JOSHUA 23:14 – 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.
THEME OF THE DAY. NOT ONE HAS OR WILL FAIL US. Christians live by promises. From start to finish, the whole of the Christian life is lived by faith in God’s promises. The Apostle Peter writes . . . His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire (2 Peter 1:3-4). If we want to do an encouraging study in our Bibles, choose the topic of promises. We will be greatly encouraged and blessed. I would “warn us” in a good way. Be prepared to spend a lot of time, well-invested time, in this study. There are over 5,000 promises in our Bibles!!!.
In today’s scripture, Joshua is giving his final charge to Israel’s leadership. Joshua has “fought the good fight of faith, finished the race, kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:7). His time to depart this world and enter the Presence of the Lord has come. And what does he do to encourage, even empower, these leaders to carry on the mission and take care of God’s people? He reminds them of the Faithful Promiser. He takes them down “memory lane” to how God has fulfilled all His promises to them. He doesn’t just mention this truth. Joshua places double emphasis on God’s keeping of His promises to them. He not only says, “All have come to pass for you”, but he drives home deeper this glorious truth by basically saying, “Oh by the way, not one single time, not one single promise has failed us.” Remember, God’s people had not been coasting through life. They were held captive by the Egyptians for many years. Then, they had to endure the difficulties of leaving Egypt and heading into the Promised Land. Their faith was challenged and they didn’t always meet the challenge. Unbelief, complaining and suffering caused them to forget God’s Promises. But Joshua reminds them God had been true to them despite their many failings.
Today, in our world, we face difficult times. The pandemic we are living through has gripped our world in fear and anxiety. Even Christians feel the powerful temptations to be afraid and riddled with worry, but Christians have hope. We don’t have to be like the world. Why? Promises. God’s promises. Are we leaning on them today? Are we clinging to God’s faithfulness to care for us, protect us, and provide for us as He promised? Friends, if we are not storing up God’s promises in our hearts and minds, we have no resources to live above the circumstances surrounding this pandemic. God is most honored when we put complete faith in His Word, and especially during times of crisis and fear. And He is most honored when we abandon ourselves to His promises. But there is a warning. It comes from the book of Hebrews in the New Testament – And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him (Hebrews 11:6). No faith, no pleasing God.
During this pandemic, if we want to honor the Lord, and not dishonor Him by succumbing to the world’s fear, we must exercise faith in His promises. God will be true to His Word. The question is, “Are we going to place our unwavering trust in the promises of the One who cannot lie?” I hope so. Our peace, joy and testimony of an all-sufficient God in this pandemic rests upon such faith in His promises.
PRAYER: “Father, thank you Your promises are always true for, You, the Promiser, cannot lie or go against Your Word.”
QUOTE: “We live by God’s promises. From start to finish in the Christian life, we are people of unfailing promises.”