“A Matter of Perspective” – Joshua 5:13-15

Joshua 5:13-15

“When Joshua was by Jericho, he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man was standing before him with his drawn sword in his hand. And Joshua went to him and said to him, “Are you for us, or for our adversaries?” And he said, “No; but I am the commander of the army of the Lord. Now I have come.” And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped and said to him, “What does my lord say to his servant?” And the commander of the Lord’s army said to Joshua, “Take off your sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did so.” 

I few years back I served as chaplain for one of the local high school football teams. It was an honor to get to speak to the team and pray with them before each game and stand on the sideline with the coaches and the players during the game. Each week as I prepared and when I got ready to speak to the guys I felt an expectation, real or imagined, that they wanted me to be the good luck charm, the lightning rod that would attract God’s blessing in the form of one in the win column. What I really wanted to say was, “Guys, it’s just a game. Go have fun, play hard and let’s just pray that nobody gets a broken neck.” 
There’s nothing wrong with being swept up in what you’re doing, what you’re passionate about. But sometimes we can lose perspective. Our thing can become all encompassing, to the point that we want God to just come in a tip the scales a bit. 
But as Joshua quickly realized, our thing is never as important as God’s thing. It’s not that Joshua’s focus of defeating Jericho was a bad thing, in fact it was a part of God’s thing. But God wanted Joshua to understand, He doesn’t join our team, we join His. 
We’ve all been there, so wrapped up in what we’re doing that we give it far more importance than it deserves when weighed against ultimate and eternal things – what Jesus called, the Kingdom of God. Jesus said, when you put my Kingdom first, everything else falls into place. Sometimes we need to take a step back and regain the proper perspective. 
Use the HEAR method as you spend time with today’s passage
Highlight – what words or phrases jump out at you? 
Explain – what does the passage mean? 
Apply – how does the passage intersect with your life today? 
Respond – how is God leading you to respond?
Jon Price, Associate Pastor

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“What Will Be Said at Your Funeral?” – Joshua 1:1-2

Joshua 1:1-9

“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.”

When I was a little boy, I remember going to the funeral of a great pastor in our area. I will never forget it, because it lasted over two hours. Nothing wrong with it, but that funeral and this passage made me ask how long a funeral should last. Maybe less than two hours, but surely more than one sentence.

This is the funeral of the great Moses, and God is the special speaker at the funeral. What words are appropriate? Listen close, it will be amazing! And here it is: “Moses my servant is dead. Now, therefore, arise, go…” That’s all! “He’s dead, now let’s go.”

Listen, this may seem short and a bit lacking, but I would love for God to say this about me. Here is why.

  1. God said “My Servant” – Moses belonged to God. This revealed his Faith and his Father
  2. God used another man to replace Moses – “Joshua, Arise and Go” – that was Moses’ Function

I want the Lord to say at my funeral that I am His. I want the Lord to say at my funeral that I was a servant of God. I want the Lord to say at my funeral that my function on earth was useful enough to be continued. That my life was actually God’s undying life in me and would be passed on to the next generation. The only thing left to be said was for Joshua to be courageous when he moved forward with the task.

What will be your legacy? What do you want God to say at your funeral? We must decide now. Our funeral is too late to leave a legacy. That is where the legacy is declared.

Use the HEAR method (see below) as you spend time with today’s passage:
 
Highlight – what words or phrases jump out at you? 
Explain – what does the passage mean? 
Apply – how does the passage intersect with your life today? 
Respond – how is God leading you to respond?
Pastor Stephen Williams

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“Cities You Didn’t Build” – Joshua 24:13

Joshua 24:13

“I gave you a land on which you had not labored and cities that you had not built, and you dwell in them. You eat the fruit of vineyards and olive orchards that you did not plant.’”

Yet again, God begins another book establishing Himself as Sovereign Lord. He gives Joshua, the new leader, a pep talk about courage because Joshua was tasked with taking Israel across Jordan and conquering the land. They would take several years to fight battles and separate out the land, but God promised that Israel would be completely successful.

It is evident that we play a part in God’s plan, and, like Israel, we work for what we have, but ultimately, God gives everything to us. All praise and glory belong to God.

You would think that Joshua and his people could brag because they fought well or had a tremendous strategy. However, with deeper investigation, Israel was weak. They didn’t know how to fight. They had no strategy. With each victory, word spread to the next town that God was with His people. The enemy was not afraid of Israel. The enemy was afraid of their God.

If you read Joshua you will find that Rahab the Harlot is saved and Jericho collapses, the sun stands still, and God stops the flow of the Jordan river for Israel to cross. The journey is glorious even with a few bumps along the way.

Oh, people of God! Your victories are because of your God. Your successes are because of your God. Therefore, keep serving Him. Be courageous to obey Him. Give God all the credit!

While using the HEAR method (see below) consider the following question: 
  • What blessings do you enjoy that you did nothing to earn? Take some time to be grateful for the ways that God is evident in your life. 

Highlight – what words or phrases jump out at you? 

Explain – what does the passage mean? 
Apply – how does the passage intersect with your life today? 
Respond – how is God leading you to respond?
Pastor Stephen Williams 

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“More than Enough?” – Hebrews 11:13-16

Hebrews 11:13-16

“These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city.”

God took Israel from the land of not enough in Egypt, to the land of just enough in the desert. But He wanted them to experience the land of more than enough in Canaan.

We all want more than enough. We all complain about not having enough. We get tired of the enough that we have. But, we all want more than enough and God is offering that to us. 

The land God is ultimately leading us to is Heaven, but we can experience more than enough here. What would be considered more than enough? The abiding presence of God is more than enough. Genuine worship is more than enough. Peace in the middle of struggles is more than enough. There are things that I cannot explain about an authentic walk with Christ that is more than enough.

The Israelites were strangers in captivity and the wilderness. They did not belong in slavery. They did not belong wandering aimlessly. They belonged in the land where God established them and gave them a great name.

You don’t belong in slavery to sin. You don’t belong wandering without a true purpose in life. You belong where God gives you a calling and a journey. You belong in God’s will.

If you are experiencing more than enough, rejoice and enjoy. If you are in the land of just enough, struggling to survive with bitterness, surrender those things to Christ.

It boils down to this. Do you want a walk with Christ that lets you live in more than enough? Then don’t be satisfied with staying in the land of just enough or not enough.

While using the HEAR method (see below) consider the following questions: 
  • Do you want to explore further the idea of more than enough? Email pastor@mybelmont.org
  • Do you know someone struggling with addictions or heartaches in the land of not enough? Share this devotion and contact me at pastor@mybelmont.org. I will pray and help.

Highlight – what words or phrases jump out at you? 

Explain – what does the passage mean? 
Apply – how does the passage intersect with your life today? 
Respond – how is God leading you to respond?
Pastor Stephen Williams 
Original Photo by sasan rashtipour on Unsplash

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“Never Gonna Let You Down” – Numbers 23:19

Numbers 23:19

“God is not man, that he should lie,
or a son of man, that he should change his mind.
Has he said, and will he not do it?
Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?”

In the world that we live in today, there are many lies that people fall victim to. No one likes to be lied to or misled. People are searching for truth that stays the same throughout their life. People need consistency. People need life-giving truth. Not a “truth” that changes over and over because someone feels the need to change it. The world is always trying to change or mislead truths, so people will be able to be controlled. No one likes to be controlled or manipulated into an idea that they find to be discomforting or disheartening. People do not need “truth” that changes all the time. People need simple, straightforward, and saving truth. 

One time when I was younger, I invited a waitress to church from a restaurant that we went to all the time. This waitress told me she was going to come on Sunday morning, so I was excited to see her come. I remember the day very well because I was so eager for her to come to hear about Jesus. I told everyone at church about her and that I was ready for everyone to meet her because I knew the church would welcome her and love her like they had welcomed and loved me. However, I remember that Sunday morning was a very hard morning because she changed her mind and did not come. My heart was crushed because she said she was coming and did not. 

This story is much different from the promises of God, thankfully. God does not change His mind or His truth, thankfully. The Bible gives a truth that comes from the holy God that will never be shaken or destroyed. God is not man, He is much higher than our thoughts and desires. God loves His people and has a deep desire to draw them close to His throne. So much so that He has sent Jesus Christ as truth, so we are able to sit next to Him on the throne. God has made many promises to His people that He will follow through on. Rest easy knowing that God has you. That God is for you. That God will never leave you or forsake you. God will never lie to you. Press on knowing that God has a plan for you because He loves you more than you can fathom.

While using the HEAR method (see below) consider the following questions: 

  • Have you ever been lied to by someone you trusted? How did that affect your relationship moving forward? 
  • Did it affect how you trust others afterward? How so?
  • How has the disappointment from being let down in a relationship affected your trust in God? 

Highlight – what words or phrases jump out at you? 

Explain – what does the passage mean? 
Apply – how does the passage intersect with your life today? 
Respond – how is God leading you to respond?

Macon Jones, Pastor to Students and Young Adults
Original Photo by sasan rashtipour on Unsplash

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