TODAY’S WORD FOR TUESDAY AUGUST 8, 2017.
RISKS
DEFINITION:
A hazard or dangerous chance; exposure to the chance of defeat, injury or loss.
Only be strong and very courageous; be careful to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may have success wherever you go. Joshua 1:7.
In the first chapter of Joshua God has given one of the greatest, if not the greatest, pep talk in all of scripture. Moses had just died and Joshua was very concerned if he could handle the leadership of the Children of Israel especially entering the Promised Land in a military action that would surely involve significant risks. Joshua knew from Moses that the Children of Israel were stubborn and rebellious and difficult to lead. But Joshua was God’s choice thus the pep talk to Joshua and what God said to Joshua is so good for us today.
Joshua was unsettled about facing a strong hostile army. But the Lord knew that Joshua could handle the responsibility and spoke words of encouragement to him that still rings true today.
First of all, have you ever thought what would have happened if Joshua had refused this assignment given to him by God. The nation of Israel possibly would have continued just wandering in the desert with no one to lead them and nowhere to go. There was also the possibility that they would turn back and return to Egypt to live in slavery. But Joshua was a man of great faith and courage, and he boldly responded to the call of God and took up the responsibility that God was giving him.
Joshua had a lot on his plate. Between the Israelites and the Promised land stood two formidable obstacles, the Jordan river and the fortified city of Jericho. Humanly speaking, to surmount these obstacles would put their very lives at great risk.
Joshua, first of all, had to get all the Israelites (scholars calculated there were at least 2.5 million people, including women and children) and in addition all their livestock and belongings safely across the Jordan river. Then he had to conquer the large city of Jericho whose walls were 25 feet high and 20 feet thick.
With God’s help, Joshua led the people across the Jordan river, conquered not only Jericho but the rest of the Promised land. Joshua was successful because he trusted God and obeyed all that God told him to do.
Like Joshua, we face daily obstacles that seem to push our faith to the breaking point. But it seems that when we face adversity at its strongest, God strengthens our faith (James 1:2-4). When we refuse to follow Him into risky situations, the results can be devastating to our spiritual growth. Consider these 5 consequences of disobedience:
• You will never become the person that God wants you to be.
• You limit your usefulness to the Lord.
• You will live a life of rationalized disobedience.
• You will be governed by fear rather than by faith.
• You risk not only losing rewards in heaven but also blessings on earth.
The Lord is trustworthy and we need to be careful not to refuse God’s call. Whatever His plan is for your life, be assured He will see you safely through every ordeal just like He did for Joshua, but we must trust in God and be strong and courageous in our faith.
Our memory verse for this week is found in I Chronicles 16:25:
For the Lord is great and greatly to be praised; He is also to be feared above all gods.
Teach me not to limit what You want me to accomplish for Your sake. Help me to be a risk taker for You. Enable me to be strong and courageous as I step out in faith to be obedient to Your Word and do all You command me to do.
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