Our couples group just finished Beth Moore’s Daniel Bible study on Thursday night and my Tuesday morning ladies group will not start until mid-August. I am betwixt and between Bible studies, so I decided to do a little study in the book of Joshua. Joshua has to be one of my favorite books of the Bible. It gives us a character study of a man whose middle name was ‘faithful’. Joshua just did as he was told and walked out his faith in Jehovah for everyone to witness. Oh, how I pray to be half as faithful as Joshua when all is said and done.
This morning I was reading Joshua 1 and the Lord spoke to me something that is so pertinent to my life and perhaps to yours. I’m going to paste in the entire first chapter (NKJV) and then highlight some words that I want you to see. You are welcome to read the entire chapter if you like, but I will focus on just a few phrases.
After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, it came to pass that the Lord spoke to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ assistant, saying:
2 “Moses My servant is dead. Now therefore, arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them–the children of Israel.
3 Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given you, as I said to Moses.
4 From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the River Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your territory.
5 No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you.
6 Be strong and of good courage, for to this people you shall divide as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give them.
7 Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go.
8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe 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.
9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
10 Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people, saying,
11 “Pass through the camp and command the people, saying, ‘Prepare provisions for yourselves, for within three days you will cross over this Jordan, to go in to possess the land which the Lord your God is giving you to possess.’ “
12 And to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh Joshua spoke, saying,
13 “Remember the word which Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, saying, ‘The Lord your God is giving you rest and is giving you this land.’
14 Your wives, your little ones, and your livestock shall remain in the land which Moses gave you on this side of the Jordan. But you shall pass before your brethren armed, all your mighty men of valor, and help them,
15 until the Lord has given your brethren rest, as He gave you, and they also have taken possession of the land which the Lord your God is giving them. Then you shall return to the land of your possession and enjoy it, which Moses the Lord’s servant gave you on this side of the Jordan toward the sunrise.”
16 So they answered Joshua, saying, “All that you command us we will do, and wherever you send us we will go.
17 Just as we heeded Moses in all things, so we will heed you. Only the Lord your God be with you, as He was with Moses.
18 Whoever rebels against your command and does not heed your words, in all that you command him, shall be put to death. Only be strong and of good courage.”
Notice in verse 2 God tells Joshua that He is giving the children of Israel the land promised to Moses. Joshua, then, tells the Israelites (verses 11, 13, 15) what they need to do in order to pass over into the land that the Lord their God is giving to them. There were instructions to all the people, as well as to the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh which had asked for and received land on the east side of the Jordan. The people have not possessed the land, but they have the promise of God that He is giving it to them if they will obey Him.
Interestingly enough, in verse 3 God tells Joshua that everywhere Joshua puts his foot, the Lord has given to him. It is already done, accomplished; even before Joshua sets his foot on the land, it is his.
God IS GIVING the Israelites the Promised Land, yet He HAS GIVEN Joshua the land already, despite the fact that he has not touched a grain of sand in the land. What’s up with all of that?
Let me share with you what I believe the Lord was saying to me. Joshua had a past history of faithfulness to God and to Moses. He did what he was asked to do and looked at every situation with the eyes of faith. I believe that God delighted to assure Joshua that what he saw across that river was already his. Joshua needed this type of assurance from God as the new leader of the people of Israel and God gave it to him.
The people, on the other hand, did not have a past history of faithfulness. Although they were only about 40 years out of Egypt they had already been through the obedience-rebellion cycle more than once. God had promised the land to Moses and now to Joshua, but the people were going to have the walk the thing out and do the hard work of learning to trust God in all things in order to actually possess it.
How do we apply this to our lives? Sometimes God looks at us and with delight in His eyes says about a specific thing, “I have already given that to you. Now go possess it.” Other times, God looks at us and says, “This is one you are going to have to walk out, child. I’m going with you, but there are lessons to be learned and you will learn them as I am giving this thing to you.”
I have a precious friend who needs desperately to forgive someone in her life, yet she holds onto the un-forgiveness as if it was a talisman. She keeps saying to me, “Why won’t God release me from this un-forgiveness?” I’ve yet to make her understand that this is one of those situations where God says, “I’ve given you what you need to forgive. Just do it.”
Certain situations in our lives are “I have given you” situations, while others are “I am giving you” situations. Is one better than the other? I can’t say for certain. What I do know for sure is that God will be walking right beside us as we step out to move toward our Promised Land and He will teach us to trust Him along the way.
