March 24, 2006 - Joshua 16-18 and Luke 2:1-24
This passage continues to show us how God has a wonderful plan for our lives. He has thought of all of the details. We only have to know Him well, so we can see His plan and then, trust Him to carry out His plan in our lives. Therefore, knowing Him is the key to all of life. When we come to know Him by grace through faith we have eternal life, and as we continue to grow in our relationship with Him, we have the abundant life He has prepared for us.
The main truth in chapter 16 is partial obedience. Over and over we see this sin and the problems it causes for the Israelites. We, too, must not give in to partial obedience. We must desire to go all the way with God's will each day.
Chapter 17 shows God's fairness or justice. He always does the right thing. He gave the daughters of Zelophehad an inheritance in the Promised land, even though the land was usually given to the sons. In this case there were no sons, so God gave them a portion. God does not hold women down. He always lifts them up in His way. It is not the way of the world, but God's way is better. Then, Joseph's descendants wanted more land. God had the answer. They could clear off the mountains and defeat the people with iron chariots if they needed more land. Unfortunately, they wanted the easy way. We don't get more in life by taking the easy way. God blesses us with more, when we trust Him more. He usually wants us to be challenged to take the path that most people would not take. Then, He gets the credit, and we grow in our faith. That is what He wants. He does not just want to give us the easy way. That would spoil us spiritually.
Chapter 18 is an admonition against putting things off. The other tribes should have had their land already, too. They had put off laying out the land. They had taken the comfortable way. Joshua told them to get busy. He told them to follow God's will without delay. That is good counsel for all of us. We all drift to the comfortable things in life, instead of the disciplines, if we don't watch out. The disciplines are what help us became strong spiritually.
Luke 2 is a very familiar passage. We read it several times each Christmas season. However, did you notice how specific God was in His plan. The census was planned at the right time for Jesus to be born in Bethlehem, as the prophets had foretold. The shepherds were in the field, so they could hear from the angels. The baby was laid in a feeding trough, so they could find Him and know He was the Messiah. Believe me, He was the only baby in a feeding trough that night or even most nights in Bethlehem. How great God is to work out the details. He makes it plain, so that even we can see His work. We have to trust Him like Mary and Joseph did. Then, He can do wondrous things in our lives, too.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Joshua 19-21 and Luke 2:25-52.
The main truth in chapter 16 is partial obedience. Over and over we see this sin and the problems it causes for the Israelites. We, too, must not give in to partial obedience. We must desire to go all the way with God's will each day.
Chapter 17 shows God's fairness or justice. He always does the right thing. He gave the daughters of Zelophehad an inheritance in the Promised land, even though the land was usually given to the sons. In this case there were no sons, so God gave them a portion. God does not hold women down. He always lifts them up in His way. It is not the way of the world, but God's way is better. Then, Joseph's descendants wanted more land. God had the answer. They could clear off the mountains and defeat the people with iron chariots if they needed more land. Unfortunately, they wanted the easy way. We don't get more in life by taking the easy way. God blesses us with more, when we trust Him more. He usually wants us to be challenged to take the path that most people would not take. Then, He gets the credit, and we grow in our faith. That is what He wants. He does not just want to give us the easy way. That would spoil us spiritually.
Chapter 18 is an admonition against putting things off. The other tribes should have had their land already, too. They had put off laying out the land. They had taken the comfortable way. Joshua told them to get busy. He told them to follow God's will without delay. That is good counsel for all of us. We all drift to the comfortable things in life, instead of the disciplines, if we don't watch out. The disciplines are what help us became strong spiritually.
Luke 2 is a very familiar passage. We read it several times each Christmas season. However, did you notice how specific God was in His plan. The census was planned at the right time for Jesus to be born in Bethlehem, as the prophets had foretold. The shepherds were in the field, so they could hear from the angels. The baby was laid in a feeding trough, so they could find Him and know He was the Messiah. Believe me, He was the only baby in a feeding trough that night or even most nights in Bethlehem. How great God is to work out the details. He makes it plain, so that even we can see His work. We have to trust Him like Mary and Joseph did. Then, He can do wondrous things in our lives, too.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Joshua 19-21 and Luke 2:25-52.