The Simple Life

And the people said to Joshua, "No, but we will serve the LORD." Then Joshua said to the people, "You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen the LORD, to serve him." And they said, "We are witnesses." Joshua 24:21-22 ESV Joshua learned that his strength comes from the Lord and wanted the people and leadership that followed him to know the same. Those in God's family serve God alone. They do not fear the adverse circumstances of life nor trust their plans, strength, money, influence, or organizations. There is no hope in anything or anyone other than God. Joshua seemed to have the best seat in the house for observing Moses during his leadership years. He knew the importance of passing the baton of leadership and the one quality most vital to success. To serve God, we need to fear and obey God. Great leaders of the faith spoke of the same thing when they were about to pass the baton of leadership. We would be wise to listen to their teachi...

If you forsake the Lord and serve foreign gods, then he will turn and do you harm and consume you, after having done you good. Joshua 24:20 ESVST God made life to be about cause-and-effect relationships. If you beat your head on a rock, you get a headache. If you do not budget your money, you do not have it when needed. You become too chubby if you overeat and exercise too little. If you spend hours living in the fantasy world that some media outlet has created, you begin to mistake fantasy for reality. If you forsake the Lord, you will serve foreign gods and be consumed. God desires to draw you to Himself. If you allow that, your life will be significant and secure. If you deny Him that opportunity, your life will be destroyed. We want to blame all bad things that happen to us on God, others, or circumstances. Yet, those throughout history who have loved, obeyed, and followed God seemed to live beyond the adverse circumstances delivered to them in this life,  and experienced life ...

"Now therefore fear the Lord and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness. Put away the gods that your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. Joshua 24:14-15 ESVST We cannot sort of, kind of, or almost follow God. We either choose to follow Him completely, or we are not following Him at all. The idea of choosing to follow God in some progressive manner that will one day lead to perfection seems like a cop-out. While it is true that we are maturing and changing, we do not personally decide to listen to some of God's commandments today, with the idea in mind that we will hear more of what He says when we get older. Today, we must listen to God or realize we are choosing to disregard God. For no...

And Joshua said to all the people, "Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, 'Long ago, your fathers lived beyond the Euphrates, Terah, the Father of Abraham and of Nahor; and they served other gods. Then I took your Father Abraham from beyond the River and led him through all the land of Canaan, and made his offspring many. I gave him Isaac. And to Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau. And I gave Esau the hill country of Seir to possess, but Jacob and his children went down to Egypt. And I sent Moses and Aaron, and I plagued Egypt with what I did in the midst of it, and afterward I brought you out. Joshua 24:2-5 ESVST Teachers often need to make sure that history is clear and accurate. God will teach us if we are faithful. Joshua clarifies that God is in control, has been in control, and should be in control. Yet, we know the end of the story. The people are eventually "controlled" by their fears, emotions, and this world. It did not need to end this way. My physical world wil...

"And now I am about to go the way of all the earth, and you know in your hearts and souls, all of you, that not one word has failed of all the good things that the Lord your God promised concerning you. All have come to pass for you; not one of them has failed." Joshua 23:14 ESVST God has never failed and will never fail. We cannot alter, ruin, or destroy His plans. We will either position ourselves to be used by Him in His plan or become irrelevant. We will not surprise God by our choices, for He knows the future, and has altered the plan to include or exclude us. We often place ourselves in a position of great importance, a place of being "needed" in the Kingdom's work. We are not essential or needed. We are wanted. We live a lie when we live as if we are important, needed, or vital to the mission. That is too much pressure for any human to sustain. We live a joyful life when we live as if God wants to include us in what He has done, is doing, and will do. htt...

Be very careful, therefore, to love the Lord your God. For if you turn back and cling to the remnant of these nations remaining among you and make marriages with them, so that you associate with them and they with you, know for certain that the Lord your God will no longer drive out these nations before you, but they shall be a snare and a trap for you, a whip on your sides and thorns in your eyes, until you perish from off this good ground that the Lord your God has given you Joshua  23:11-13  ESVST When we intermingle with the Godless, we become Godless. The principle is obvious and often very ignored. How many ruined lives must we see before we get the point? We think it is merciful, kind, and tolerant to intermingle with the Godless. God thinks tolerance is evil, and many history lessons point to that fact. God is patient, but never tolerant. We so often confuse patience and tolerance. Patience does not accept sin. It acknowledges that we are in a process, but the only acc...

According to the commandment of the Lord to Joshua, he gave to Caleb the son of Jephunneh a portion among the people of Judah, Kiriath-arba, that is, Hebron (Arba was the Father of Anak). And Caleb drove out from there the three sons of Anak, Sheshai and Ahiman and Talmai, the descendants of Anak. Joshua  15:13-14  ESVST If you remember, the sons of Anak scared most of the children of Israel into abandoning the will of God. Interestingly, Caleb got to drive them out and defeat the enemy, who defeated God's people with nothing other than the people's fear. Where does this paralyzing fear come from? This fear comes from not knowing God. It comes from focusing on the obstacle, or the problem, more than the problem solver. It comes from fearing the things we should master and trying to master the things we should be fearing. The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom. Without that fear, we fear man, which is the beginning of a wasted life. This life so often eclipses the "Son,...

And Moses swore on that day, saying, 'Surely the land on which your foot has trodden shall be an inheritance for you and your children forever, because you have wholly followed the Lord my God.' And now, behold, the Lord has kept me alive, just as he said, these forty- five years since the time that the Lord spoke this word to Moses, while Israel walked in the wilderness. And now, behold, I am this day eighty-five years old. I am still as strong today as I was in the day that Moses sent me; my strength now is as my strength was then, for war and for going and coming. So now give me this hill country of which the Lord spoke on that day, for you heard on that day how the Anakim were there, with great fortified cities. It may be that the Lord will be with me, and I shall drive them out just as the Lord said.’ Joshua 14:9-12 ESVST Caleb's strength was the same as it was 45 years prior. His strength was in God then, and it was in God now. Age, physical stature, and obstacles wil...

Then the people of Judah came to Joshua at Gilgal. And Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite said to him, "You know what the Lord said to Moses the man of God in Kadesh- Barnea concerning you and me. I was forty years old when Moses the servant of the Lord sent me from Kadesh-Barnea to spy out the land, and I brought him word again as it was in my heart. But my brothers who went up with me made the heart of the people melt; yet I wholly followed the Lord my God. Joshua 14:6-8 ESVST It is so easy to mistake the majority for the will of God. We think God speaks in "unity," so we seek unity. Yet, unity with each other is not the real goal; unity in the Spirit is the goal. All of the body parts need to have unfettered access to the brain. The brain will make sure that we are coordinated. The brain will make the parts work together to bring attention to the whole, rather than the individual parts, and focus on the greater good rather than the moment. https://www.podbean.co...

  Then Joshua and all Israel with him went up from Eglon to Hebron. And they fought against it and captured it and struck it with the edge of the sword, and its king and its towns, and every person in it. He left none remaining, as he had done to Eglon, and devoted it to destruction and every person in it Joshua 10:36-37 ESVST Sometimes, God's directives seem harsh. Yet, harshness is not one of God's characteristics. God is a shepherd, and a good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep. A good shepherd, a loving shepherd, would kill the wolf, lion, or bear that threatens the sheep. One could try to convert a wolf to a sheep, but that would be impossible, and eventually, the wolf would act like a wolf again and savagely attack the sheep. The loving shepherd makes sure the wolf has no access to the sheep. None. God knows mixing iron and clay, oil and water, unrighteousness and righteousness is impossible. All of our attempts to do so will fail and will rob us of the joys of lif...

And the men of Gibeon sent to Joshua at the camp in Gilgal, saying, "Do not relax your hand from your servants. Come up to us quickly and save us and help us, for all the kings of the Amorites who dwell in the hill country are gathered against us." So Joshua went up from Gilgal, he and all the people of war with him, and all the mighty men of valor. And the Lord said to Joshua, "Do not fear them, for I have given them into your hands. Not a man of them shall stand before you." So Joshua came upon them suddenly, having marched up all night from Gilgal. Joshua 10:6-9 ESVST God's will is seldom easy. If Joshua was going to experience God's provision in the victory, they needed not to "relax" their hands. Joshua needed to march all night and trust that God would deliver them. In a day when people fought hand-to-hand, it seems that if you were going to march all night, you would be fighting with people who were disadvantaged because of their tiredness. ...

And afterward he read all the words of the law, the blessing and the curse, according to all that is written in the Book of the Law. There was not a word of all that Moses commanded that Joshua did not read before all the assembly of Israel, and the women, and the little ones, and the sojourners who lived among them Joshua 8:34-35 ESVST The people had made a mistake and now corrected that mistake. The city of Ai was now gone, and the directives of God had been followed. Now, Joshua wanted to ensure the people had what was necessary to remain strong and courageous. He gathered the people and ensured that he read everything written in the Book of the Law. A good leader cannot make someone listen to God, but they can ensure they have access to and hear God's Word. Our responsibility is to know God and make Him known, and that is what Joshua will do his best to do. Today's leaders need to know God and ensure that those around them understand what God has said. https://www.podbean.c...

And Joshua said, "Why did you bring trouble on us? The Lord brings trouble on you today." And all Israel stoned him with stones. They burned them with fire and stoned them with stones. And they raised over him a great heap of stones that remains to this day. Then the Lord turned from his burning anger. Therefore, to this day the name of that place is called the Valley of Achor. Joshua 7:25-26 ESVST We do not seem to understand how tragic it is for people to get into the habit of not listening to God. The world in which we live is brutal, and much of the brutality is wielded from the hand of Satan toward all things precious to God . Our only defense and hope for our families, nation, and world is that we listen to God. When we intentionally decide to ignore what God has said, we open ourselves, our families, and our nation up to the worst sort of disasters that are conjured up by the evilest presence in the universe. We might think that God was harsh here, but a closer look mi...

The Lord said to Joshua, "Get up! Why have you fallen on your face? Israel has sinned; they have transgressed my covenant that I commanded them; they have taken some of the devoted things; they have stolen and lied and put them among their own belongings. Therefore the people of Israel cannot stand before their enemies." Joshua  7:10-12  ESVST There is a time to pray, to cry out to God, and to plead for mercy. There is also a time to stop praying and crying ,and go out and correct the wrong action.  Praying is no substitute for the right actions. The able-lazy person prays for provision rather than works for it. The irresponsible person prays that God helps them pay their bills rather than learn to be responsible. Those who are sick due to a lifestyle pray for healing when they ought to be eating right and exercising. Prayer is not about living irresponsibly or a way to remove the "effect" from the obvious poor choices we make.  For some reason, we want God to be th...

But the people of Israel broke faith in regard to the devoted things, for Achan the son of Carmi, son of Zabdi, son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took some of the devoted things. And the anger of the Lord burned against the people of Israel. Joshua 7:1 ESVST People broke faith; they did not listen to God. There is no good reason to disobey God; only flawed thinking is involved in such activity. In the beginning, God, not man. God is the source of all life, sustains all life, completely understands the past and present, and sees the future. He loves us when we are unworthy, and can give us a life about which we can only dream. Why is it we would disobey Him? Is it because we know more than He does? No one would say that, yet we often live that way. How we live indicates who or what is in charge of our lives. We choose who/what is in charge for now, and the result of that choice will be abundantly clear in time. God's Word is always hard to understand for those who do not read it....

So the Lord was with Joshua, and his fame was in all the land. Joshua 6:27 ESVST The criterion for success was that the Lord was with Joshua. We work hard to be good at something, often ignoring God. This makes no sense. These things would work much better in this life and the next if we prioritize "being with God." We wonder about the future, worry about it, and try to figure it out, when, in reality, God is already there and is ready to guide, lead, and direct us today, with an accurate eye on tomorrow. The time we spent trying to figure it out would have been better spent enjoying God. We work hard to provide for our needs without knowing what our needs will be. We would be much wiser to spend time with God, the One who made us, loves us, knows our needs, and is in the position to see that our needs are met. Jesus said that He is "the life." If you want life, you need to obtain it through Him. Without Him, you have no life, only an existence. https://www.podbean....

Now Jericho was shut up inside and outside because of the people of Israel. None went out, and none came in. And the Lord said to Joshua, "See, I have given Jericho into your hand, with its king and mighty men of valor. Joshua 6:1-2 ESVST The first city the Israelites needed to defeat was well-fortified. It was, by any account, impossible. Jericho had at least two walls, over 30 feet tall, and soldiers who knew how to fight. Looking at this situation would discourage those who needed to figure out "how" this would be done. In this case, as in many in life, we must be obedient and watch God do the impossible. Joshua and the Jewish people were perfectly placed in a position where they must trust God, and should they defeat Jericho, there would be no doubt as to who accomplished the task. God has not changed His purposes throughout the years. He still wants people to see who He is and understand His love, mercy, and plans. He continues to use the will and does not rely on o...

For the people of Israel walked forty years in the wilderness, until all the nation, the men of war who came out of Egypt, perished, because they did not obey the voice of the Lord; the Lord swore to them that he would not let them see the land that the Lord had sworn to their fathers to give to us, a land flowing with milk and honey. Joshua 5:6 ESVST Life is not as complicated as we want to make it. Those who listen to God eventually win. Those who do not listen to God will wish that they did. If God is my Father, and He is, then obedience is job one. Those who struggle with wanting to obey God do not know Him and do not realize the life they will miss out on by ignoring His offers. God knows what is best for us and what we would enjoy. He knows we would enjoy selfless relationships, service to others, and a land flowing with milk and honey. He knows that those who focus exclusively on the milk and honey soon worship the milk and honey and miss the point of such blessings.   https...

And Joshua said to them, "Pass on before the ark of the Lord your God into the midst of the Jordan, and take up each of you a stone upon his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the people of Israel, that this may be a sign among you. When your children ask in time to come, 'What do those stones mean to you….'” Joshua 4:5-6 ESVST We need to continually work at setting up reminders of how God works. We seem to see plenty of the devastation of sin or reminders of our failures, with little to remind us to rejoice. Pain, sorrow, and suffering often eclipse God and His faithfulness to us. The momentary pain seems to destroy the goodness of God and His creation. Our focal point is our failures, pain, and anger rather than our God. What do you have that you can look at daily and be reminded of God's faithfulness to you? To what can you point the next generation to show them God's mercy, grace, and kindness? We need to be intentional about setting positive re...

…and commanded the people, "As soon as you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God being carried by the Levitical priests, then you shall set out from your place and follow it. Yet there shall be a distance between you and it, about 2,000 cubits in length. Do not come near it, in order that you may know the way you shall go, for you have not passed this way before." Then Joshua said to the people, "Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you.” Joshua 3:3-5 ESVST Why do we need to be led? Why can't we do things on our own?  Because we have never been that way before. Those who have never been somewhere and are willing to guide others in ignorance are fools. Joshua and the priests had never been there before, but they followed God, who was most capable. We often find ourselves in places we have never been. Newlyweds have never been married; having a first child is a new experience, and getting old has not yet been experienced. We wou...

For we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea before you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon and Og, whom you devoted to destruction. Joshua 2:10 ESVST Those who knew nothing about God had heard of Him. The Godless had encountered God through the lives of the Godly. Sometimes, we work too hard to "relate" rather than be relational. We want to be friends more than mentors and team members more than coaches. We say we are concerned about offending when perhaps we are worried about being offended, slandered, or excluded. The people of Jericho noticed that the children of Israel had a special relationship with God and wondered what that meant for them as they were going to encounter them.  I wonder if those strangers to God today observe those who love God and are puzzled by their thoughts, behaviors, and values or if they can tell no difference.  If we offer no alternative thoughts ...

No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you. Be strong and courageous, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land that I swore to their fathers to give them. Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go. This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. Joshua 1:5-9 ESVST Strength and courage come from obedience. We can do this. We are encouraged to be c...

After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses' assistant, "Moses my servant is dead. Now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, into the land that I am giving to them, to the people of Israel.” Joshua 1:1-2 ESVST Moses was dead. The past was past; the future was all they had. If there were 1.2 million adults who were refused to enter the Promised Land, then there would have been an average of 82 funerals a day for the 40 years the people roamed the desert. This was a constant reminder of the cost of disobedience. We could dwell on what might have been or look forward to what would be. My future successes are correlated to my ability to learn from the past while investing in the future. Disobedience to God does not work. How many examples do we need until we believe the obvious truth? When one journey ends, another begins. It matters on which journey you focus.   https://www.podbean.com/relate365