all ears now

Posted on August 11, 2021 by Jefferson Vann

Joshua - 1

all ears now

Joshua 5:12-15 (JDV)

Joshua 5:12 And the day after they ate from the produce of the land, the manna stopped. Since there was no more manna for the Israelites, they ate from the crops of the land of Canaan that year.
Joshua 5:13 When Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua approached him and asked, “Are you for us or for our enemies?”
Joshua 5:14 “Neither,” he replied. “I have now come as commander of Yahveh’s army.” Then Joshua bowed with his face to the ground in worship and asked him, “What does my lord want to say to his servant?”
Joshua 5:15 The commander of Yahveh’s army said to Joshua, “Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did that.

all ears now

He looked like a man, so Joshua knew how to size up a man. His only question to the “man” that he saw was essentially “whose side are you on?” But, after he learned that this “man” was actually the captain of Yahveh’s angelic army, Joshua’s attitude changed. He was suddenly “all ears” now — wanting to know the message that the LORD was sending through his messenger.

LORD, we are all ears. Tell us what you want to say.

Posted in listening, presence of God, relationship with God | Tagged | 1 Comment

Gilgal

Posted on August 10, 2021 by Jefferson Vann

Gilgal

Joshua 5:9-11 (JDV)

Joshua 5:9 Yahveh then said to Joshua, “Today I have pealed away the disgrace of Egypt from you.” Therefore, that place is still called Gilgal today.
Joshua 5:10 While the Israelites camped at Gilgal on the plains of Jericho, they observed the Passover on the evening of the fourteenth day of the month.
Joshua 5:11 The day after Passover they ate unleavened bread and roasted grain from the produce of the land.

Gilgal

We need to pray for a Gilgal, even if it takes a painful experience to get there. It is a place of new beginning, where we let go of the failures of the past, and trust God for a disciplined, obedient future. Getting there took a supernatural work of God, but it was necessary to launch into the work that God called the Israelites to do.

Lord, bless us with a beginning, and take away the disgrace associated with our past.

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the skipped generation

Posted on August 9, 2021 by Jefferson Vann

the skipped generation

Joshua 5:1-8 (JDV)

Joshua 5:1 When all the Amorite kings across the Jordan to the west and all the Canaanite kings near the sea heard that Yahveh had dried up the water of the Jordan before the Israelites until they had crossed over, their heart melted and their breath stopped continually because of the Israelites.
Joshua 5:2 At that time Yahveh said to Joshua, “Make flint knives and circumcise the Israelite men again.”
Joshua 5:3 So Joshua made flint knives and circumcised the Israelite men at Gibeath-haaraloth.
Joshua 5:4 This is the reason Joshua circumcised them: All the people who came out of Egypt who were males – all the men of war – had died in the wilderness along the way after they had come out of Egypt.
Joshua 5:5 Though all the people who came out were circumcised, none of the people born in the open country along the way were circumcised after they had come out of Egypt.
Joshua 5:6 You see, the Israelites wandered in the open country forty years until all the nation’s men of war who came out of Egypt had died off because they did not obey Yahveh. So Yahveh vowed never to let them see the land he had sworn to their fathers to give us, a land flowing with milk and honey.
Joshua 5:7 He raised up their sons in their place; it was these Joshua circumcised. They were still uncircumcised, since they had not been circumcised along the way.
Joshua 5:8 After the entire nation had been circumcised, they stayed where they were in the camp until they recovered.

the skipped generation

The generation that wandered in the open country could have had the faith to trust God, but they didn’t. They were the skipped generation. This new generation would be circumcised because it was the sign of the covenant, a covenant they would have the chance to keep.

Our generation has all the chances for greatness and holiness that the last generation had. Will we be skipped, or prove ourselves faithful?

Lord, use this generation to reach the nations for Christ and his kingdom.

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the power behind the grace

Posted on August 8, 2021 by Jefferson Vann

the power behind the grace

Joshua 4:21-24 (JDV)

Joshua 4:21 and he said to the Israelites, “In the future, when your children ask their fathers, ‘What is the meaning of these stones?’
Joshua 4:22 you should tell your children, ‘Israel crossed the Jordan on dry ground’
Joshua 4:23 because Yahveh your God dried up the water of the Jordan in front of you until you had crossed over, just like Yahveh your God did to the Red Sea, which he dried up in front of us until we had crossed over.
Joshua 4:24 This is so that all the peoples of the land may know that Yahveh’s hand is mighty, and so that you may always fear Yahveh your God.”

the power behind the grace

Can we really fear a God who rescues people? Yes we can, if we realize the mighty hand behind the rescue. Those stones represented the grace of God in action, and their presence should cause us to fear him — always.

When we come to God in prayer, we should not just criticize and complain. We should respect the power behind the grace.

Lord, forgive us for our casual disrespect. Teach us to respect the power behind your grace.

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miracle memorial

Posted on August 7, 2021 by Jefferson Vann

marmsky

miracle memorial

Joshua 4:19-20 (JDV)

Joshua 4:19 The people came up from the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month, and camped at Gilgal on the eastern border of Jericho.
Joshua 4:20 Then Joshua set up in Gilgal the twelve stones they had taken from the Jordan,

miracle memorial

It was important to Joshua to follow through after the miracle to make sure the memorial was set up in Gilgal. Future generations needed to know what their parents and ancestors had experienced here.

We need to ensure that our children and descendants have a good record not only of what we believe, but also what we are experiencing. This is a gift to them from their past, and a sign of God at work that they will consider when making their life choices.

Lord, enable us to share our faith with our descendants.

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confidence in the captain

Posted on August 6, 2021 by Jefferson Vann

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confidence in the captain

Joshua 4:10-18 (JDV)

Joshua 4:10 The priests carrying the ark continued standing in the middle of the Jordan until everything was finished that Yahveh had commanded Joshua to tell the people, in keeping with all that Moses had commanded Joshua. The people rushed across,
Joshua 4:11 and after everyone had finished crossing, the priests with the ark of Yahveh crossed in the sight of the people.
Joshua 4:12 The Reubenites, Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh went in battle formation in front of the Israelites, like Moses had instructed them.
Joshua 4:13 About forty thousand equipped for war crossed to the plains of Jericho in Yahveh’s presence.
Joshua 4:14 On that day Yahveh exalted Joshua in the sight of all Israel, and they revered him throughout his life, like they had revered Moses.
Joshua 4:15 Yahveh told Joshua,
Joshua 4:16 “Command the priests who carry the ark of the testimony to come up from the Jordan.”
Joshua 4:17 So Joshua commanded the priests, “Come up from the Jordan.”
Joshua 4:18 When the priests carrying the ark of Yahveh’s covenant came up from the middle of the Jordan, and their feet stepped out on solid ground, the water of the Jordan resumed its course, flowing over all the banks like before.

confidence in the captain

Imagine being an ordinary Israelite on that day. You saw the water in the river cease to flow as soon as the priests set foot in it. You saw a mighty army march through the miraculous riverbed to the other side. You, yourself, passed through, viewing the amazing ark of the covenant as you passed it in the center of the path. Then you heard the command of Capatin Joshua, as he gave word for the priests to come up the rear, and then the water came back.

An event like that stays with you. You learn to respect people whom God uses in such a dramatic way. You learn to trust their judgment.

Lord, bless us with events which give us confidence in those whom you have ordained to lead us.

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when your children ask

Posted on August 5, 2021 by Jefferson Vann
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when your children ask

Joshua 4:1-9 (JDV)

Joshua 4:1 This happened when the entire nation had finished crossing the Jordan. Yahveh said to Joshua:
Joshua 4:2 “Bring twelve men from the people, one man for each tribe,
Joshua 4:3 and command them: Take twelve stones from this place in the middle of the Jordan where the priests are standing, carry them with you, and set them down at the place where you spend the night.”
Joshua 4:4 So Joshua summoned the twelve men he had secured from the Israelites, one man for each tribe,
Joshua 4:5 and said to them, “Go across to the ark of Yahveh your God in the middle of the Jordan. Each of you lift a stone onto his shoulder, one for each of the Israelite tribes,
Joshua 4:6 so that this will be a sign among you. In the future, when your children ask you, ‘What do these stones mean to you? ‘
Joshua 4:7 you should tell them, ‘The water of the Jordan was cut off in front of the ark of Yahveh’s covenant. When it crossed the Jordan, the Jordan’s water was cut off.’ Therefore these stones will always be a memorial for the Israelites.”
Joshua 4:8 The Israelites did just like Joshua had commanded them. The twelve men took stones from the middle of the Jordan, one for each of the Israelite tribes, just like Yahveh had told Joshua. They carried them to the camp and set them down there.
Joshua 4:9 Joshua also set up twelve stones in the middle of the Jordan where the priests who carried the ark of the covenant were standing. The stones are still there today.

when your children ask

This memorial was important because it established a connection between the miracle in the past and the ongoing faith of the Israelites. The future generations would not relive this miracle, but the stones would be a reminder that it had happened. Even the significance of the miracle may be lost in time, but it could be relearned in generations to come because the sign of the event remained.

What signs are you leaving for future generations that God has been at work in your life. It is not too late. Begin leaving breadcrumbs for your children and grandchildren to follow you on your walk. Testify to what he is doing in your life.

LORD, may we leave such evidence of your work in our lives that our descendants know that you have visited us.

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passing the ark

Posted on August 4, 2021 by Jefferson Vann

passing the ark

Joshua 3:16-17 (JDV)

Joshua 3:16 and the water flowing downstream stood still, rising up in a mass that extended as far as Adam, a city next to Zarethan. The water flowing downstream into the Sea of the Arabah – the Dead Sea – was completely cut off, and the people crossed opposite Jericho.
Joshua 3:17 The priests carrying the ark of Yahveh’s covenant stood firmly on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan, while all Israel crossed on dry ground until the entire nation had finished crossing the Jordan.

passing the ark

Notice what God wanted the priests to do, and how that would challenge the people. First, the priests would have to walk into the water in the shallow overflow area, and the water would respond to this act of faith by stopping its stream, leaving the riverbed dry.

Then, the priests with the ark were to walk all the way to the middle of the riverbed and stop. Then the people were to walk the same path and pass them, following on until they reached the other side. Once all the people had completed the route, the priests could resume. This was another challenge because it entailed passing on after the ark (symbolizing the presence of God) had stopped. Would they have the faith to take the path even when there was no physical evidence of God’s presence?

LORD, give us the courage to follow your prescribed path, and wait on you to manifest your presence when you see fit.

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wet feet

Posted on August 3, 2021 by Jefferson Vann

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wet feet

Joshua 3:14-15 (JDV)

Joshua 3:14 When the people broke camp to cross the Jordan, the priests carried the ark of the covenant ahead of the people.
Joshua 3:15 Now the Jordan overflows its banks throughout the harvest season. But as soon as the priests carrying the ark reached the Jordan, their feet touched the water at its edge

wet feet

Since the river was overflowing its banks at the time, it looked to the priests like they were stepping into the river. They had to be willing to act in faith and step on the water to see the miracle take place. Just like Peter, who wanted to walk on water like his master. He had to be willing to jump out of the boat into the water.

God wants to prove himself to us as he did to the Israelites. But someone has to be willing to get a little wet before that will happen.

Lord, tell us where to go. We are willing to get wet feet.

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a miracle for a mission

Posted on August 2, 2021 by Jefferson Vann

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a miracle for a mission

Joshua 3:9-13 (JDV)

Joshua 3:9 Then Joshua told the Israelites, “Come closer and listen to the words of Yahveh your God.”
Joshua 3:10 He said: “You will know that the living God is among you and that he will certainly dispossess before you the Canaanites, Hethites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites, and Jebusites
Joshua 3:11 when the ark of the covenant of Yahveh of the whole land goes ahead of you into the Jordan.
Joshua 3:12 Now choose twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one man for each tribe.
Joshua 3:13 When the feet of the priests who carry the ark of Yahveh, Yahveh of the whole land, come to rest in the Jordan’s water, its water will be cut off. The water flowing downstream will stand up in a mass.”

a miracle for a mission

The purpose of this miracle is important. It was not a miracle of deliverance. Many of us need that, but that was not the crucial need for the Israelites at this time. They had already been delivered from Egypt, and they would not be in battle as soon as they crossed the river. No, the purpose of this miracle was to assure the Israelites that the living God was among them. They needed courage and the assurance of protection. They needed motivation for the mission that God was calling them to accomplish.

If we are not going anywhere, and don’t intend to do any thing, then we will probably see no miracle. So, the best way to ensure the miraculous in our lives is to get aligned with God’s purposes for them.

Lord, set our feet on the path of your mission, and give us the encouragement we need to accomplish that mission.

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