The Book Of Joshua - Rest From The Enemy (Daily Devotional)

Hi everyone and welcome to Living Supernaturally. Thank you so much once again for giving us this opportunity to minister to you and spend a few moments in prayer. Joshua chapter 1, verses 13 to 15, ‘remember the command that Moses the servant of the Lord gave you after he said, "The Lord your God will give you rest by giving you this land. Your wives, your children your livestocks may stay in the land that Moses gave you east of the Jordan, but all your fighting men, ready for battle, must cross over ahead of your fellow Israelites. You are to help them until the Lord gives them rest, as he has done for you, and until they too have taken possession of the land the Lord your God is giving them. After that, you may go back and occupy your own land, which Moses the servant of the Lord gave you east of Jordan towards the sunrise.’ Israel had fought many battles and also won many battles but it was the Lord God who gave them rest from their enemies. After years in the battlefield, Israel could serve God without interruption from the enemy. The freedom to serve God that Moses had demanded of Pharaoh before they left Egypt was finally achieved on the land God had promised to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Still the conquest remained incomplete. Non-Israelites remained in the land and they worshiped other gods but their kings had no power to enslave Israel. Israel was now free to serve the Lord who had rescued them and this was good news for all. It often troubles people that God waged violent warfare in Canaan in the time of Joshua but the land and its people already belonged to God and they had been in rebellion against Him for more than 400 years. In the meantime, God has been patient and long-suffering providing for them, but they never turned back to Him. So, this part of Israel's history illustrates they were tried and tested by God to teach them humility and obedience. The generation that came out of Egypt, except for Caleb and Joshua, all of them perished in the wilderness because they failed to be obedient and faithful to God. Their children inherited the promised land but while they were in the desert, they were not perfect because many of them were still unruly. However, Moses assured them that when they entered the promised land, the Lord will give them rest from their enemies so that they can dwell in peace and in safety. There, they would build homes, offer sacrifices to God and rejoice in the Lord. God wants full life and peace for His people but the powers of evil, tear away at that and bring death. The freedom Christ has won for His disciples is also good news. No longer enslaved to the power of sin, we are empowered by the Holy Spirit to resist our passions and addictions. We may be buffeted on all sides by our enemies like pride, lust, greed but you and I having been clothed with the righteousness of Christ and the armor of God, we can resist and deflect the darts of the evil one. No enemy can withstand the righteousness of God through Christ our Lord.

Let's pray, Father, we want to thank you for your word. We thank you that you have promised rest for us and even as we walk this life, empower us through your Holy Spirit to be able to fight the good fight of faith and to live for you, in Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

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