If you choose not to decide you still have made a choice!

¹⁴ “So fear the Lord and serve him wholeheartedly. Put away forever the idols your ancestors worshiped when they lived beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt. Serve the Lord alone. ¹⁵ But if you refuse to serve the Lord, then choose today whom you will serve. Would you prefer the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates? Or will it be the gods of the Amorites in whose land you now live? But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord.”  Joshua 24:14-15

This is a great passage that is frequently quoted.

Joshua said to choose that day and then firmly proclaims where he stands!

I stand with Joshua and I want to ask you to consider where you stand.

Read more, think about it 

Could it be possible to wait too long?

Today's Readings:

JOSHUA 22:1-24:33
Tomorrow's readings:
JUDGES 1:1-3:30

Land Grants

⁷ The boundary of the tribe of Manasseh extended from the border of Asher to Micmethath, near Shechem. Then the boundary went south from Micmethath to the settlement near the spring of Tappuah. ⁸ The land surrounding Tappuah belonged to Manasseh, but the town of Tappuah itself, on the border of Manasseh’s territory, belonged to the tribe of Ephraim. ⁹ From the spring of Tappuah, the boundary of Manasseh followed the Kanah Ravine to the Mediterranean Sea.^[d] Several towns south of the ravine were inside Manasseh’s territory, but they actually belonged to the tribe of Ephraim. ¹⁰ In general, however, the land south of the ravine belonged to Ephraim, and the land north of the ravine belonged to Manasseh. Manasseh’s boundary ran along the northern side of the ravine and ended at the Mediterranean Sea. North of Manasseh was the territory of Asher, and to the east was the territory of Issachar.  Joshua 17:7-10

If you would like to study today's reading deeper I suggest searching for maps to get a visualization of what land was given to the tribes.

As an alternative I am including this video that I highly recommend!

Today's readings:JOSHUA 15:20-17:18
Tomorrow's readings:
JOSHUA 18:1-19:48

The Day The Earth Stood Still?

¹² On the day the Lord gave the Israelites victory over the Amorites, Joshua prayed to the Lord in front of all the people of Israel. He said,

“Let the sun stand still over Gibeon,
    and the moon over the valley of Aijalon.”

¹³ So the sun stood still and the moon stayed in place until the nation of Israel had defeated its enemies.

Is this event not recorded in The Book of Jashar^[b]? The sun stayed in the middle of the sky, and it did not set as on a normal day.^{[c] 14} There has never been a day like this one before or since, when the Lord answered such a prayer. Surely the Lord fought for Israel that day!

¹⁵ Then Joshua and the Israelite army returned to their camp at Gilgal.  Joshua 10:12-15

Did the sun stand still or did the earth quit spinning?



Did you read right through and just kept reading the rest of today’s versus or did you stop and think “Did this really happen?”


I wondered and I started searching and first came upon this following links. I don’t know how much of it is accurate but it does give us something to think about.

Be still my sun <--------- follow link 


Stop the moon <---------------- follow this link. 


As The World Turns...backwards! <-------------- follow this link too! 


 
I literally would need a longer day just to read the information contained in those 3 links!



So what about you? Do you believe this event occurred?



Why don’t we see God doing things like this today?



I would welcome any comments.



Today’s reading:
JOSHUA 10:1-12:6
Tomorrow’s reading:
JOSHUA 12:7-15:19

Valley of Trouble

Achan’s Sin

¹⁶ Early the next morning Joshua brought the tribes of Israel before the Lord, and the tribe of Judah was singled out. ¹⁷ Then the clans of Judah came forward, and the clan of Zerah was singled out. Then the families of Zerah came forward, and the family of Zimri was singled out. ¹⁸ Every member of Zimri’s family was brought forward person by person, and Achan was singled out.

¹⁹ Then Joshua said to Achan, “My son, give glory to the Lord, the God of Israel, by telling the truth. Make your confession and tell me what you have done. Don’t hide it from me.”

²⁰ Achan replied, “It is true! I have sinned against the Lord, the God of Israel. ²¹ Among the plunder I saw a beautiful robe from Babylon,^[b] 200 silver coins,^[c] and a bar of gold weighing more than a pound.^[d] I wanted them so much that I took them. They are hidden in the ground beneath my tent, with the silver buried deeper than the rest.”

²² So Joshua sent some men to make a search. They ran to the tent and found the stolen goods hidden there, just as Achan had said, with the silver buried beneath the rest. ²³ They took the things from the tent and brought them to Joshua and all the Israelites. Then they laid them on the ground in the presence of the Lord.

²⁴ Then Joshua and all the Israelites took Achan, the silver, the robe, the bar of gold, his sons, daughters, cattle, donkeys, sheep, goats, tent, and everything he had, and they brought them to the valley of Achor. ²⁵ Then Joshua said to Achan, “Why have you brought trouble on us? The Lord will now bring trouble on you.” And all the Israelites stoned Achan and his family and burned their bodies. ²⁶ They piled a great heap of stones over Achan, which remains to this day. That is why the place has been called the Valley of Trouble^[e] ever since. So the Lord was no longer angry. Joshua 7:16-26

Achan sinned by not following the commands of the Lord, the God of Israel and then he tried to hide it.



How many of us do the same thing?



How many of us do it over and over again and find ourselves living in “The Valley of Trouble”?



Confess to Jesus and you will be forgiven. Jesus took our place so we do not have to face the deserved consequences of our sin as Achan did.



Today’s readings:
JOSHUA 7:1
1CHRONICLES 2:7
JOSHUA 7:2-9:27
Tomorrow’s readings:
JOSHUA 10:1-12:6

It never hurts to ask!

The Lord’s Commander Confronts Joshua

¹³ When Joshua was near the town of Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with sword in hand. Joshua went up to him and demanded, “Are you friend or foe?”

¹⁴ “Neither one,” he replied. “I am the commander of the Lord’s army.”

At this, Joshua fell with his face to the ground in reverence. “I am at your command,” Joshua said. “What do you want your servant to do?”

¹⁵ The commander of the Lord’s army replied, “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did as he was told.  Joshua 5:13-15

In Numbers 22:31 when Balaam saw the Angel of the Lord with his sword drawn he fell face down to the ground.



Here Joshua encounters the commander of the LORD’S army sword in hand.



First Joshua asks “Are you friend or foe?”



Seems like Joshua was ready for a fight!



Maybe we are ready for a fight and should ask questions first like Joshua did.




Maybe we should be quick to humble ourselves like Joshua did.




Today’s reading:
JOSHUA 3:1-6:27
Tomorrow’s reading:
JOSHUA 7:1
1CHRONICLES 2:7

Weak and scared?

The Lord’s Charge to Joshua

1 After the death of Moses the Lord’s servant, the Lord spoke to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ assistant. He said, ² “Moses my servant is dead. Therefore, the time has come for you to lead these people, the Israelites, across the Jordan River into the land I am giving them. ³ I promise you what I promised Moses: ‘Wherever you set foot, you will be on land I have given you— ⁴ from the Negev wilderness in the south to the Lebanon mountains in the north, from the Euphrates River in the east to the Mediterranean Sea^[a] in the west, including all the land of the Hittites.’ ⁵ No one will be able to stand against you as long as you live. For I will be with you as I was with Moses. I will not fail you or abandon you.

⁶ “Be strong and courageous, for you are the one who will lead these people to possess all the land I swore to their ancestors I would give them. ⁷ Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the instructions Moses gave you. Do not deviate from them, turning either to the right or to the left. Then you will be successful in everything you do. ⁸ Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do. ⁹ This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:1-9

I have always liked these passages…..have you noticed the point that is being made?

¹⁶ They answered Joshua, “We will do whatever you command us, and we will go wherever you send us. ¹⁷ We will obey you just as we obeyed Moses. And may the Lord your God be with you as he was with Moses. ¹⁸ Anyone who rebels against your orders and does not obey your words and everything you command will be put to death. So be strong and courageous! Joshua 1:16-18

Figured it out yet?



So be strong and courageous!



I find so much strength in today’s reading!



Whatever you are going through, whatever you are coming against, whatever you are trying to accomplish may the Lord your God be with you so be strong and courageous!



Today’s reading:
DEUTERONOMY 33:1-34:12
JOSHUA 1:1-2:24
Tomorrow’s reading:
JOSHUA 3:1-6:27