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,...