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Week 19 |
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Putting Others First
Joshua 1:10-18
"Until the Lord gives your brothers rest"… This is very powerful. You’ve got to understand this. The Israelites are still on the east side of the Jordan. They’re getting ready to cross over to the west side to take possession of their inheritance. But the Reubenites, the Gadites and half the tribe of Manasseh were already given their land by Moses on the east side. They thought the area east of the Jordan was more conducive to raising their large flocks. So technically they don’t have to go anywhere; they already have their possession.
But God has another plan for them. God says to them, “You already have your land but you can’t have rest in it because your brothers don’t have theirs. And even though you don’t have to fight on this side, you’re going to have to fight with them on their side. In fact, you’re going to have to be the first in battle.”
You see, God doesn’t intend for His people to concentrate only on themselves. The Bible never instructs us to spend time improving our self image. And there’s nothing in it about trying to make us feel good about ourselves. The Bible does say that we are to love others as we love ourselves. The assumption is that we already love ourselves well enough. According to the Bible, there’s no such thing as a bad self image. Now, you can have a wrong self image, but not a bad self image, because you love yourself.
As a matter of fact, you love yourself so much you think God didn’t do you right. You don’t think God made you as pretty as you should be, or as tall, or gave you the right kind of hair. If it’s curly you want straight. If it’s straight, you want curly. And you pay all kinds of money to get the opposite of what you have! If you think you’re too thin, you buy products to bulk up; if you think you’re too fat, you torture yourself with diets. It’s all about me, myself and I. We have a multi-million dollar industry in this country for self-improvement books. But how about a book titled, “Putting Others First though Selfless Living” or “How to Make Others Succeed”? No one would buy them! But that’s exactly how God expects you and me to live our lives every day.
The only things the Bible says about self are, 1. Don’t trust it, and 2. Don’t think of yourself as being more important than what you ought to think.
Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind let each of you regard one another as more important than himself; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. Phil 2:3-4
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Week 18 |
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Day 18: Putting Others First
Joshua 1:10-18
"Until the Lord gives your brothers rest…" This is very powerful. You’ve got to understand this. The Israelites are still on the east side of the Jordan. They’re getting ready to cross over to the west side to take possession of their inheritance. But the Reubenites, the Gadites and half the tribe of Manasseh were already given their land by Moses on the east side. They thought the area east of the Jordan was more conducive to raising their large flocks. So technically they don’t have to go anywhere; they already have their possession.
But God has another plan for them. God says to them, “You already have your land but you can’t have rest in it because your brothers don’t have theirs. And even though you don’t have to fight on this side, you’re going to have to fight with them on their side. In fact, you’re going to have to be the first in battle.”
You see, God doesn’t intend for His people to concentrate only on themselves. The Bible never instructs us to spend time improving our self image. And there’s nothing in it about trying to make us feel good about ourselves. The Bible does say that we are to love others as we love ourselves. The assumption is that we already love ourselves well enough. According to the Bible, there’s no such thing as a bad self image. Now, you can have a wrong self image, but not a bad self image, because you love yourself. As a matter of fact, you love yourself so much you think God didn’t do you right. You don’t think God made you as pretty as you should be, or as tall, or gave you the right kind of hair. If it’s curly you want straight. If it’s straight, you want curly. And you pay all kinds of money to get the opposite of what you have! If you think you’re too thin, you buy products to bulk up; if you think you’re too fat, you torture yourself with diets. It’s all about me, myself and I. We have a multi-million dollar industry in this country for self-improvement books. But how about a book titled, “Putting Others First though Selfless Living” or “How to Make Others Succeed”? No one would buy them! But that’s exactly how God expects you and me to live our lives every day. The only things the Bible says about self are, 1. Don’t trust it, and 2. Don’t think of yourself as being more important than what you ought to think.
"Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind let each of you regard one another as more important than himself; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others." Phil 2:3-4
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Week 17 |
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Hurry up and wait
Joshua 1:10-18
Prepare provisions for yourselves, for within three days you are to cross this Jordan.
“Three more days? We’ve wondered in the desert for 40 years; we’re ready to move into the land now.” I can just hear the Israelites grumbling. In verse 11, God tells Joshua that it’s time for the People to move into their new home, but He says, “You have to wait 3 more days, and during that time, I have something for you to think about.”
Now, if you’ve lived for forty years in a tent, without a permanent place to call home, three more days would seem like an age. And if you spend that three days staring into the face of an impossible situation, it would become unbearable. You see, the Jordan is at flood stage. The place at which God wants the Israelites to cross is completely impassable during this time of the year. So for three days they’ve got to sit there and they’ve got to look at that swollen Jordan River knowing that God said, “You’re going to cross this thing in three days.” He brings them to the banks of the river and then has them sit and contemplate the seemingly impossible task ahead of them.
Now what do you think is going through their minds? Maybe God has gotten a little mixed up in His timing?
I’ve learned throughout my life that God is never late; He’s just never on my time. He doesn’t do things according to my agenda. God has never asked to consult my daily planner. Corrie ten Boom said it the best; she said, “Lord, I know You’re never late, but You sure give up a lot of opportunities to be early!” I love that.
For three days they’re sitting there and they’re looking at that Jordan. I bet that there are two types of people in the Israelite’s camp. The first group looks at the situation and says, “Well, this certainly is a bust. We’re wasting our time here. Someone messed up big, because we’re not going anywhere.” The other group looks at the same circumstances and recognizes that this is just another opportunity to trust God and watch Him work. “I don’t know how this could ever work out, God, but I’m excited to see how you are going to come through.”
Are you sitting on the east side of the Jordan in your life, facing an overwhelming flood of difficult circumstances? God knows just how long you have to stay there. 3 days, 3 years or 30 years! Until you can look at your impossible situation and know that if you’re going to get through it, you’re going to have to learn that it’s totally up to God.
Wait for the Lord;
Be strong and let your heart take courage;
Yes; wait for the Lord. Psalm 27:14
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Week 16 |
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Knock Down the Gates
Joshua 1:10-18
It’s amazing to me how well this book serves as an example to us of what the church should be like and what the church should be doing. The book of Joshua illustrates an Old Testament truth that is a New Testament reality. Joshua is all about victory.
But can we really characterize the present day Church as victorious? Can you characterize your own spiritual walk as victorious? Why not? The Bible says that the enemies of God can’t stand against us. In the Gospel of Matthew it says, “Upon this rock I will build My church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” Is this a promise from God to the church, or is it not? If the Bible says it, why do we not act like we believe it?
I’ve done a little reading about the history of warfare, and gates are a defensive installation. No one uses gates as a weapon to attack an enemy – well, unless you’re Samson. Gates are shut to defend a place against an advancing army. The army in this verse is the church. This means that the church is supposed to be the one on the move, taking territory from the enemy, and experiencing victory. Everywhere that there are walls and gates put up against us, they will not stand. Boom! We bust right on through. This is the way Joshua and the Israelites did it, and they were successful as long as they were obedient to God’s commandments. God has given us the same assurance of victory as individuals and as a church, and we’ve got to learn to live it.
Where are the strongholds of Hell today? Hollywood? Politics? Internet? Popular music? The Arts? City streets? And where is the church today? Cowering behind the four walls of the church building? That’s not what the Lord intended when He sent the church into all the world.
Where are the strongholds of Hell in your life? Anger? Immorality? Worry? Your past? That’s not what the Lord intended for you when He sent the Holy Spirit to dwell in you. Now, I know this is hard to believe, but God says, “As I have given Joshua promises, I have given the church even more promises.” And if you and I truly believe in the power of God, and being controlled by His Holy Spirit, our lives should be full of victory. You and I have a whole bunch of things going on in our lives every day, but our lives should be victorious. We win. We win!
The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. 1 Corinthians 15:57-58
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Week 15 |
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Prosperity and Success 6
Philippians 4
It’s the kind of life that I desire most to live. I’m not talking about a successful life the way the world defines it, according to the size of the house I have and the type of car I drive. But one that is lived according to God’s definition of success. A life, at the end of which, I stand before the Lord and hear him say, “Well done, good and faithful servant!” That kind of success and prosperity only comes through obedience to the Word of God. Let’s look at another verse in God’s recipe for success.
"Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things."
This is a command from God to which He fully expects us to be obedient. Let me ask you something, what’s your thought-life like? Is it characterized more by positive, righteous, uplifting thoughts or by negative, nasty, even perverse thoughts? God says that He’s not only going to tell you what you should do and what you should say, but also what you should think! Now that’s pushy, isn’t it? Isn’t God pushy? Come on, you can say it! Yes, He is! There is no one else, if he has any sense, who is going to tell you what you can or can’t think about, because he can’t read your mind. But God, Who knows everything that goes on up there between your ears, says, “Even your thinking pattern has to be brought in to obedience with My Word for you to fully experience the prosperous and successful life that I have for you.”
Computer programmers use the saying, “Garbage in, garbage out” to describe the bad results that you get if you input bad data. Our minds work the same way. Is it any wonder that you struggle with your thought-life considering the stuff you read, watch on TV, listen to and, (nowadays) browse to? How can you expect to experience God’s blessings when you spend your time filling your mind with garbage? Let me encourage you today to turn off the daytime TV shows and the primetime sitcoms, put away the smutty romance novels, burn the magazines, and buy internet filtering software. You will not consistently experience the blessings of a prosperous Christian walk until you begin to bring your thought-life into obedience to the Word of God.
"And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect." Rom 12:2
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