Tag: chosen

Posted in A Father's Love, Devotions, Holiness, spiritual warfare, The Gospels, wisdom, worship

Luke 6 Part 1–The Sabbath

Posted on by Michael Smith

One of the struggles God has with His chosen is helping them to understand why there are rules in life.  God framed life for us to give us the maximum experience.  He set parameters for our benefit and aid.  He did not craft rules as some “GOTCHA Mechanism”. When Jesus began his ministry, His primary focus was to show the world a true snapshot of the Father, not some ominous caricature of a cosmic kill joy, with a ruler to slap our hands every time we missed a box or failed to properly honor a rule.  Chief among those gotchas was the sabbath.  Make no mistake, God wants us to set aside a day for rest and worship.  We need that.  We get to spinning so fast on our axis, that sometimes we would wear out if we did not take a day and slow down refocus and reconnect with the Lord.  

Still, that process was never intended to be a burden, in fact, it was designed as the opposite–a relief to the week’s burdens. The Jewish leaders, however had crafted the law so carefully as to completely lose the meaning behind God’s day of rest.  They made it so intricate that people literally dreaded what God intended to be the best day of the week.  So, Jesus as He was ministering, showed these “scholars” that they were missing the boat.  He simply celebrated the day without fanfare or worry–not sweating the small stuff.  The religious leaders hated that!  “Where is the guilt?, where is the oppression in that?”, they thought.  Jesus simply shook His head and left examples for those that had eyes to see, that God was not playing Gotcha–no Father does that!

We, as God’s chosen, are loved and saved from our sin and the world’s grip on our lives.  Why would the Father save us to then make us miserable with rules and checklists that direct each breath and step we take?  Jesus said it best when asked what laws were the most important–He replied, “Love God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength! then Love your neighbor as you love yourself.” If we will do those two things, there will never be a need for a checklist.  Our behavior will reflect the Father! Jesus knew that and did his best to teach and demonstrate that throughout His ministry!

God Bless You

 One Sabbath day as Jesus was walking through some grainfields, his disciples broke off heads of grain, rubbed off the husks in their hands, and ate the grain. 2 But some Pharisees said, “Why are you breaking the law by harvesting grain on the Sabbath?”

3 Jesus replied, “Haven’t you read in the Scriptures what David did when he and his companions were hungry? 4 He went into the house of God and broke the law by eating the sacred loaves of bread that only the priests can eat. He also gave some to his companions.” 5 And Jesus added, “The Son of Man[a] is Lord, even over the Sabbath.”

Jesus Heals on the Sabbath

6 On another Sabbath day, a man with a deformed right hand was in the synagogue while Jesus was teaching. 7 The teachers of religious law and the Pharisees watched Jesus closely. If he healed the man’s hand, they planned to accuse him of working on the Sabbath.

8 But Jesus knew their thoughts. He said to the man with the deformed hand, “Come and stand in front of everyone.” So the man came forward. 9 Then Jesus said to his critics, “I have a question for you. Does the law permit good deeds on the Sabbath, or is it a day for doing evil? Is this a day to save life or to destroy it?”

10 He looked around at them one by one and then said to the man, “Hold out your hand.” So the man held out his hand, and it was restored! 11 At this, the enemies of Jesus were wild with rage and began to discuss what to do with him.

Posted in A Father's Love, devotion, Holiness, Marraige, spiritual warfare, The Gospels, wisdom, worship

Isaiah 65–God’s New Heaven and New Earth

Posted on by Michael Smith

Isaiah 65 is a difficult chapter.  It is broken into several parts. It begins with a promise of restoration for the remnant of Israel.  It is a breath of fresh air for those exiled to Babylon.  In the short term it describes the return after exile in nice and hopeful detail.

There is however a clear message of judgement for the rebellious.  God goes into detail about the peoples’ sin, their ignoring God, and worshipping other gods.  He even details eating pork and other non-kosher foods.  It is not God attacking the nation’s dietary laws, it is a Father exasperated by His chosen’s apparent disregard for their national identity and their covenant to trust and follow Him.

The final section, however, is the most wonderful part of the chapter.  It is the Father’s description of what lies ahead.  “See I will create a new Heaven and a new Earth!”  It was not only a promise to Israel, but it was a promise to all God’s chosen.  Face it, then and now there was pain, poverty, injustice, and death.  Families were in disarray, lives were wasted, and people were in states of hopelessness–SOUND FAMILIAR?  This was a loving Father’s reminder to His beloved that this is a dot on a very long line! What we must look forward to is a place of beauty, of love, and of peace.  No more injustice, no more pain, and no more separation from God.

For the nation of Israel, that was a promise that could not come too soon.  From their inception, they were always hated by the world, because they were different! They chose to follow one God and allow Him to dictate their journey! It seemed ludicrous to many and offensive to the rest.  Living lives of selflessness and humility had to be fake and pompous, right?  The promise is clear, if we will trust and follow our Lord, then we will enjoy eternity with Him.  We will live in a new Heaven and new earth without pain, without death, without ridiculous bickering, or injustice. I would humbly argue that such a promise is worth our love and devotion.  It was made for us, and planned for us by a Father that simply loves His own.  Embrace it and follow Him!

God Bless You

“See, I will create
    new heavens and a new earth.
The former things will not be remembered,
    nor will they come to mind.
18 But be glad and rejoice forever
    in what I will create,
for I will create Jerusalem to be a delight
    and its people a joy.
19 I will rejoice over Jerusalem
    and take delight in my people;
the sound of weeping and of crying
    will be heard in it no more.

20 “Never again will there be in it
    an infant who lives but a few days,
    or an old man who does not live out his years;
the one who dies at a hundred
    will be thought a mere child;
the one who fails to reach[a] a hundred
    will be considered accursed.
21 They will build houses and dwell in them;
    they will plant vineyards and eat their fruit.
22 No longer will they build houses and others live in them,
    or plant and others eat.
For as the days of a tree,
    so will be the days of my people;
my chosen ones will long enjoy
    the work of their hands.
23 They will not labor in vain,
    nor will they bear children doomed to misfortune;
for they will be a people blessed by the Lord,
    they and their descendants with them.
24 Before they call I will answer;
    while they are still speaking I will hear.
25 The wolf and the lamb will feed together,
    and the lion will eat straw like the ox,
    and dust will be the serpent’s food.
They will neither harm nor destroy
    on all my holy mountain,”
says the Lord.

Posted in A Father's Love, spiritual warfare, The Gospels, wisdom, worship

Isaiah 26–Trusting God Brings All We Could Imagine

Posted on by Michael Smith

Prophets not only speak to what lies ahead, they also simply speak the truth.  Isaiah is simply speaking the truth when he says following the Lord brings peace. He looks to a time when Judah is following the Lord and what God shows him is peace. People that know God will long for His presence.  They will trust in His provision; they will rest in the Lord’s protection.  He will be the walls.  He will be the watchmen.

Conversely, those that fail to follow God, even when God grants them favor, will not recognize it.  They won’t notice His protection; they will fail to appreciate God’s provision.  They will ascribe his protection to their own skill and craftiness.  They will hoard any blessing as their own and fail to benefit anyone–except themselves.  Sadly, their attempts to hoard and be the center of attention is the very things that will keep them from enjoying the benefits they long for, peace and security.

The word is filled with the promise of peace by simply submitting to God’s lead. Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, do not lean on your own understanding, acknowledge Him in all your ways and He will make your path straight,” Matthew 6:33, “Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things (peace, provision, and protection) will be added to you.” Philippians 4:19, “My God is faithful to supply all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus.”

Our job is simple, know our Lord. Trust and follow him daily. Then watch Him make your lives great.

God Bless You

In that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah:

“We have a strong city;
    he sets up salvation
    as walls and bulwarks.
2 Open the gates,
    that the righteous nation that keeps faith may enter in.
3 You keep him in perfect peace
    whose mind is stayed on you,
    because he trusts in you.
4 Trust in the Lord forever,
    for the Lord God is an everlasting rock.
5 For he has humbled
    the inhabitants of the height,
    the lofty city.
He lays it low, lays it low to the ground,
    casts it to the dust.
6 The foot tramples it,
    the feet of the poor,
    the steps of the needy.”

7 The path of the righteous is level;
    you make level the way of the righteous.
8 In the path of your judgments,
    O Lord, we wait for you;
your name and remembrance
    are the desire of our soul.
9 My soul yearns for you in the night;
    my spirit within me earnestly seeks you.
For when your judgments are in the earth,
    the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness.
10 If favor is shown to the wicked,
    he does not learn righteousness;
in the land of uprightness he deals corruptly
    and does not see the majesty of the Lord.
11 O Lord, your hand is lifted up,
    but they do not see it.
Let them see your zeal for your people, and be ashamed.
    Let the fire for your adversaries consume them.
12 O Lord, you will ordain peace for us,
    for you have indeed done for us all our works.
13 O Lord our God,
    other lords besides you have ruled over us,
    but your name alone we bring to remembrance.
14 They are dead, they will not live;
    they are shades, they will not arise;
to that end you have visited them with destruction
    and wiped out all remembrance of them.
15 But you have increased the nation, O Lord,
    you have increased the nation; you are glorified;
    you have enlarged all the borders of the land.

Posted in A Father's Love, Marraige, spiritual warfare, The Gospels, wisdom, worship

Isaiah 25–God’s Amazing Promise to His Chosen

Posted on by Michael Smith

Clearly, the Lord has an end game.  It was always God’s plan to restore His people to a place to fellowship with Him.  God has always wanted to be in a personal relationship with us.  Still, our sin and culture has separated us from God.  Isaiah knew that separation would one day end.  God showed Isaiah that the sin would be wiped away and the veil removed.  When Christ was crucified, the curtain that separated the Holy of Holies was ripped into from top to bottom.  God wanted to fulfill his word to Isaiah–not by ripping a curtain, but by removing the barrier between God and man–SIN.

Isaiah’s words were and are for the entire world.  God will clear the way for His own.  He will swallow up death, remove the barrier between God and Man, wipe away all tears and provide a feast for all that will follow Him and believe His Word.  That is no small promise, and fortunately for us; God always keeps His promises.  When one considers that this was written hundreds of years before the world experienced the coming of the Messiah; we who are 2000 years after still benefit from the promise and its fulfillment.  That is a great testimony to God’s patience, desiring that none should perish and His planning and execution of that plan.  

We need to live a life that honors God’s promise.  What that means simply is to walk in a way that allows God to transform us into His image; so that we will be like him, and enjoy the eternal feast planned for the Bride .

God Bless You

O Lord, you are my God;
    I will exalt you; I will praise your name,
for you have done wonderful things,
    plans formed of old, faithful, and sure.
2 For you have made the city a heap,
    the fortified city a ruin;
the foreigners’ palace is a city no more;
    it will never be rebuilt.
3 Therefore strong peoples will glorify you;
    cities of ruthless nations will fear you.
4 For you have been a stronghold to the poor,
    a stronghold to the needy in his distress,
    a shelter from the storm and a shade from the heat;
for the breath of the ruthless is like a storm against a wall,
5     like heat in a dry place.
You subdue the noise of the foreigners;
    as heat by the shade of a cloud,
    so the song of the ruthless is put down.

6 On this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples
    a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wine,
    of rich food full of marrow, of aged wine well refined.
7 And he will swallow up on this mountain
    the covering that is cast over all peoples,
    the veil that is spread over all nations.
8     He will swallow up death forever;
and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces,
    and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth,
    for the Lord has spoken.
9 It will be said on that day,
    “Behold, this is our God; we have waited for him, that he might save us.
    This is the Lord; we have waited for him;
    let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.”

Posted in devotion, Holiness, spiritual warfare, The Gospels, wisdom, worship

Isaiah 14 Part 1–Restoration

Posted on by Michael Smith

The Lord has never hidden His love for Israel.  As they contemplated the destruction of their nation, Isaiah was called upon to also remind them restoration followed.  God’s timing is His own and history reminds us that Israel’s restoration as a nation was never really completed until 1948.  Still, God did restore His people.  He used the world after WWII to bring the Israeli people home from across Europe and the world.  Now Israel stands as an independent nation with influence across the globe.

Then and now, God has laid claim to HIs people. That is why those that honor God honor Israel.  It is also why those who hate God want Israel wiped from the map.  One can never underestimate the power of the tiny nation.  As God loves His people Israel, He also loves those around the world that have chosen to have a personal relationship with Him.  They are His adopted children and have the same devotion.  

As one of His chosen, we must live and act as the devoted ones.  Hide the word of God in our hearts. Pray without ceasing. Do not forsake the meeting and fellowship with other believers.  Instead, simply trust God and humbly follow His lead in our lives.  If we will, Like Israel, we will experience God’s restoration in our lives.

God Bless You

The Lord will have compassion on Jacob.
    Once again, He will choose Israel
    and will settle them in their own land.
Foreigners will join them
    and unite with the descendants of Jacob.
2 Nations will take them
    and bring them to their own place.
And Israel will take possession of the nations
    and make them male and female servants in the Lord’s land.
They will make captives of their captors
    and rule over their oppressors.

3 On the day the Lord gives you relief from your suffering and turmoil and from the harsh labor forced on you, 

4 you will take up this taunt against the king of Babylon:

                How the oppressor has come to an end!

                        How his fury[a] has ended!

5 The Lord has broken the rod of the wicked,
    the scepter of the rulers,
6 which in anger struck down peoples
    with unceasing blows,
and in fury subdued nations
    with relentless aggression.
7 All the lands are at rest and at peace;
    they break into singing.
8 Even the junipers and the cedars of Lebanon
    gloat over you and say,
“Now that you have been laid low,
    no one comes to cut us down.”

Posted in A Father's Love, Creation, Fathers Love, spiritual warfare, wisdom, worship

Isaiah 8 Part 1–How Prophet’s Name Their Kids

Posted on by Michael Smith

Isaiah’s first Son was mentioned in Chapter 7, Shear-jashub which means A remnant shall return.  Now in Chapter 8, we meet Isaiah’s 2nd son Maher-shalal-hash-baz which means “the spoil speeds, the prey hastens.”  It must have been difficult to be God’s messenger.  Not only do you work for God, no small career move, but then God tells you what to name your children so that they could be a walking reminder of what lies ahead. 

Isaiah did as God told him.  His sons were reminders to the nation that their behavior would cause the promised land to be swept away.  The promising news was, however that a remnant would return.Isaiah also gave a second message of hope to Judah, the news was that God would allow Assyria to go far but only SO far. Israel’s sin would cost them, but, never doubt that God still loved His chosen people and would be there for them.

  The most difficult part of parenting a nation was having to allow them to reap the price of their sin.  Adonai never, never stopped loving them or wanting them to enjoy peace and prosperity. It is still the same these thousands of years later.  God still loves us.  He still sends His prophets to warn us of what lies ahead. The Lord does so, lest we forget that our actions have consequences. 

He also does so to remind us that while things may seem dismal, Adonai is still large and in charge.  We must never lose hope.  We need to be the people that pray for revival, grace, forgiveness, and restoration.  Then we will be joyful to name our child עססתרעד אנד רעויועד! Revived and restored!

God Bless You

Then the Lord said to me, “Take a large tablet and write on it in common characters,[a] ‘Belonging to Maher-shalal-hash-baz.’[b] 2 And I will get reliable witnesses, Uriah the priest and Zechariah the son of Jeberechiah, to attest for me.”

3 And I went to the prophetess, and she conceived and bore a son. Then the Lord said to me, “Call his name Maher-shalal-hash-baz; 4 for before the boy knows how to cry ‘My father’ or ‘My mother,’ the wealth of Damascus and the spoil of Samaria will be carried away before the king of Assyria.”

5 The Lord spoke to me again: 6 “Because this people has refused the waters of Shiloah that flow gently, and rejoice over Rezin and the son of Remaliah, 7 therefore, behold, the Lord is bringing up against them the waters of the River,[c] mighty and many, the king of Assyria and all his glory. And it will rise over all its channels and go over all its banks, 8 and it will sweep on into Judah, it will overflow and pass on, reaching even to the neck, and its outspread wings will fill the breadth of your land, O Immanuel.”

9 Be broken,[d] you peoples, and be shattered;[e]
    give ear, all you far countries;
strap on your armor and be shattered;
    strap on your armor and be shattered.
10 Take counsel together, but it will come to nothing;
    speak a word, but it will not stand,
    for God is with us.[f]

Posted in devotion, Devotions, Holiness, Marraige, spiritual warfare, The Gospels, wisdom, worship

Isaiah 6-The Call of a Prophet

Posted on by Michael Smith

It truly must have been a daunting vision. Isaiah standing in Heaven in the presence of God.  To that point, Isaiah had been a historian for the king. The king died and I am sure that Isaiah was wondering what was next for his journey–then Bam! Isaiah was standing in God’s presence in stark fear, knowing that Uzziah became a leper for simply going into the Holy of Holies and touching the incense.

BUT GOD, was in control. He purified Isaiah, and He also sent Isaiah on a mission.  The purification was by an angel that literally touched Isaiah’s mouth with an ember from the alter of Heaven–that is something one does not experience every day. Then God described his mission–Go tell a group of people that are not seeing, hearing, or understanding that they are in big trouble, what lies ahead.  Further, be assured that when you tell them they will not understand.  That is not a job one would get a plethora of resumes for on Indeed.

Isaiah did the job he was called to do–for Judah and for the world.  For as sad as the message to the people truly was, the hope of salvation was equally as exciting. With God, there is always hope–that hope centers on the person of Jesus Christ.

We cling to the fact that Jesus is the Savior, and not our own sinful attempts to control life.  As we follow the Lord humbly and intently; He will show us the way to do this life, and He will prepare us for what lies ahead in eternity.I would be less than honest if I did not admit that I would not want Isaiah’s job; but, I would do what God calls me to do daily. I know God’s call will be preparation for what is to come.

God Bless You

In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train[a] of his robe filled the temple. 2 Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. 3 And one called to another and said:

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts.
the whole earth is full of his glory!”[b]

4 And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. 5 And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!”

6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7 And he touched my mouth and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.”

Isaiah’s Commission from the Lord

8 And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here I am! Send me.” 9 And he said, “Go, and say to this people:

“‘Keep on hearing,[c] but do not understand.
keep on seeing,[d] but do not perceive.’
10 Make the heart of this people dull,[e]
    and their ears heavy,
    and blind their eyes.
lest they see with their eyes,
    and hear with their ears,
and understand with their hearts,
    and turn and be healed.”

Posted in Devotions

Isaiah 2 Part 2–The Day of the Lord

Posted on by Michael Smith

The Lord almighty has a day in store…For Judah, that was not the best news! It really came and comes down to who is running the show.  For Isaiah, he was warning the chosen people of Israel that they need to allow God to be God.  He was in charge and the inevitable nature of that would prevail.  My daughter uses this line with her 2-year-old that pretty well sums it up, “You can obey with a happy heart or a sore bum…You choose!”

God was warning Judah that they could follow Him with a happy heart or face the day of the Lord. Make no mistake–on the Day of the Lord, God will be exalted.  People will be humbled like never before–all that cool stuff they collected, WORTHLESS.  All the security and safety measures they put in place…USELESS.  People will be running in fear and hiding in squalor.  They will have left their Idols behind. Idols like wealth, pleasure, power and beauty–IRRELEVANT.  It will be a time of survival.

There will be little doubt–God is God! Nothing formed by human hands will be of worth–only the vast creation and its Creator will matter.  In Judah’s fall, Jerusalem and the temple were destroyed. The people were led away into captivity and their national identity destroyed. For the next 70 years they lived as slaves, and they were subject to Babylonian and Persian rule.  The Book of Esther, a tale of the time, never mentions God’s name once.Could it happen again? For Israel–it did; in Rome, and in Europe. Now, after restarting again in 1948, they have again gained prominence across the globe.

But what of the church? We too are His chosen.  As Joshua said so many generations before–“Choose this day whom you will serve…As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord!”  Make no mistake, the Day of the Lord will again come. In that day, all our collections and treasures will mean very little. The only things that will matter will be what we have collected for the eternal…That will be a day when all that the world holds as priceless will become worthless; and, all that men deem glorious will seem petty.  On that day, all that God has made, and all that He has said is important will take center stage. We will worship Him, as it was intended to be. 

 So, like my precious granddaughter, we can do so with a happy heart, or with a sore bum!

God Bless You

The eyes of the arrogant will be humbled
    and human pride brought low;
the Lord alone will be exalted in that day.

12 The Lord Almighty has a day in store
    for all the proud and lofty,
for all that is exalted
    (and they will be humbled),
13 for all the cedars of Lebanon, tall and lofty,
    and all the oaks of Bashan,
14 for all the towering mountains
    and all the high hills,
15 for every lofty tower
    and every fortified wall,
16 for every trading ship[b]
    and every stately vessel.
17 The arrogance of man will be brought low
    and human pride humbled;
the Lord alone will be exalted in that day,
18     and the idols will totally disappear.

19 People will flee to caves in the rocks
    and to holes in the ground
from the fearful presence of the Lord
    and the splendor of his majesty,
    when he rises to shake the earth.
20 In that day people will throw away
    to the moles and bats
their idols of silver and idols of gold,
    which they made to worship.
21 They will flee to caverns in the rocks
    and to the overhanging crags
from the fearful presence of the Lord
    and the splendor of his majesty,
    when he rises to shake the earth.

22 Stop trusting in mere humans,
    who have but a breath in their nostrils.
    Why hold them in esteem?

Posted in Devotions

Joshua 23-Joshua Begins His Exit Strategy

Posted on by Michael Smith

All Good things must end.  Joshua and his family had enjoyed a long time of peace. God protected Israel, just as He had promised and now Joshua was very old and getting ready to die. Knowing the end was near, Joshua summoned the entire nation–leaders and all. He then took the time to remind all of them what the Lord had provided. He also encouraged Israel.  Joshua told them that as God had driven out their enemies to this point; He would continue to do so in the days ahead.Joshua reminded Israel that God drove out mighty nations before them, and that 1 Israelite soldier accounted for 1000 of the enemy–real superhero stuff.

Joshua then began the reminder of the importance of keeping covenant with God.  Specifically, do not make treaties and deals with the remaining locals.  Do not cohabit with them or worship their gods.  It is so easy to be distracted by the stuff around you, and God knew–as did Joshua, that foreign gods always seemed easier; because, they were hand-crafted, easy to touch, and easy to control. 

Then and now, God wants His folks to remain committed to Him, and focused on what is real, not what is easy.  He has given us so much and required so little in return.  At the end of the day, the Lord only asks that we trust and follow Him. God asks, however, as He did with Israel, that we worship Him and Him alone. The Lord protects, prepares, and provides for us and simply asks that we live lives that honor His gift and leadership.  Make no mistake, God understands it is a difficult choice.  If we will follow, however, He will continue to go ahead of us against our enemies.  In that promise, God has never failed. God Bless You

After a long time had passed and the Lord had given Israel rest from all their enemies around them, Joshua, by then a very old man, 2 summoned all Israel—their elders, leaders, judges and officials—and said to them: “I am very old. 3 You yourselves have seen everything the Lord your God has done to all these nations for your sake; it was the Lord your God who fought for you. 4 Remember how I have allotted as an inheritance for your tribes all the land of the nations that remain—the nations I conquered—between the Jordan and the Mediterranean Sea in the west. 5 The Lord your God himself will push them out for your sake. He will drive them out before you, and you will take possession of their land, as the Lord your God promised you.

6 “Be very strong; be careful to obey all that is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, without turning aside to the right or to the left. 7 Do not associate with these nations that remain among you; do not invoke the names of their gods or swear by them. You must not serve them or bow down to them. 8 But you are to hold fast to the Lord your God, as you have until now. 9 “The Lord has driven out before you great and powerful nations; to this day no one has been able to withstand you. 10 One of you routs a thousand, because the Lord your God fights for you, just as he promised. 11 So be very careful to love the Lord your God.

Posted in Devotions

Joshua 11 Part 1–He Will Do It

Posted on by Michael Smith

It is quite a contrast.  When you look at the trajectory of the Canaanite kings and compare it to the trajectory of Joshua and Israel.  Joshua sought God and His leadership.  The Canaanite kings sought alliances and means to gang up on and ambush Israel.  As is typically the case, the kings gathered in mass and showed their might. Meanwhile, Joshua listened to the Lord and did what God said and watched God do the heavy lifting.  

When one thinks about it, Israel did not have to act as infiltrators and oppressors, they simply had to show up and the enemy came to them.  God knew these peoples were evil and would at some point seek to destroy Israel.  So, God allowed the kings to show their true hearts.  When exposed, it was apparent that cohabitation in Israel would be impossible. 

So, Israel completely wiped them out.  They took the land without fear of a later uprising.  God’s power and protection was so apparent that no one would dare challenge Israel.  What is more, even if they did, God made sure that that nation was destroyed, and their fate known to any would be challenger.

Like Israel, we must be faithful, trusting, and willing to submit to God’s plan.  Like Joshua, Seeking God must be the first thing, never an afterthought. If we as His chosen will live that kind of life, then, we will also enjoy that kind of victory.  It must be clear that such a journey is not free of battle, hardship, or trial.  We are confident, however, that He who calls us is faithful and He will do it. I Thessalonians 5:24. I hope each of us will face the day with the wisdom and confidence of Joshua!

God Bless You

When Jabin king of Hazor heard of this, he sent word to Jobab king of Madon, to the kings of Shimron and Akshaph, 2 and to the northern kings who were in the mountains, in the Arabah south of Kinnereth, in the western foothills and in Naphoth Dor on the west; 3 to the Canaanites in the east and west; to the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites and Jebusites in the hill country; and to the Hivites below Hermon in the region of Mizpah. 4 They came out with all their troops and a large number of horses and chariots—a huge army, as numerous as the sand on the seashore. 5 All these kings joined forces and made camp together at the Waters of Merom to fight against Israel.

6 The Lord said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid of them, because by this time tomorrow I will hand all of them, slain, over to Israel. You are to hamstring their horses and burn their chariots.”

7 So Joshua and his whole army came against them suddenly at the Waters of Merom and attacked them, 8 and the Lord gave them into the hand of Israel. They defeated them and pursued them all the way to Greater Sidon, to Misrephoth Maim, and to the Valley of Mizpah on the east, until no survivors were left. 9 Joshua did to them as the Lord had directed: He hamstrung their horses and burned their chariots.

10 At that time Joshua turned back and captured Hazor and put its king to the sword. (Hazor had been the head of all these kingdoms.) 11 Everyone in it they put to the sword. They totally destroyed[a] them, not sparing anyone that breathed, and he burned Hazor itself.