“All Came To Pass”
The Gospel According to Joshua
The Christian Believer’s Application of
Joshua 21:43-45
By Michael A. La Framboise
(From a sermon given in September 2005)
The Gospel According to Joshua
The Christian Believer’s Application of
Joshua 21:43-45
By Michael A. La Framboise
(From a sermon given in September 2005)
Unless otherwise indicated, all scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version of the Bible. Translation emendations, amplifications, and paraphrases are by the author.
For Jared--
my cousin and friend.
On July 29, 2006, all came to pass with
the birth of his first-born son:
Caleb Michael.
Caleb is the child of a promise,
for both his name and birth were foretold
at 2:49pm (PST) on March 3, 2005.
my cousin and friend.
On July 29, 2006, all came to pass with
the birth of his first-born son:
Caleb Michael.
Caleb is the child of a promise,
for both his name and birth were foretold
at 2:49pm (PST) on March 3, 2005.
Table Of Contents
1) Our Greater-than-Joshua
2) His Faithfulness
3) His Grace
4) His Love
5) The Temple of His Spirit
2) His Faithfulness
3) His Grace
4) His Love
5) The Temple of His Spirit
__________________________
“Not a word failed
of any good thing
which the LORD had spoken...
All came to pass.”
Joshua 21:45
__________________________
Chapter One
Our Greater-than-Joshua:
An Old Testament Illustration of New Testament Truth
An Old Testament Illustration of New Testament Truth
In the Old Testament book of Joshua, there is given a New Testament picture of the Spirit-filled Christian Life.
Joshua the son of Nun, is a type, or a picture of the Lord Jesus. Joshua, or more correctly, “Yah-shua” is a Hebrew name which means, “Yahweh is Salvation”. Note that in Greek the Hebrew name “Joshua” is transliterated as “Jesus”.
Also intriguing is the Hebrew usage of the name Nun:
- The word literally means, “perpetuity” or “fruitfulness”. Jesus is our perpetual Savior; He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He is the Ruler whose goings forth are from everlasting. One who abides in Him bears much fruit.
- It is the name of a fish. The symbol of the fish, or ichthus, and its Greek acrostic ( ΙΧΘΥΣ : “Jesus-Christ-God’s-Son-Savior”) has been in use for nearly two thousand years.
- It is the 14th letter ( n ) of the Hebrew alphabet. The Genealogy of Christ is divided into three segments of fourteen generations each. Fourteen is divisible by seven exactly, seven being the number of completion; Colossians 2:10 declares the believer complete in Christ. This is yet another example of the heptadic structure of the Scriptures.
- It is the acrostic letter for Psalm 119:105-112. Psalm 119 is divided into twenty-two sections of eight verses each, one section for each letter of the Hebrew alphabet. In the eight verses under Nun, the Messianic implications are startling!
- It came to denote the number fifty. In the Torah, the children of Israel were instructed to celebrate every fiftieth year as a Jubilee: a year of liberty and restoration. Certainly our Lord Jesus Christ has brought to us a spiritual Jubilee of liberty from sin, and has restored to us our spiritual inheritance.
In these subtle nuances of the name of the great Hebrew hero, Joshua the son of Nun, there is a hint of something deeper, something spiritual. His book is a parable of sorts, which gives us an earthly story with a heavenly meaning. No doubt the account of Joshua is a narrative of actual historical events, yet the spiritual manna must not be overlooked, or neglected. This story of renewal, this account of conquest, this legacy of victory truly is the “Book of Jesus”! (As alluded to earlier, “Jesus” is the Greek name for this book, and appears as such in the Greek translation, the Septuagint.) Every Christian believer has something to gain from a thoughtful study of Joshua.
In Romans 15:4, Paul the Apostle reminds New Testament believers of the timeless relevance of Old Testament truth: “For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.” In 1 Corinthians 10:11, Paul once again exhorts the Church to be mindful of the spiritual significance of the Jewish canon to Christians: “Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, on whom the ends of the ages have come.”
Just as the Children of Israel wandered the wilderness under Moses, and were finally led into the Land of Promise by Joshua, so believers, who wander the wilderness of the flesh under bondage to the law, are led into the Spirit-filled life by the Lord Jesus. The One who is greater than Joshua takes us from a Law based relationship with God, to a Grace based relationship with our Father.
And just as the Children of Israel were symbolically baptized a second time when they crossed the Jordan river, to then possess the Promised Land (Their first baptism took place as they passed through the Red Sea, and symbolizes salvation. [1 Corinthians 10:1-2])-- so believers must be baptized with the Holy Spirit, that we might go on to possess our inheritance as Children of God.
Further study in Joshua would reveal many more wonderful truths concerning the victorious Christian life; and I would encourage such study as necessary for any believer who desires all that God would do in his life.
However, it is the concern of this present study to examine the culmination of the conquest of Canaan by Joshua, as found in chapter 21:43-45,
“So the LORD gave to Israel all the land of which He had sworn to give to their fathers,
and they took possession of it and dwelt in it.
The LORD gave them rest all around, according to all that He had sworn to their fathers.
And not a man of all their enemies stood against them;
the LORD delivered all their enemies into their hand.
Not a word failed of any good thing which the LORD had spoken to the house of Israel.
All came to pass.”
and they took possession of it and dwelt in it.
The LORD gave them rest all around, according to all that He had sworn to their fathers.
And not a man of all their enemies stood against them;
the LORD delivered all their enemies into their hand.
Not a word failed of any good thing which the LORD had spoken to the house of Israel.
All came to pass.”
These three verses are filled with spiritual nourishment, and full of scriptural encouragement; they are an ideal meal for the hungry Christian who wants to grow strong in his life as a believer in Jesus Christ.
Jesus said, “I am the Bread of Life... for My flesh is food indeed... so he who feeds on Me, will live because of Me” (John 6:48, 55, 57). Taste of the Word who became flesh. Take the passage before us and meditate on it; think it through and pray it in to your life.
Jesus said, “Of the volume of the Book it is written of Me” (Hebrews 10:7); He said the Scriptures testify of Him (John 5:39).
Receive the testimony of one Joshua, the son of Nun, concerning a greater Joshua, the Son of God.
****
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Your word is a lamp to my feet
And a light to my path.
I have sworn and confirmed
That I will keep Your righteous judgments.
Psalm 119:105-106
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Your word is a lamp to my feet
And a light to my path.
I have sworn and confirmed
That I will keep Your righteous judgments.
Psalm 119:105-106
_________________________
Chapter Two
His Faithfulness
“So the LORD gave to Israel all the land of which He had sworn to give to their fathers, and they took possession of it and dwelt in it.” (Joshua 21:43)
“So the LORD gave to Israel all the land of which He had sworn to give to their fathers, and they took possession of it and dwelt in it.” (Joshua 21:43)
Looking at the Hebrew Scriptures through Christian lenses, ready to make New Testament application, we take the first verse of our endeavor: here we read of the promises of the Lord fulfilled unto Israel.
Four hundred years earlier in the history of the Nation, back in Genesis 12, the Lord had promised Abraham that his descendents would one day possess all the land of Canaan. The promise was repeated to Isaac, then to Jacob. Generations have passed, but the Lord has shown Himself to be faithful.
The verse declares that Israel took possession of the Land; however, a closer examination of the preceding chapters reveals that the occupation of Canaan was actually incomplete. (Joshua 13:13, 16:10, 17:12) True, General Joshua had made a full conquest of the Land as a whole (Joshua 11:23); but he declared it the responsibility of each tribe individually to take complete possession of their inheritance-- of which some did not! (Joshua 18:3)
So it is within the Church today. Our “Greater than Joshua”, Messiah Jesus, made a full conquest and paid the full price for our salvation. He has won our victory and has delivered to us a glorious inheritance in His Spirit, wherein it may be said without reserve or hesitation, that we have been blessed with every spiritual blessing (Eph. 1:3). “For if God did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?” (Rom. 8:32) But we must each individually take complete possession of what is rightfully ours in Christ!
There is for the believer today an inheritance in the Holy Spirit. More than the seal of salvation, more than the indwelling of His presence, there is a baptism of power, a filling, and an overflowing!
- It’s one thing to be indwelt by the Spirit, but quite another to be filled and overflowing with the Spirit.
- It’s one thing to profess Christ and His Cross, yet quite another to possess what he purchased at the Cross!
As believers we are among all people uniquely blessed: we are chosen in Christ, and we have been given the Holy Spirit. This is what God has done; this is what He has given. But as individuals, are we walking in victory and enjoying our rightful inheritance?
The fruit and manifestation of the Spirit in one’s life is Love, Joy and Peace (Galatians 5:22). These are the ingredients of an abundant life.
- Am I walking in Love?
- Are you experiencing His Joy?
- Are we enjoying His Peace?
Well I deserve to be, you need to be, we should be!
He has given it to us and intended it for us; but we must possess it, we must receive it.
If the fruit of the Spirit is lacking in a believer’s life, then that person is not experiencing all that God has made available through the Cross of Christ and the gift of the Holy Spirit. If your life is not marked by the love of Jesus; if you do not know the joy of the Lord as your strength; if you do not experience the steady and calming peace of God which surpasses all human understanding, then the Lord, by His Spirit, has more for you-- much more!
Jesus said, “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”
Do you have it?
Do you have it?
****
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I am afflicted very much;
Revive me, O LORD, according to Your word.
Accept, I pray, the freewill offerings
of my mouth, O LORD,
And teach me Your judgments.
Psalm 119:107-108
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I am afflicted very much;
Revive me, O LORD, according to Your word.
Accept, I pray, the freewill offerings
of my mouth, O LORD,
And teach me Your judgments.
Psalm 119:107-108
_________________________
Chapter Three
His Grace
“The LORD gave them rest all around, according to all that He had sworn to their fathers. And not a man of all their enemies stood against them; the LORD delivered all their enemies into their hand.”
(Joshua 21:44)
“The LORD gave them rest all around, according to all that He had sworn to their fathers. And not a man of all their enemies stood against them; the LORD delivered all their enemies into their hand.”
(Joshua 21:44)
Previously we saw how the Lord was faithful in keeping the promises made to His chosen people. Here we read that “the LORD gave them rest all around”.
No enemy was able to stand against them, the land rested from war. There is indeed a rest to be enjoyed for the people of God. That’s what Romans 8 and Hebrews 4 are all about! Jesus said, “Come, I will give you rest.” He asks, “ Are you worn out and weighed down?” Then He extends His nail-pierced hand of invitation, “Come to me and learn of Me, for I am gentle; find rest for your soul in My will for your life: My yoke is easy, My burden is light. Come.” (Matt. 11:28-30) Indeed the believer who has followed the Hero of our Faith, Our Greater-than-Joshua, and entered that “more abundant” life of the Spirit responds, “I love You, Lord Jesus, for You first loved me; surely the yoke of Your commandments is not burdensome.” (1 John 4:19; 5:3)
The Spirit-filled believer, the one who has been diligent to enter that rest which is only found in Jesus, has ceased from his work; because that one who has been justified by his faith, learns to live by his faith. For “the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, ‘The just shall live by faith’ ” (Romans 1:17).
- It’s faith from first to last, from beginning to end, from re-birth to rapture!
- It’s a life that is all about Jesus: nothing more, nothing less, nothing else!
One who is at rest in the finished work of the Savior no longer relates to God through the Law, no longer strives legalistically in his flesh. That believer simply enjoys the blessings of God, basking in the glorious grace of Jesus! Sure, there’s ministry to be engaged in, but now there’s power to succeed!
When I stop working to impress God in the strength my flesh, when I stop trying to be made righteous by the Law, when I understand that I am made completely righteous in Christ-- not because of what I do, but because of what he’s done-- then I have finally entered His rest, and I am freed from condemnation (Romans 8:1; Hebrews 4:4, 8-10), free to enjoy the blessings of the Lord... it’s all grace!
We need the wonderful grace of Jesus in our lives today! We need to receive His fiery baptism, we need to be filled and overflowing with the Holy Spirit, we need His fullness poured out upon us, that His grace may be seen in us.
The Law is the knowledge and strength of sin (Romans 3:20; 1 Corinthians 15:56), but grace is the knowledge and strength of Christ (2 Corinthians 12:9-10); legalism is bondage to the flesh, but love is the cord that binds us to the Lord Jesus (Hosea 11:4). Be freed from the obligations of Law, and experience the privileges of love... it’s not “got to” anymore, it’s “get to”! We get to worship Him, we get to praise Him, we get to pray in His Name, we get to fellowship together as brothers and sisters in Christ. Because “of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” (John 1:16-18)
Not only did Jesus come to free us from the captivity of sin, He also came to set us free from the burden of the Law. He satisfied the requirements of the Law and fulfilled its demands, that we who were born in sin might, through faith in Him, enjoy the benefits of righteousness. (Romans 8:3-4) We are brought into a bold and intimate relationship with God, because He has adopted us as His children. (Romans 8:15-18; Hebrews 4:16)
As sons and daughters of the King, we need not strive to gain His attention, or work to impress Him. Our Father is well pleased with us, He delights in us, and He shows grace to us. We are precious to Him solely because we are His kids, His special people brought near to Him by the blood of Christ. (Ephesians 1:4-6, 2:13; 1 Peter 2:9)
As Heavenly royalty we are free from the bonds of slavery and servitude to the Law. For “when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, ‘Abba, Father!’ Therefore you are no longer a slave [to the Law] but a son [under grace], and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ... Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a [legalistic] yoke of bondage [to the Law].” (Galatians 4:4-7, 5:1)
There is a vast and wonderful freedom in the Grace of the only begotten Son of God. If He sets you free, you are really and truly free indeed! (John 8:36)
“Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.”
2 Corinthians 3:17
Are you free yet?
2 Corinthians 3:17
Are you free yet?
****
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My life is continually in my hand,
Yet I do not forget Your law.
The wicked have laid a snare for me,
Yet I have not strayed from Your precepts.
Psalm 119:109-110
_________________________
My life is continually in my hand,
Yet I do not forget Your law.
The wicked have laid a snare for me,
Yet I have not strayed from Your precepts.
Psalm 119:109-110
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Chapter Four
His Love
“Not a word failed of any good thing which the LORD had spoken to the house of Israel.
All came to pass.” (Joshua 21:45)
“Not a word failed of any good thing which the LORD had spoken to the house of Israel.
All came to pass.” (Joshua 21:45)
Oh, the sure word of the Lord, “not a word failed”. What a dependable and loving God we have!
The psalmist declared, “my flesh and my heart fail, but God is the strength of my heart.” (Psalm. 73:26)
The Lord also declares of Himself in Psalm 89:33, “I will not take my love away from my chosen, nor will I allow my faithfulness to fail him.”
Even in his Lamentations, Jeremiah rejoiced in the fact that the Lord’s compassions fail not! (Lamentations 3:22)
Indeed Paul said, God’s love never fails! (1 Corinthians 13:8)
We see this in a beautiful way in Peter’s life, when Jesus said to him, “Satan has asked for you, to destroy you-- but I have been praying for you, that your faith should not fail.” (Luke 22:31-32) Yes, Peter later failed when He denied the Lord, but his faith failed not! Like Noah, Peter found grace, he saw love, when he looked into the eyes of his Savior (Genesis 6:8); and the Lord Jesus lovingly and tenderly restored him. (John 21)
I may fail, you may fall, but Jesus ever lives to make intercession for us, that our faith should not fail. (Hebrews 7:25) There is no sin that is greater than His loving grace to forgive us (Romans 5:20). His love is unconditional, His grace is unmerited; He will keep us, and He will present us faultless before the presence and glory of the Father one day, and perhaps that Day is not too far away! (Jude 24)
We also see the goodness of the Lord in this verse: “not a word failed of any good thing”. Our loving Father freely gives us all things; in fact every good and perfect gift comes from Him, according to James. (James 1:17) Paul said that God gives us richly all things to enjoy. (1 Timothy 6:17)
Am I enjoying God’s gifts and blessings? It is His will that you receive from His hand the inheritance allotted to you. Every spiritual blessing is yours! Receive what the Spirit is giving: His fruit, His gifts, His power, His purpose and His ministry for your life-- individually and personally designed for you, His precious child.
From Genesis to Joshua, from Abraham the son-less father to the nation of Israel his numberless seed, we see God’s loving faithfulness, even when His people are faithless and disobedient.
God is faithful to bring to pass, to complete and accomplish his good work in your life, in my life, in our midst! I may fail, but He won’t; you may fall, but He will pick you up again and again!
We are sinful and profane people, while He is the righteous and holy, living God; yet we are called His chosen people, and He has a plan, a perfect path for us-- and He will bring it to pass! (Romans 3:9-26)
Sadness, sorrow and sin may hinder you and me, but it will not hinder Him from bringing all to pass in your life and mine!
The difficulties mount and the challenges increase, my faith may waiver and my patience may falter; my trust may through tears be tested and all my strength may dissipate beneath the weight of circumstance and trial-- but count it all joy Christian pilgrim, weary though you be, because all will come to pass!
It doesn’t depend on you, it’s all on Him; and He is able, He is faithful-- He will bring His perfect will to pass in your life! Don’t you know in whom you have believed? Then let His love persuade you; He will keep what you have committed to Him. (2 Timothy 1:12)
The Great Shepherd of the sheep is holding on to you, little lamb. When we like sheep go astray, be assured that His love will seek and pursue us until we are in His arms and in His fold once more. Though He counts 99 out of 100, He will not be content unless you are with Him. His love is life-giving love: He gave His life for us, that we might have life in Him. (Psalm 95:7; Isaiah 53:6; Luke 15:1-7; John 10:11, 14-16; 1 Peter 2:25; Hebrews 13:20)
The Lord spoke through Ezekiel and said, “When I have dealt with you for my name’s sake and not according to your failure, then you will know that I am Yahovah, your God.” (Ezekiel 20:44)
The psalmist declared, “my flesh and my heart fail, but God is the strength of my heart.” (Psalm. 73:26)
The Lord also declares of Himself in Psalm 89:33, “I will not take my love away from my chosen, nor will I allow my faithfulness to fail him.”
Even in his Lamentations, Jeremiah rejoiced in the fact that the Lord’s compassions fail not! (Lamentations 3:22)
Indeed Paul said, God’s love never fails! (1 Corinthians 13:8)
We see this in a beautiful way in Peter’s life, when Jesus said to him, “Satan has asked for you, to destroy you-- but I have been praying for you, that your faith should not fail.” (Luke 22:31-32) Yes, Peter later failed when He denied the Lord, but his faith failed not! Like Noah, Peter found grace, he saw love, when he looked into the eyes of his Savior (Genesis 6:8); and the Lord Jesus lovingly and tenderly restored him. (John 21)
I may fail, you may fall, but Jesus ever lives to make intercession for us, that our faith should not fail. (Hebrews 7:25) There is no sin that is greater than His loving grace to forgive us (Romans 5:20). His love is unconditional, His grace is unmerited; He will keep us, and He will present us faultless before the presence and glory of the Father one day, and perhaps that Day is not too far away! (Jude 24)
We also see the goodness of the Lord in this verse: “not a word failed of any good thing”. Our loving Father freely gives us all things; in fact every good and perfect gift comes from Him, according to James. (James 1:17) Paul said that God gives us richly all things to enjoy. (1 Timothy 6:17)
Am I enjoying God’s gifts and blessings? It is His will that you receive from His hand the inheritance allotted to you. Every spiritual blessing is yours! Receive what the Spirit is giving: His fruit, His gifts, His power, His purpose and His ministry for your life-- individually and personally designed for you, His precious child.
From Genesis to Joshua, from Abraham the son-less father to the nation of Israel his numberless seed, we see God’s loving faithfulness, even when His people are faithless and disobedient.
- Abraham stumbled, yet all came to pass!
- Isaac failed, yet all came to pass!
- Jacob was a conniver, yet all came to pass!
- The patriarchs were sinful, yet all came to pass!
- Joseph died in Egypt, but his bones were buried in Canaan-- all came to pass!
- Moses was disobedient, yet all came to pass!
- The people complained, but all came to pass!
God is faithful to bring to pass, to complete and accomplish his good work in your life, in my life, in our midst! I may fail, but He won’t; you may fall, but He will pick you up again and again!
We are sinful and profane people, while He is the righteous and holy, living God; yet we are called His chosen people, and He has a plan, a perfect path for us-- and He will bring it to pass! (Romans 3:9-26)
Sadness, sorrow and sin may hinder you and me, but it will not hinder Him from bringing all to pass in your life and mine!
The difficulties mount and the challenges increase, my faith may waiver and my patience may falter; my trust may through tears be tested and all my strength may dissipate beneath the weight of circumstance and trial-- but count it all joy Christian pilgrim, weary though you be, because all will come to pass!
It doesn’t depend on you, it’s all on Him; and He is able, He is faithful-- He will bring His perfect will to pass in your life! Don’t you know in whom you have believed? Then let His love persuade you; He will keep what you have committed to Him. (2 Timothy 1:12)
The Great Shepherd of the sheep is holding on to you, little lamb. When we like sheep go astray, be assured that His love will seek and pursue us until we are in His arms and in His fold once more. Though He counts 99 out of 100, He will not be content unless you are with Him. His love is life-giving love: He gave His life for us, that we might have life in Him. (Psalm 95:7; Isaiah 53:6; Luke 15:1-7; John 10:11, 14-16; 1 Peter 2:25; Hebrews 13:20)
The Lord spoke through Ezekiel and said, “When I have dealt with you for my name’s sake and not according to your failure, then you will know that I am Yahovah, your God.” (Ezekiel 20:44)
Do you know Him... like that?
****
****
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Your testimonies I have taken as a heritage forever,
For they are the rejoicing of my heart.
I have inclined my heart to perform Your statutes
Forever, to the very end.
Psalm 119:111-112
_________________________
Your testimonies I have taken as a heritage forever,
For they are the rejoicing of my heart.
I have inclined my heart to perform Your statutes
Forever, to the very end.
Psalm 119:111-112
_________________________
Chapter Five
The Temple of His Spirit
As we close our study in Joshua, let us meditate on and be encouraged by the words of Solomon, which he spoke on that ancient day when he dedicated the temple and it was filled with the glory of the Lord. In our present day, remember that believers are called the temple of the Holy Spirit, bought at an unimaginable price (1 Corinthians. 6:19-20)-- for you were not redeemed with gold and silver, but by the precious blood of Jesus! (1 Peter 1:18-19)
Solomon declared to the people of God: “Blessed be the LORD, who has given rest to His people Israel, according to all that He promised. There has not failed one word of all His good promise... May the LORD our God be with us... that He may incline our hearts to Himself, to walk in all His ways, and to keep His commandments... that He may maintain the cause of His servant and the cause of His people Israel, as each day may require, that all the peoples of the earth may know that the LORD is God; there is no other. Let your heart therefore be loyal to the LORD our God, to walk in His statutes and keep His commandments, as at this day.” (1 Kings 8:56-61)
You and I are the temple which God has consecrated for the indwelling and out-shining of His glory. We are to be a testimony to those around us that Jesus Christ is Lord, that He is gracious and loving, the Good Shepherd who leads and provides, and the Great Physician who heals and restores.
Know this Christian, the Lord has ordained a path for you, that you and not another might walk in it. You are His workmanship, His masterpiece, His favorite hobby; and He is working on you, in you, and through you-- He is deeply invested in your life. You are created for good works, which God prepared beforehand that you should walk in them! (Ephesians 2:10) He is faithful and He will do as He has promised; He will never leave you nor forsake you. He will take it upon Himself to complete the work He has begun in your life, and you can be confident of that very thing (Philippians 1:6). Commit your life to Him and not a word of His will fail, all will come to pass!
“Trust in the LORD, and do good;
Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.
Delight yourself also in the LORD,
And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
Commit your way to the LORD,
Trust also in Him,
And He shall bring it to pass.”
Psalm 37:3-5
Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.
Delight yourself also in the LORD,
And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
Commit your way to the LORD,
Trust also in Him,
And He shall bring it to pass.”
Psalm 37:3-5
The Lord loves you, and He desires to bless you. Learn to walk in His ways, in His sufficiency, and in His strength. Do your part, and He will do His! The Lord is good (Nahum 1:7), and He delights in making and keeping promises to His children. Joshua knew the Lord to be faithful, gracious and loving; but he also knew our tendency to be fearful, self-righteous, and doubting. Therefore he admonished God’s people,
“You shall hold fast to the LORD your God... for the LORD your God is He who fights for you, as He has promised you. Therefore take careful heed to yourselves, that you love the LORD your God... And you know in all your hearts and in all your souls that not one thing has failed of all the good things which the LORD your God spoke concerning you. All have come to pass for you; not one word of them has failed.” (Joshua 23:8-14)
Will you follow the One who is greater-than-Joshua across the river of decision, into the life of His abundance? Will you hold fast to Him and abide in Him?
Each of us has a choice to make. Choose life, the abundant life of the Spirit-filled life. Jesus said that the Father would gladly give of the Holy Spirit to those who ask. Will you ask? If you ask, you will receive.
It is the sanctifying work of the Spirit which leads us in victory over sin. It is the empowering work of the Spirit which enables us to accomplish God’s will for our lives. It is the fruit of the Spirit in our lives which brings glory to the Father.
Will you enter into the rest His Spirit gives?
Will you receive the rest of what He has for your life?
Will you receive the rest of what He has for your life?
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