How you going to know where you are going if you do not get directions first?
2 Timothy 3:16 for this Thursdays to go with Joshua 1:7-8: Yesterday as we read Joshua 1 we saw that God commanded Joshua to be strong and courageous because God is going with Him each step of the way. This is great news! We love this verse. But we need to realize that this is not a promise for God to bless whatever endeavor we undertake just because we do so with a lot of passion and bravery. This is more than simply a bumper sticker slogan saying “Be brave.” God instructs Joshua to follow the instructions God had given him and Israel through Moses. Joshua’s courage and strength are to be directed along the path marked out for Him by the Lord. It would be a mistake for Joshua to assume that whatever actions he chooses will be blessed by the Lord apart from following the directions God had clearly given to him. The same is true for those living today. God is not telling us to simply pick a path and go down it full force. This is why He told Joshua to make sure to know and obey the commands in the book of the Law. He does the same for us in many places in Scripture such as 2 Timothy chapter 3. Verse 16 lets us know that God has given us clear instructions for how to live our lives. God’s Word teaches us how to behave, what is important what is not important. His Word rebukes us when we get off the straight and narrow. The Lord also uses His Word to correct us when we are in the wrong but also helps us train our hearts and minds to live righteously. You may not have a clear directive such as, “arise and go take that land,” but the Lord has made it clear that you are to put your relationship to Him first. That means He takes priority over your other competing desires and is the focus of your heart and emotions. He has also clearly told us that we are to love those around us with the same level of concern that we have for ourselves. As we struggle to find the way to do this, we study the Bible to see how we can best Love the Lord and Love our Neighbors as ourselves. Let us commit ourselves to knowing and living God’s Word today.
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