Pocket Sized Thoughts – Joshua – Part 1

“As I was with Moses, so will I be with you.” (1:5)

As we enter a new year, we hope for new things. The book of Joshua introduces a new era in the history of God’s people. The children of Israel have left Egypt and they are about to leave the wilderness of 40 years and enter into Canaan, the promised land. Moses has died and a new leader, Joshua, has been appointed by God to take the people in. The first half of this first chapter is almost all taken up with the Lord God directly speaking to Joshua. There are great promises of possession, clarity of purpose and exhortations to be strong and obedient. This rested upon the assurance that God would be with him. It is a high honour indeed to be chosen to do God’s work. But we are not chosen for our abilities; our ‘natural’ qualifications disqualify us. We do not boast because as Joshua followed on from Moses, we enter into other men’s labours (John 4:38). Any enterprise for God embarked upon must have the key ingredient of God’s presence. His presence is His blessing; without His presence, there would be no blessing, no matter how strong we think we are, or how convinced that we are doing God’s will. We must know that as He was with others, so He is with us. This removes all ground for pride; humility and utter dependence upon God are essential qualifications for doing God’s work. If we have these, we are ready to go forward.

PRAYER :- “Lord, thank you that Your presence with us gives all necessary courage.”