Joshua 22:5 But take careful heed to do the commandment and the law which Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, to love the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways, to keep His commandments, to hold fast to Him, and to serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul." New King James Version (NKJV)
The men's Bible study that I am in has been studying in 1 and 2 Peter recently. We noted that the letters were written towards the end of his life, some 30 to 40 years after his call to follow Jesus, serving, learning and teaching about Him in the years and decades that followed. As he neared the end of his life, writing from jail he still held fast, while encouraging and challenging others. It is a trait of "God followers" in both the Old and New Testaments.
In the final chapters of Joshua we see several times where he calls on the people to take courage, to hold fast, to continue to follow "with all your heart and soul". The message hadn't changed from the early chapters when Joshua led them into the promised land with the call to "be strong and courageous, very courageous". It is no different today, we are to hold on, hold fast, be bold, be strong, be courageous while we have our breath, knowing that God is a rewarder of those that will do so.
In our men's study we contrasted Peter, as we could Joshua in today's verse, to the person Frank Sinatra sang of in the song "My Way". He boasted of himself, what he did, in his power, for his glory, for his ego. Peter, Joshua, Paul, Billy Graham and other God followers through the ages have boasted in the Lord their God and did their best to live His way, and encouraged others to do the same. We may not know when "we'll face the final curtain" but for those who take Joshua's advice,we have something better to look for on the other side.
May this be our call as we head out into the world today, "Love God, your God, walk in all his ways, do what he's commanded, embrace him, serve him with everything you are and have." (The Message)
In Christ,
Mike
Follow the Verse of the Day blog at http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com
Eph 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace NIV
Joshua 22:5
The Message (MSG)
22 1-5 Then Joshua called together the Reubenites, Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh. He said: "You have carried out everything Moses the servant of God commanded you, and you have obediently done everything I have commanded you. All this time and right down to this very day you have not abandoned your brothers; you've shouldered the task laid on you by God, your God. And now God, your God, has given rest to your brothers just as he promised them. You're now free to go back to your homes, the country of your inheritance that Moses the servant of God gave you on the other side of the Jordan. Only this: Be vigilant in keeping the Commandment and The Revelation that Moses the servant of God laid on you: Love God, your God, walk in all his ways, do what he's commanded, embrace him, serve him with everything you are and have."
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