Committed to obey God
No one will be able to stand against you as long as you live. For I will be with you as I was with Moses. I will not fail you or abandon you. “Be strong and courageous, for you are the one who will lead these people to possess all the land I swore to their ancestors I would give them. 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. Joshua 1:5-8 Joshua was appointed by God to take over leading the Israelites after Moses has gone to be with the Lord. He has the task of leading them to enter the Promised Land. The success of what he will be doing will depend on his willingness to trust God. His trust will include his commitment to obey God’s commands and not to deviate from His instructions. Sometimes, he will be commanded to do what seemed to be irrational. When Moses was still alive, he led them out of Egypt and when they reached the edge of the Red Sea they were commanded to step on to the water. They found this command hard to believe and yet when Moses instructed them to do so and they listened they were able to cross the Red Sea. Just like Moses, Joshua will also be instructed by God to step on the water when they reach Jordan. “Give this command to the priests who carry the Ark of the Covenant: ‘When you reach the banks of the Jordan River, take a few steps into the river and stop there’” (Joshua 3:8). There will be times God’s commands just don’t make sense. They will be contrary to what you perceive or understand as logical. He will tell you to trust and obey Him. This is how your relationship with God should be characterized. You will live your life celebrating His faithfulness and presence by obeying His Word. Whether there will be people around you or not, your resolve is that your manners will bear witness to His Name. You are to live your life for His glory alone. Just like Joshua, when you obey God you will prove that your life is empowered by His love and by His grace. Let the Spirit of God unveil His word in your life as you meditate on it day and night. Once you live your life committed to obeying God, you will bless the Lord. “I will bless the Lord who has counseled me...for I have set the Lord continually before me” (Psalm 16:7-8). When you delight in Him, He will be pleased. There will be no higher calling in this world than to give yourself to God and glorify Him.
Blessings.