Can I pray for you in any way?

Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

In Christ, Mark

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

** Follow The Christian Walk on Twitter @ThChristianWalk

** Like posts and send friend requests to the author of The Christian Walk, Mark Cummings on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/mark.cummings.733?ref=tn_tnmn

** Become a Follower of The Christian Walk at http://the-christian-walk.blogspot.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

Then Moses climbed Mount Nebo from the plains of Moab to the top of Pisgah, across from Jericho. There the Lord showed him the whole land—from Gilead to Dan, all of Naphtali, the territory of Ephraim and Manasseh, all the land of Judah as far as the western sea, the Negev and the whole region from the Valley of Jericho, the City of Palms, as far as Zoar. Then the Lord said to him, "This is the land I promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob when I said, 'I will give it to your descendants.' I have let you see it with your eyes, but you will not cross over into it."

And Moses the servant of the Lord died there in Moab, as the Lord had said. He buried him in Moab, in the valley opposite Beth Peor, but to this day no one knows where his grave is. Moses was a hundred and twenty years old when he died, yet his eyes were not weak nor his strength gone. The Israelites grieved for Moses in the plains of Moab thirty days, until the time of weeping and mourning was over.

Now Joshua, son of Nun, was filled with the spirit of wisdom because Moses had laid his hands on him. So the Israelites listened to him and did what the Lord had commanded Moses.

Since then, no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face, who did all those miraculous signs and wonders the Lord sent him to do in Egypt—to Pharaoh and to all his officials and to his whole land. For no one has ever shown the mighty power or performed the awesome deeds that Moses did in the sight of all Israel.

Deuteronomy 34

This ends our reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

As the Book of Deuteronomy ends, so too does the life of Moses.

After wishing blessings on Israel and its tribes, Moses climbed Mount Nebo where the Lord “showed him the whole land—from Gilead to Dan, all of Naphtali, the territory of Ephraim and Manasseh, all the land of Judah as far as the western sea, the Negev and the whole region from the Valley of Jericho, the City of Palms, as far as Zoar”. Once on the mountain and in sight of the vista, God told Moses, “This is the land I promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob when I said, 'I will give it to your descendants.' I have let you see it with your eyes, but you will not cross over into it."

And with that, Moses died as “the Lord had said” but we should note that he didn’t pass on without some acclaim for we see that all his many years of faithful service didn’t go for naught. And while it was true that he had sinned against God in a big way, in the end this shouldn’t have completely blotted out all the good he had done in the Lord’s name and for His sake.

This is why we find the Word of God underscoring the positive things about Moses, things that serve as a blessed eulogy and tribute…things that I pray others might say about us as well when that time comes when we die.

Let’s look at some of the specific reasons that Moses was praised:

1. He was a servant of the Lord.

When it comes right down to it, service is central to what God expects from His people. He wants all of us to submit fully to His will, Word and way, just as He expected the Israelites to do more than 3,400 years ago.

Indeed, God commanded and demanded obedience from His people who were expected to follow His direction and instruction without compromise. Carrying this out would naturally lead the Israelites into an attitude of service, willingly and willfully doing what God wanted them to do.

To that end, Moses was definitely a strong servant of the Lord, a Lord who favored him for his faithful devotion.

We should be like him.

2. He set himself apart for God.

Moses could have just lived a normal life, going through the motions every day without seeking distinction but that isn’t what God expects from His servants.

“To serve” is an action verb, one that requires a person to do something for another. It requires proactivity.

With this, Moses definitely distinguished himself through his service, so much so that the scriptures tell us this:

“…no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses…for no one has ever shown the mighty power or performed the awesome deeds that Moses did in the sight of all Israel.”

In the end translation, Moses was able to do what he did because he placed his full heart and soul into the Lord’s service and this set him apart from everyone else. Likewise, believers today can only live with distinction and set themselves apart for the Lord when they give Him their full heart and soul…just like Moses.

3. He had a very personal relationship with the Lord, one where he was with Him face-to-face.

God first met Moses at the burning bush near Mount Horeb (Exodus 3) and commissioned him to lead the Israelites to freedom from their Egyptian bondage and oppression. After that, the Lord continued to meet with the Israelite leader on many occasions, the most significant of which being their meeting on Mount Sinai where God directly gave Moses His commandments to be passed onto His people.  

Why did God choose to meet with Moses face-to-face?

Because Moses was an obedient, devout believer who strived to set himself apart by serving God with all his heart and soul.

Today, the same God is just as available to us as He was to Moses and how well we distinguish ourselves before Him in obedience and heartfelt devotion…not just with part of who we are but all of ourselves…will dictate just how closely He relates to us. Our hope should be that the Lord desires to be as intimately involved with us as He did Moses.

4. God used him in powerful ways.

The scriptures we looked at prior affirm this point as well.

“…no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses…who did all those miraculous signs and wonders the Lord sent him to do in Egypt—to Pharaoh and to all his officials and to his whole land.”

Indeed, the Lord did use Moses to perform many miracles in and through His power. Moses’ key failure only happened because he broke a cardinal rule and tried to take credit for God’s amazing, miraculous work himself instead of giving Him the honor, glory, and praise.

We need to learn from the mistake of Moses and always give glory and praise to the One who is always worthy of it. If we do so, we will live our lives under His blessing and favor as He uses us in powerful ways to carry out His will and fulfill His purposes.

As I close, some though-provoking questions about how you might be remembered in life…

If you were to die today, what would your eulogy read like?

What would people say about you and your relationship with the Lord?

Would they say you were a faithful, dedicated servant? Would they say you worked very hard to set yourself apart from the world for the Lord’s cause? Would they see you as having a special, intimate, personal relationship with God in your life? And would they have seen God use you in powerful ways?

My friends, only you can answer those questions but my prayer is that you will do an honest assessment, carefully considering where you are and making any changes in areas that need addressed. For when our time here on earth is done, I pray that we will be blessed in the way others remember us like Moses was.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

BLESSED BEYOND BELIEF

Can I pray for you in any way?

Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

In Christ, Mark

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

** Follow The Christian Walk on Twitter @ThChristianWalk

** Like posts and send friend requests to the author of The Christian Walk, Mark Cummings on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/mark.cummings.733?ref=tn_tnmn

** Become a Follower of The Christian Walk at http://the-christian-walk.blogspot.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

This is the blessing that Moses the man of God pronounced on the Israelites before his death. He said:

“The Lord came from Sinai and dawned over them from Seir; He shone forth from Mount Paran. He came with myriads of holy ones from the south, from His mountain slopes.”

"Surely it is You who love the people; all the holy ones are in Your hand. At Your feet, they all bow down, and from You receive instruction, the law that Moses gave us, the possession of the assembly of Jacob.”

“He was king over Jeshurun when the leaders of the people assembled, along with the tribes of Israel.”

“Let Reuben live and not die, nor his men be few.”

And this he said about Judah: “Hear, O Lord, the cry of Judah; bring him to his people. With his own hands he defends his cause. Oh, be his help against his foes!"

About Levi, he said: “Your Thummim and Urim belong to the man you favored. You tested him at Massah; you contended with him at the waters of Meribah. He said of his father and mother, ‘I have no regard for them.’ He did not recognize his brothers or acknowledge his own children, but he watched over Your Word and guarded Your covenant.”

“He teaches Your precepts to Jacob and Your law to Israel. He offers incense before You and whole burnt offerings on Your altar. Bless all his skills, O Lord, and be pleased with the work of his hands. Smite the loins of those who rise up against him; strike his foes till they rise no more."

About Benjamin he said: “Let the beloved of the Lord rest secure in him, for He shields him all day long, and the one the Lord loves rests between His shoulders.”

About Joseph he said: “May the Lord bless his land with the precious dew from Heaven above and with the deep waters that lie below; with the best the sun brings forth and the finest the moon can yield; with the choicest gifts of the ancient mountains and the fruitfulness of the everlasting hills; with the best gifts of the earth and its fullness and the favor of Him who dwelt in the burning bush. Let all these rest on the head of Joseph, on the brow of the prince among his brothers.”

“In majesty, he is like a firstborn bull; his horns are the horns of a wild ox. With them he will gore the nations, even those at the ends of the earth. Such are the ten thousands of Ephraim; such are the thousands of Manasseh.”

About Zebulun he said: “Rejoice, Zebulun, in your going out, and you, Issachar, in your tents. They will summon peoples to the mountain and there offer sacrifices of righteousness; they will feast on the abundance of the seas, on the treasures hidden in the sand.”

About Gad he said: “Blessed is he who enlarges Gad's domain! Gad lives there like a lion, tearing at arm or head. He chose the best land for himself; the leader's portion was kept for him. When the heads of the people assembled, he carried out the Lord’s righteous will, and his judgments concerning Israel.”

About Dan he said: “Dan is a lion's cub, springing out of Bashan.”

About Naphtali he said: “Naphtali is abounding with the favor of the Lord and is full of His blessing; he will inherit southward to the lake.”

About Asher he said: “Most blessed of sons is Asher; let him be favored by his brothers, and let him bathe his feet in oil. The bolts of your gates will be iron and bronze, and your strength will equal your days. There is no one like the God of Jeshurun, who rides on the heavens to help you and on the clouds in his majesty. The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms. He will drive out your enemy before you, saying, 'Destroy him!'”

“So Israel will live in safety alone; Jacob's spring is secure in a land of grain and new wine, where the heavens drop dew. Blessed are you, O Israel! Who is like you, a people saved by the Lord? He is your shield and helper and your glorious sword. Your enemies will cower before you, and you will trample down their high places.”

Deuteronomy 33

This ends our reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

As the Book of Deuteronomy is coming to an end, Moses is about to pass away and would not get to cross the Jordan River into Canaan with his fellow Israelites. Given this, he could have easily just gone to Mount Nebo and died but he didn’t. Instead, as we see in today’s passage, he gathered the people of Israel together with him for one final time, proclaiming God’s blessings on them as a whole as well by tribe.

Hopefully, as we read these blessings that were imparted on Israel, I hope we can see how we too are equally blessed today. And just as Moses was reminding the Israelites, we too need to be spurred on to remember just how much goodness the Lord imparts on His children, the ones He cares for so dearly and deeply.

Let’s look at some of the specific blessings mentioned in these verses:

1. God loves us. (“Surely it is You who love the people…”)

Everything that God does for us (and that includes His correction) comes out of the love He has for us. This love is perfect and whole and uncompromising. In its highest form, it was a love that led Him to give up His one and only Son, Jesus, so that we might not perish but have everlasting life if we simply just believe in Him (John 3:16). Truly, our God loves us to where He wants the best for us and wants us to become the best we can be in Him.

2. We are in God’s hands. (“…all the holy ones are in Your hand”)

How often do we feel confused or lost or helpless?

How often are we in need, not knowing who we can turn to for assistance?

How often do we forget to call on God when we need guidance or aid?

Friends, life is hard. It comes at us fast and places challenges before us constantly. In those times, we have the blessed assurance of knowing that God has us in His hands. He has a plan and purpose for each of us and all we need to do is trust Him, submitting to His will and allowing it to be done.

When we do this, we can be certain that the Lord won’t lead us wrong. He also will never forsake us but rather be ever near because He is indeed Emmanuel…God with us…now and forever.

3. God grants us instruction. (“…and from You receive instruction”)

God had given the Israelites all His laws and commandments, and Moses made sure they knew them all. And we need to remember that they didn’t just listen to Moses and hear God’s direction and expectations that way. Moses also made sure the Law was written down to be read and referred to, especially by the leaders of Israel. You’ll recall that this printed Word was presented it to the priests who were required to carry it with the Ark of the Covenant. The people of Israel would not travel and worship without having the scriptures.

In present times, we too have God’s word, much more than the Israelites had, for sure. Nonetheless, the Lord’s expectations are the same for us as they were for ancient Israel. For we are to stay obedient to His Word and will, allowing the Holy Spirit to lead and guide us toward righteousness and holiness….toward living like Jesus did in every way during every day.

4. God grants us rest. (“Let the beloved of the Lord rest secure in Him, for He shields him all day long, and the one the Lord loves rests between His shoulders.”)

There have been many times in my life when I have felt overwhelmed by the weight of the world.

Maybe you can relate?

You see, life’s circumstances can indeed leave a person tired and weary… exhausted and on empty…often despaired and depressed.

Thank goodness that we have the Lord during these times. For we need only turn to Him and see that He’s willing to help us through the tough times…to shield us all day long…granting us relief and release while leading us to a peace and rest that is beyond understanding (Philippians 4:6-7).

5. God grants us the best gifts. (“…with the choicest gifts of the ancient mountains and the fruitfulness of the everlasting hills; with the best gifts of the earth and its fullness”)

Our God doesn’t provide low quality blessings. Rather, He grants good and perfect gifts to His people (James 1:17).

Given this truth, we need to remember and give thanks for every good and perfect gift we receive because it is from Him and Him alone. We need to then use the gifts He has given to satisfy His will as we use them to His glory.

6. God desires to help us. (“…who rides on the heavens to help you”)

We serve a caring, compassionate God who always stands ready to assist us in our times of trouble. All we need to do is trust Him and believe that He can do all things for after all, He is God!

I pray that all believers would learn to let go and let God be the Lord of our lives, relinquishing their will for His. For if they do this, then they can always rest assured that He will help them get through anything they’re going through.

7. God is our Protector. (“The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms”…”He will drive out your enemy before you”…”He is your shield and helper and your glorious sword.”)

The people of Israel were about to enter a foreign land (Canaan) and enter into sure conflict with its inhabitants. In advance of this, God promised the Israelites over and over that He would be with them and would deliver them to victory. Indeed, He was their protector and would continue to be so as long as His people remained obedient, something they would unfortunately fail to do as the Lord well knew.

In present times, God stands ever ready to protect us as well, placing a covering over us as we walk through life and its daily perils. What a blessing it is to know we have such a Great Protector and so we need never fear because He is with us.

8. God saves us. (“Who is like you, a people saved by the Lord?”)

As we look at the blessings in this Old Testament passage, isn’t it awesome that the last blessing we come to is centered on the matter of salvation. For surely there is no greater blessing He gives us than that.

Through the crucifixion and resurrection of His Son, God made the way clear for all people to live in Heaven forever if they would just believe in Jesus as Savior (John 3:16). opened the gates of Heaven for everyone who would simply believe in His Son as Savior…and He did so out of love.

For those who accepted His terms for salvation, God promised that they wouldn’t perish but instead gain eternal life. Therefore, death would never be the end for any Christ believer but rather the remarkable beginning of a new life free of all the world’s trappings and afflictions…a life where they will reside with God and Jesus every single day.

And so there’s a good reason why this eighth blessing is last because it is the best one of all.

Brothers and sisters, as we look at all these blessings in sum, we realize quickly that while the list is strong, it is far from being all inclusive. In fact, if we tried to account for every single blessing the Lord has given, we wouldn’t have enough space to do so. This is how exponentially good He has been throughout the history of mankind.

This truth should buoy us up with praise and gratitude toward our Lord and the great Provider He is. We should keep in mind that we have no good reason to sit around and complain about life because the truth of the matter is, we are blessed beyond belief…and we can thank God for that!

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.