Joshua 4:24 He did this so that all the peoples of the earth might know that the hand of the Lord is powerful and so that you might always fear the Lord your God.
Observation- Joshua is now taking on the leadership of the Israelites after Moses with a series of miracles that shadow the miracles that happened under Moses. At first thought it seems that this is happening to legitimize Joshua leadership in the eyes of the people and perhaps this is one of the reasons, but for Joshua- he is very clear on why these miracles occur. To help lead 'all peoples of the earth' to know God's powerful hand and have reverence for Him.
Application- Today remember God's heart in performing miracles to let others know of Him.
Prayer- Lord, so many times I pray for miracles for my needs, comfort, or wants and not at all embracing Your heart to reach others. Please help me today to pray for miracles with Your heart so that others can see You and experience Your great love.
How have you seen God's hand as powerful so that others could see His love?
Friday, March 19, 2010
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Great message Ray. As I read Joshua chapters 3-6 today there wasn't any one verse in particular that stood out to me, but the theme of faith really stood out. The way God was instructing Joshua to lead the army to Jericho and to march around it, and the whole process with the horns and it taking 7 days. I just kept wondering why. Why didn't they just go in and take over right away. But its like Ray said, "God's heart in performing miracles is to let others know of Him." He was affirming his presence to the Israelites and showing them that he was there and how mighty he was. God defeated their enemies before they even arrived to face them.
ReplyDeleteIf the Israelites didn't have faith in God at this point I don't know what would do it. I want to have faith in God that is strong enough to trust him even when his commands sound small or seem to have no reason. If I was Joshua and God was telling me to have my men march around a walled city for 7 days blowing horns, I probably couldn't help but wonder why, or if my men were going to think I was crazy. At this point the Iraelites had witnessed God's might and miracles several times, in different ways (drying up a sea and large river) so it probably didn't seem as crazy to them. We witness God in our daily lives, but our faith only thrives when we choose to recognize it for it what it is. Its easy and natural to look for logical ways to justify the occurrences in my life, but when I look over the entire course of my life, its impossible for me to say God has no influence in my life.
Throughout the love dare there has a been a friend that I feel God leading me to reach out to. In just a short time I have been amazed at both how many opportunities God has given me to talk with her and at the ways he has shifted her life to bring her to recognize her powerlessness and God's loving desire to be in her life. May He continue to bless me with opportunities to reach out to others. I am in awe of His amazing presence and the way He causes changes in our lives that affect the course. Beyond anything I am capable of. I pray that I will see the role he wants me to play and be willing to do so without doubt or hesitation.
Thanks for sharing Annie and we will pray for your friend and your loving witness.
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