You don’t have to be brilliant or significantly creative to know the Bible, but you do have to spend time preparing, studying, praying, and focusing your time and attention on the text of Scripture. Preparation is essential.
Being together in unity is indeed good, “like precious oil,” as David put it in his psalm. Not just being together, but being together in unity. As we shall learn from the ancient account in Joshua, when God is in the midst of His unified people, they are invincible.
“Familiarity breeds contempt” is an old cliché because it’s nearly always true. However, before contempt, familiarity breeds complacency—a ho-hum attitude that is satisfied with the status quo. If we’re not careful, complacency will then breed cynicism, which is a kissing cousin of contempt.
Changes are tough. And they were tough for the Hebrews when Moses passed off the scene, and they had a new leader to follow.
A tour of the Holy Land is not just about what you see, it’s also about experiencing God and His Word in a whole new way. As I reflect on my own experience in Israel I note three things that occurred for me.
Life is full of overwhelming impossibilities. So how do you stand toe-to-toe with your opponent and do battle? You do it with the only weapon available to us: faith.
Two things make Achan’s story especially sad. First, it occurred so suddenly on the heels of an incredible victory—the miraculous invasion of Jericho. And second, it resulted in a devastating toll on so many others. One man—a single, isolated individual—deliberately chose to disobey, yet numerous innocent victims fell in the wake of his sin, bringing calamity to a nation.
In God’s family, whenever there is a breakdown in the fellowship, regardless of the reason, it impacts others. We see this vividly portrayed in Joshua 7, one of the least victorious chapters in the book. Even though these times were painful for the Hebrews, they are useful to Christians today. They teach us that we must not be idealistic in the matter of growing closer together.
Not only does God know all that is done, He ultimately exposes the truth so that all will know…and the consequences are often tragic.
Some people are much older at 40 than others are at 70. Why? Attitude! To build up attitude muscles, forget your age, focus on your goals, and remember to follow your God.
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