MESSAGES
Be Prosperous and Successful (Joshua 1:1-9)
When I think about the life of Joshua, I can't help but notice a few things that I would like to share with you:
Joshua was about 45 years old when the people of Israel arrived at the city of Kadesh-barnea after leaving Egypt, and it was from that city that he was sent to spy out the promised land for 40 days along with 11 other spies.
After 40 days of spying out the land, they were able to get to know and observe the following characteristics of those nations (Numbers 13:27-33):
• The land flowed with milk and honey;
• The people who lived in those lands were powerful;
• The cities were fortified and very large;
• Those nations were stronger than the people of Israel;
• The men were of great stature, giants;
• The people of Israel were like grasshoppers compared to them.
As you can see, the report from the spies was quite REALISTIC, meaning it SHOWED THE NATURAL REALITY OF THAT SITUATION.
According to the report of 10 of the 12 spies, the people of Israel would be destroyed if they tried to conquer those lands.
Numbers 14:3-4 And why is the LORD bringing us into this land, to fall by the sword? Our wives and our little ones will become a prey. Would it not be better for us to go back to Egypt?” And they said to one another, “Let us choose a leader and go back to Egypt.”
But Joshua knew that the God of Israel was not a natural God, and he insisted that the people of Israel shouldn't look at what was natural, but rather look at God's promises.
Numbers 14:
6 And Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes
7 and said to all the congregation of the people of Israel, “The land, which we passed through to spy it out, is an exceedingly good land.
8 If the LORD delights in us, he will bring us into this land and give it to us, a land that flows with milk and honey.
9 Only do not rebel against the LORD. And do not fear the people of the land, for they are bread for us. Their protection is removed from them, and the LORD is with us; do not fear them.”
But the people of Israel listened to the 10 spies and rebelled against Joshua, Caleb, and Moses.
And because they listened to the 10 spies, the people of Israel were condemned by God to wander in the desert for 40 years.
At 85 years old, Joshua was called by God to lead the people of Israel to conquer the land they should have conquered 38 years before.
Joshua 1:2 Moses my servant is dead. Now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, into the land that I am giving to them, to the people of Israel.
I can only imagine the “butterflies in the stomach” Joshua must have felt, because being Moses' successor was no easy task, as Moses had great intimacy and authority from God.
But God said a few words that surely motivated Joshua in a powerful way, and I would like to highlight some of them so that you can feel like a Joshua, a conqueror, directed and led by God, because IN YOUR STRUGGLES, NO ONE WILL BE ABLE TO STAND AGAINST YOU:
In Joshua 1:6-9:
• Be strong and courageous;
• Be careful to do everything according to what God commanded you;
• Do not turn from God's Word to the right hand or to the left, so that you may have good success wherever you go;
• Do not stop speaking about God's Word; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; then you will make your way prosperous, and you will have good success;
• Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.
FOLLOW GOD'S ORDERS, JUST AS JOSHUA DID, AND BE A CONQUEROR.
