March 22, 2012 … The Prescription for Spiritual Success

Passage of the Day: Reference of Today’s Chronological Bible Study: Joshua, Chapters 1-4 … To study these chapters, go to this link -

Added Passage of the Day: Reference of Today’s Chronological Bible Study: Joshua 1: 1-9 … To study these chapters, go to this link -

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Highlight Reference Passage : Joshua 1: 8 … Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; 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.

My Journal for Today: My chronological read in the Bible today takes me from the “Book of the Law,” i.e., the first five books of the Bible, penned by Moses, into the chronicle of God’s people, led by Joshua, moving into the promised-land. And the highlight passage from these four chapters, which I was led to read/study today, and to which you’re linked above, was easy for me to pick. Joshua 1: 8, which was God’s specific prescription to Moses for spiritual success, is a passage which has helped to shape my life; and hence I have a particular personal/emotional investment in this blog this morning.

First, the key verse today lies at the outset of Joshua’s charge and encouragement – by God Himself – for Moses’ hand-picked leader to take the people across the Jordan, moving from what is now the country of Jordan into the designated and God-given promised-land in what we now know of as Israel. This was certainly a daunting task for the man who had been Moses’ right-hand warrior and co-leader for so many years. But here was Joshua, tagged as the complete and singular leader of God’s people; and he wasn’t used to wearing the mantle of leadership which Moses had held. So, at the outset of Joshua 1, verses 1-9, we read of God’s pep-talk to Joshua, encouraging him with a remembrance of the covenant that God would give Joshua and the people every parcel of property where they walked into the new land; and with their obedience to His word – past and present – God would be with Joshua in all he did.

But the highlight verse today, Joshua 1: 8, is key in this task directive God imparts to Joshua. And the Lord tells Joshua that for this task to which Joshua has been selected by God, Joshua must discipline himself to be in and stay in God’s word (and that would be those first five books of the Bible) day and night, being “… careful to do everything written in it;” … and if Joshua did this, God promised him success and power in carrying out God’s charge [i.e., His will].

My reading friend, I hope you can see the immediate application for you and me for this prescription for success when we are moving in life across whatever Jordan we must cross and when we move through life toward God’s promised-land. But whenever we know where God is leading us (i.e., His will or direction for our lives), it usually involves some decision to cross a “Jordan River” in our lives. Perhaps you know that you need to begin living in a manner which involves courage to change some habit or lifestyle pattern. At one point in my life I knew that God wanted me to turn from pursuing sexual sin and other habitual patterns of idolatry and/or covetousness in my life. The decision to repent and move from ungodly behavior to Godly behavior was my “Jordan.” Well, it was a mentor, the Moses in my life, who helped me, as his Joshua, to see the application of Joshua 1: 8 to the task that God was laying out for me … i.e., to be obedient and follow Him (much like Jesus instructed His disciples in Luke 9: 23).

So, using the instruction and personal interpretation of Joshua 1: 8 for the life choices which lay ahead of me, my mentor helped me realize that I was going to have to be in and stay in God’s word daily and continuously, letting God’s word and His purpose guide me, … much as is put forth in other Scriptures like Isaiah 55: 11 and 2nd Timothy 3: 16-17. So, needing desperately to reform my life under God’s will and direction and away from fleshly pursuits, with the help of my mentor, I got involved in a rigorous daily scripture memory process; and he helped me begin and develop the discipline of a daily morning Bible-led devotional, where I would be in God’s word daily and getting God’s word deeply into my being in a disciplined way. And that, my friends, is the essence of what God was instructing Joshua to do to be successful in carrying out the will God had for his life.

My dear one, how much is God’s word a part of your pursuing personal success with regard to God’s will in your life? Is there some task or direction which you know God is leading you toward; but you have retained selfish desires to satisfy your flesh rather than fulfilling God’s will successfully? Well, if so, have you tried carrying out and following through with the Joshua 1: 8 prescription?

And one of the scripture passages I was given by my mentor to contextualize, memorize, and internalize years ago was Psalm 119: 9,…11, where God’s word states - How can a young man (i.e., an immature Christian) cleanse his way? … By taking head to Your word. … Your word I have hidden in my heart that I might not sin against You.

My friend, I don’t know about you; but I want to be a Christian who is successful in the way I live, avoiding sin in my life, and being able to live in fulfillment of God’s will. And today’s prescription for success in living this way is the same for me (and for you) as it was for Joshua; and if we desire to be successful as “Christians,” being in, living in, and living out God’s word is the key to that success.

My Prayer Today: … Oh, Lord, how I desire to stay in Your word everyday of my life, letting Your word guide me and empower me to be successful in shining Your light in a very dark world. Amen

2010 – Mar. 10 – Crossing Our Own Jordan

Study from God’s Word… Josh 1: 1 – 9; Josh 3: 1; Josh 2: 1 – 24; Josh 1: 10 – 18; Josh 3: 2 – 17; Josh 4: 12 – 12, 13; Josh 4: 9 – 11; Josh 4: 15 – 18; Josh 4: 1 – 8; Josh 4: 19 – 24; Josh 4: 14; Josh 5: 1 – 15; … Passage for Reflection: Joshua 1: 9 [along with verse 8 for more context] … NIV 8 “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. 9 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."

My Journal for Today: Today in my reading of The Daily Bible and the material provided by F. LaGard Smith in his devotional targeted for March 10, I am reading and meditating on one of my favorite passages in all of the Old Testament. It is the time when Joshua is handed the mantle of leadership of God’s people; and he takes them, at God’s command and with His careful instruction, across the Jordan river, once again be protected by another dry-ground crossing of a body of water, engineered by God to miraculously show the people just how powerful their God is and how following Joshua, His designated leader, is the only way to go.

And in today’s target verse (Chapter 1, verse 9) along with one of the most powerful instructions in all of the OT, Verse 8, we read exactly what a believer needs to remember and follow as each of us crosses our own “Jordan.” I don’t know what your “Jordan” might be. Perhaps you’re battling cancer; and you need to decide to cross the Jordan of trust in God and your medical treatment team. Maybe, like many of the men in the ministry I’m called to lead, you’ve had years of repeated sexual sin; and you need to cross the “Jordan” of confessing your sin to others, maybe including your wife or your Pastor. Perhaps, you’re facing the ultimate “Jordan,” and that is impending death, because you have a diagnosis of a fatal disease of some kind.

Actually, every human faces the latter “Jordan,” because we all have the fatal diagnosis of aging and 100% of us will cross our personal “Jordan” from this life into eternity. The question is not whether we will or will not “cross over,” … it is whether we will do so with faith in the same God, through the deliverance of His Son’s death on the cross, Who delivered God’s people across the Jordan, being led by Joshua.

How about you? Will you be crossing the “Jordan” of death, knowing that you’ll be delivered unto eternal life on the other side? And what about any other “Jordan” you might be facing. Do you have absolute assurance that you’ll have spiritual success in the march forward in life once you cross that “Jordan” in your life?

Well, my friend, in today’s passage you have God’s absolute promise of success as you contemplate crossing that “Jordan” in your life. If you get into and stay into God’s word [i.e., the Bible] – day and night – following all that is commanded therein, God’s word promises [see Josh 1: 8] that you’ll have success in the march forward, doing what Jesus has commanded you (again, as I refer so often, see Luke 9: 23). And when we cross the “Jordan” of decision, which God has lain before us for our life, we can know, as did Joshua, that we will enter into God’s Promised Land, with ultimately what Heaven itself has to offer.

And is that not worth following God across the “Jordan” in our lives today?

My Prayer for Today: Lord, I crossed the “Jordan” to which You led me long ago; and now I claim the Promised Land in Your Name. Amen