God’s Faithfulness

Read Judges 3

This chapter outlines a repeated pattern of bondage and deliverance.  There were those who had not known war.  They weren’t around when Israel fought for the Promised Land.  This was a generation who forgot or never knew all that God had done for the children of Israel.  As a result, Israel had turned away from the Lord in subtle ways.

God left five lords of Philistines, all the Canaanites, the Sidonians and the Hivites without driving them out before Israel.  God used these nations to test Israel to see whether they would obey Him or not.

So how did they do? What do we see?  Israel married the enemy and served other gods for eight years.  The Lord’s anger was hot against Israel.  Yet when Israel cried out to the Lord, He raised up a deliverer.  The Spirit of the Lord came on him. Israel experienced rest for forty years.

Israel, probably a new generation, did evil in the sight of the Lord again.  The Lord strengthened the king of Moab, who was their enemy. For eighteen years, the children of Israel were enslaved to this king.   When Israel cried out the Lord, He raised up another deliverer.  Ehud, who killed the enemy’s king, rallied Israel to kill all enemies.  Therefore, the children of Israel rested for eighty years!

As I read this, it seemed when Israel got their way it lead to enslavement by the enemy.  What is so foreign to me, is why the Lord would step in on their behalf when Israel was not following Him.  No matter Israel’s disobedience, the Lord acts when they cry out to Him.  Even though Israel chose not to follow the Lord, God still heard them when they cried out.  God moved to assist them.  What a gracious and loving God!

Notice each time of enslavement was longer.  The first period was 8 years.  The second time was 18 years.  I wonder why they didn’t call out to God sooner.  Have you ever found yourself stuck in a situation for a long time before you remembered to cry out to the Lord?

Another thing to notice is how the rest period increased each time too.  The first rest was 40 years and the second was 80 years.  Doesn’t this make you think of God’s generosity?  Each time they obeyed God’s reward is lengthened.

Did you also notice each time they headed back into service of the enemy, it was after their deliverer had died?  It’s almost as if they couldn’t stay focused on the Lord without someone leading them.  Does this ring true for you?  The good news for us is we have someone to lead us who will never die – the Holy Spirit.  Those who believe in Jesus are given the Holy Spirit who dwells into us and guides us.

Dear Lord, thank you for your faithfulness towards your chosen people even when they were not faithful.  Thank you for giving us your Holy Spirit to guide us in your truth.  Thank you that we are dependant on a human to lead us, but rather you in Spirit within us who will never leave or forsake us.  May we be obedient to your ways each day.  In Jesus’ name we pray Amen.

©Elizabeth Marks has led small group Bible studies for almost a decade.  Author of ThinkOnItBibleDevotions.com and BeingWomenOfInfluence.com websites she has a heart for encouraging others with God’s Word.

City of Refuge

Read Joshua 20

The God of mercy instructs His people to set aside certain cities to become places of refuge.  This way anyone who accidentally kills someone could go and live without fear that the dead person’s family would try to kill him.  They would live in that city until the high priest died.  After that they could go back to where ever they lived previously.

Did you notice this was for accidental death not for pre-meditated murder?  God has a heart for the innocent.  God wants justice to prevail.  His ways protect the innocent.

Why is it we tend to think the worst in others so readily?  We jump to conclusions and judge others without knowing all the facts.  I’m thankful God is the Just Judge.  He knows all things and can judge fairly.  His judgment is right.

When God says “all have sinned” He means everyone.  There is no one who is innocent and hasn’t sinned.  When God says “the wages of sin is death” He means death is only way to deal with sin.   Thankfully God is more than Just, for had He been just, we all would perish because of our sin.  God is merciful. He paid our sin debt through Jesus’ death on the cross.  His death cleared the charges against us.  So in His eyes we are innocent.

Now we live in a city of refuge.  Not an earthly city where we live only as long as the high priest.  But a heavenly city where the High Priest – Jesus Christ – lives forever and so do we!

God cancels our debt.  He covers us with His righteousness.  He ushers us into His kingdom to live forever with Him.  He did this not because we were innocent by our own efforts, but because of His mercy cancels our sin and makes us innocent by His actions.

Challenge Point:

God has shown you much mercy.  Who can you show mercy to rather than judgment today?

How can you demonstrate mercy towards this person?

Father of mercies, thank you for your righteous judgment.  Thank you for paying our sin debt for us.  Enable us now to walk in the new life in Christ and demonstrate your mercy towards our fellow neighbors. In Jesus’ name we pray Amen.

©Elizabeth Marks has led small group Bible studies for almost a decade.  Author of ThinkOnItBibleDevotions.com and BeingWomenOfInfluence.com websites she has a heart for encouraging others with God’s Word.

Power on Our Side

Read Joshua 10

Five different kings all formed an alliance against the children of Israel.  The Lord tells Joshua, “Do not fear them for I have delivered them into your hand; not a man of them shall stand before you.”  Talk about encouragement.  God basically says don’t worry about how many come against you, I’ve got it covered.

Joshua and the mighty men marched all night to get to the battle.  Can you imagine how tired they would have been?  They didn’t sleep, but marched all night!  However, the Lord was working on their behalf. As the children of Israel marched, the Lord routed the enemy before them.  He killed them, chased them, and struck them down.  Some tried to flee but the Lord cast down large hail stones so much that more died from the hail than by the sword.

So as Joshua prepares for battle, he asks God not to let the sun do gown until they get their revenge.  What happens? The sun stood still about a day, that meant Joshua and his men had two days of daylight to battle.  The result, Joshua and his men were able to capture Makkedah, Libnah, Lachish, Geqer, Eglon, Hebron and Debir in only two days time!  The Bible doesn’t tell us how many people were in those seven cities, but we can assume there were many.  For Joshua and team to take that many cities in only two days would have been quite a feat. God showed Himself mighty before Joshua and his men had to fight. It’s as if God says “remember what I can do.  All this power is on your side.”

When was the last time you felt surrounded by enemies?  Do not fear, but draw close to God.  He will direct your path and show you the way out. Our God is mighty and can do whatever it takes to deliver you.  Rely on Him and you can’t go wrong.

Lord Jesus, you are the way, the truth and the life.  Thank you for saving us and putting our feet on solid foundation.  Your righteous right hand will uphold us.  Help us to remember you are with us and will deliver us as we continue to be steadfast in You. In your name we pray. Amen.

©Elizabeth Marks has led small group Bible studies for almost a decade.  Author of ThinkOnItBibleDevotions.com and BeingWomenOfInfluence.com websites she has a heart for encouraging others with God’s Word.

Hidden Sin

Read Joshua 7

The children of Israel had just taken Jericho by the mighty hand of God.  They were not supposed to take anything for themselves.  All the gold, silver and iron things would be put into the Lord’s treasury.  Everything else was to be burned.  However, one man decided to take some beautiful garments, gold and silver for himself.  He didn’t think anyone would notice.  He was wrong.  God saw.

Fast forward, the children of Israel come to the next city they were to take.  Joshua does what he did before; he sent spies into the city.  The spies returned saying it would be easy the enemy has few men.  So they sent only a few of their own men to take over, but they were defeated.

Joshua cries out to the Lord, but God tells him “Why do you cry out?  Get up! The people have sinned against me.”   The Bible tells us all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).  The wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23).  A little leaven, affects the whole lump (Galatians 5:9). Sin must be dealt with promptly or it will affect everyone.

After the victory of Jericho, Joshua became complacent.  He knew the Lord was with him.  When he came to the next city to overthrow, he thought about what he had done in a previous situation.  He approached this new situation using tools from a previous situation.  In other words, he thought he knew how to handle this one in his own power.  The Bible doesn’t say whether Joshua consulted the Lord on how to take this city.  It only mentions, they sent spies, and Joshua listened to the spies’ advice.

The Lord handles each situation uniquely.  While two situations may seem like they could be handled the same way, the details show otherwise.  Joshua assumed they would victorious by repeating what worked before.  However, something was different.  Israel sinned.  They transgressed the Lord’s covenant.  As a result, they were defeated shamefully.  Until sin is dealt with, no success will follow.

We, too, can get out of sync with the Lord by trying what we’ve done before.  What are you trying to handle on your own apart from God?  What sin is still in your life that you haven’t given up to the Lord?  The Bible tells us “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.  If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us” (1 John 1:8-10).

Lord, thank you for being faithful and just to forgive our sin when we confess it.  Open our eyes to places in our hearts, our attitudes and our behavior that are displeasing to you, that we may confess them and forsake them.  Give us the courage to deal with our sin that we may be forgiven and cleansed from all unrighteousness.  In Jesus’ precious name we come. Amen.

©Elizabeth Marks has led small group Bible studies for almost a decade.  Author of ThinkOnItBibleDevotions.com and BeingWomenOfInfluence.com websites she has a heart for encouraging others with God’s Word.

Strange Directions

Read Joshua 6

Joshua had been visited by the Commander of the Lord’s army who gave him some pretty ridiculous sounding directions for taking the city of Jericho.  But Joshua did not laugh at the instructions.  Instead he followed them exactly.

You probably heard this story before.  Joshua was told to take seven priests blowing trumpets, the Ark of the Covenant and all the children of Israel and march around the city once on the first day.  They were to do that for six days straight.  On the seventh day, they were to march around the city seven times, shout a loud shout at the sound of one long blast from the trumpets.  Then the walls of Jericho would fall.  Sounds silly doesn’t it?

God gave these instructions to Joshua.  He could have said, “No way, that’s ridiculous”, but he didn’t.  He obeyed the strange instructions, gathering the people and gave them the message from the Lord.  Joshua also made sure the people followed the instructions as well.  He led them.  They followed him.  In this the people were obedient.

We can trust God too.  When He says He will do something, you can rest assured He will do it.  Joshua understood this.  When the Lord says all you have to do is march around the city and the walls will fall, it happened just as He said it would.  God enables us to do what He desires, but we still have to choose to follow Him.  Like the people choose to follow Joshua.

Joshua saw what God could do.  He heard what God would do.  He aligned his will to God’s plan.  He acted on it.  God showed up in a mighty way.

What has God done for you already? What has God spoken to you? What have you put off that you know God told you to do?

Nothing is impossible with God.  All things are possible with God.  God has a plan.  We are part of it if we choose to be.  God speaks to His children, if they choose to hear Him.  God moves in His children’s lives if they choose to let Him.

Lord, thank you for being a God of your Word.  You are trustworthy.  Thank you for showing up and doing exactly what you said you would do.  Help us to trust you more with each day.  Enable us to align our will with your plan.  In Jesus’ name Amen.

©Elizabeth Marks has led small group Bible studies for almost a decade.  Author of ThinkOnItBibleDevotions.com and BeingWomenOfInfluence.com websites she has a heart for encouraging others with God’s Word.

Supreme Authority

Read Joshua 5

There is much going on in chapter 5 of Joshua.  God goes before the children of Israel and causes their enemies to melt with fear.  The children of Israel recommit themselves to the Lord through outward expression of circumcision.  God’s provision continues through the fruit of the land He had given them, so the heavenly manna stops.  Joshua gets a visit from the Commander of the Lord’s army.

When the Lord appeared to Joshua as the Commander of the Lord’s army, He told Joshua to take off his sandal for this is holy ground.  This seems similar to what Moses experienced at the burning bush.  Where the Lord is, it is holy.

God appeared as Commander of the Lord’s army at the time when the children of Israel were getting ready to take Jericho.  Joshua sees a man with a drawn sword.  He asks are you for us or against us?  The Lord says no and doesn’t answer Joshua’s question.  Instead He says He is the Commander of the Lord’s army.  Immediately, Joshua knew his place, in subjection to the Commanding Officer.  He knew the authority this Commander had.  He humbled himself and waited for direction.  He recognized the Commander as the Lord, fell to the ground in worship, and offered himself as a servant.

When the Lord visits you know it is Him.  Where the Lord is it is holy ground.

Have you come to the place of recognizing the Lord Almighty’s authority in your life?  Are there any areas of your life that are off limits for the Lord?  Are you willing to submit yourself to the supreme authority and Lord?  The Word says “Humble yourself before the Lord and He will lift you up” (James 4:10).

Lord you reign on heaven, on earth and in our hearts.  You have supreme authority over us and in us.  Help us come to the place of humble submission to you.  We are your servants.  In Jesus’ name Amen.

©Elizabeth Marks has led small group Bible studies for almost a decade.  Author of ThinkOnItBibleDevotions.com and BeingWomenOfInfluence.com websites she has a heart for encouraging others with God’s Word.

Memorial

Read Joshua 4

The Lord tells Joshua to appoint twelve men, one from every tribe to gather stones from the Jordan.  The stones were to be set up as a memorial for the children of Israel so they may remember what God did for them.  The stones were also a teaching aid so parents could explain to their children what God did for them.

Webster’s dictionary defines memorial as something keeping a remembrance alive.  All through the Bible we are encouraged to remember, to consider, to meditate, to think about all the Lord has done for us.  In a sense, the Bible itself is a memorial record of a past age.  It documents God’s relationship with His people.  It describes the people’s decision to maintain relationship with God or not.  In the 66 books we are given a detailed memoir of God.  The fact the Bible have survived thousands of years without changing its content is a testimony of its supreme importance.  God wants us to remember Him.

In Joshua 4 the people were to explain how they crossed the Jordan to their children.  This way the children would see God’s glory through the miracle He made happen at the Jordan.  The parents had to be available, to hear the question, and be able to answer it.

The next time you notice your Bible on the coffee table, think of the Jordan memorial stones.  If someone asked you what is so special about the Bible, how would your respond?  God wants us prepared to answer anyone who may ask.  How familiar are you with the contents of the Bible?  Could you recite one truth that changed your life?

For me that truth is Romans 5:8 But God demonstrated His own love towards us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.  This truth opened my eyes and changed the course of my life.  After receiving the truth of God’s love for me I accepted Christ’s sacrifice for me.  From that moment I became a child of God, adopted into His family.  I found forgiveness, love, acceptance and belonging in God.

Lord thank you for all you have done for us. Thank you for the many memorials you’ve given us.  Thank you for your power, your love and self-control to enable us to remember all you have done for us.  In Jesus’ name Amen.

©Elizabeth Marks has led small group Bible studies for almost a decade.  Author of ThinkOnItBibleDevotions.com and BeingWomenOfInfluence.com websites she has a heart for encouraging others with God’s Word.

Servant of God

Read Deuteronomy 34

Moses was a friend of God.  We see in Scripture he had a face-to-face relationship with God.  No one has ever had a relationship like that since Moses. We might think there was something special about Moses that he deserved that kind of closeness with God.  Maybe he was “holier than thou”, we might think.

The truth is Moses was not special or different from any of us.  In fact, he was a murderer.  He acted in fear and self-protection on more than one occasion.  Sometimes Moses added to what God told him to do. Yet, God chose to use him anyway.

Moses had to live with the consequences of his flaws.  One time Moses was so angry at the people complaining about no water.  God told Moses to strike the rock so He would cause water to flow from it.  In his anger, Moses hit the rock more than once, making it look like he was the one providing the water instead of God.  This stole glory away from God.  God had to deal with Moses, so Moses was not allowed to go into the Promised Land for his sin against God.

But God is gracious.  He lets Moses see the Promised Land before he dies.  Even in Moses flawed state, God used him mightily.  God does this with us too.

Lord thank you for your kindness to use us even in our flawed state.  Thank you, sweet Jesus, who purifies us from all unrighteousness.  In your precious name we pray, Amen.

©Elizabeth Marks has led small group Bible studies for almost a decade.  Author of ThinkOnItBibleDevotions.com and BeingWomenOfInfluence.com websites she has a heart for encouraging others with God’s Word.

Are We Against God?

Read Psalm 2

It must look silly to God looking down from heaven when all His creation off doing their own thing, forgetting who made them, ignoring His word, and rejecting His unending love.   Here in Psalm 2 we have a picture of man doing just that.  God speaks, “Why do the nations rage and people plot a vain thing”? It goes on to say the kings and rulers set themselves against the Lord and His anointed one.

When we look around today, isn’t that what’s going on now?  Our rulers are making policies removing prayer from schools, the Ten Commandments from courthouses and “In God We Trust” from our money.  These actions are modern day examples of verse 3: “Let us break Their bonds in pieces and cast away Their cords from us.”

Though God has every right to be angry with us, He says “Yet I have set My King on My Holy hill of Zion.  Nevertheless, I am God and I will make a way for these people to be saved.”  How gracious He is! Jesus Christ is His anointed One.  He is God’s begotten Son.  The nations are His inheritance.  The ends of the earth are His possession.  All of this is His.  He can do what He wants with it.

So what does He plan? He plans to bring the people to repentance, break them with His rod of iron, and dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.  Have you ever felt completely broken before? That’s the place He wants you, because there we can see most clearly the grace of God.  When truth finally hits us it can feel like we’re shattered, but that’s only the beginning.

Therefore, be wise, be instructed and serve the Lord with awesome reverence.  Kiss the Son.  Come to Him.  He is the truth, the way and the life.  Blessed are those who trust Him.

Dear Lord, forgive us for plotting a vain thing.  We turn to you now in reverence, seeking your forgiveness.  Thank you for cleansing us from all unrighteousness and leading us in the way of life.  In Jesus’ name Amen.

©Elizabeth Marks has led small group Bible studies for almost a decade.  Author of ThinkOnItBibleDevotions.com and BeingWomenOfInfluence.com websites she has a heart for encouraging others with God’s Word.

God Equips

Read Joshua 1:1-16

Is there something God has called you to do which you haven’t done yet? What are your reasons for delaying?

Joshua was faced with enormous responsibility after Moses’ death.  He was called to lead the children of Israel into the Promised Land.  Goad had a plan and Joshua would play a key role.

Sensing what Joshua needed, God speaks to him in verses 2 through 9.  God reassures Joshua He is with him, the land is really theirs, and no one can stand in their way. God also reminds him that success comes from being strong and courageous to observe all that’s written in the law.  Meditating on it day and night would keep him in a good way.  Lastly, God says “I command you not to be afraid, for I am with you wherever you go.”

What a prep talk!  Straight from the Lord’s lips, Joshua receives exactly what he needs in that moment.  Whoever the Lord calls, He also equips.

In verses 10 through 16 we see Joshua getting work.  He jumped in with both feet.  He trusted the Lord.  He was strong and courageous.  He commanded the people to ready themselves, reminding them the Lord had given the land to them already.

Just as the Lord was with Joshua, He is with us, if we have trusted Jesus Christ’s work on the cross.  For all who believe on Him will not perish but have eternal life.  Jesus said, “I am with you always”.

What does God want you to do that you keep putting off?  Are you afraid to confront a loved one? Are you fearful of asking for a raise at work? Are you frustrated about your teenager’s behavior?  Are you having difficulties forgiving someone? Remember, what God leads you to do He will supply all you need to accomplish it.  Why not take God at His word?

Dear Lord, you are completely trustworthy.  You never change.  What you say, you do.  Forgive us for not believing you’re with us always.  Give us the strength and courage to observe all your word.  In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

©Elizabeth Marks has led small group Bible studies for almost a decade.  Author of ThinkOnItBibleDevotions.com and BeingWomenOfInfluence.com websites she has a heart for encouraging others with God’s Word.