I wonder sometimes if this is not how God feels about us as a nation? 10:14 “Go and cry out to the gods whom you have chosen; let them save you in the time of your distress.” This is so sad to me and yet when God said this to Israel they finally put away their idols for a while until they forgot Him again and they cried out. The saddest part to me about our nation is few are crying out to God. I wonder if the election this time is a part of the judgement against us as a nation. I pray we as a nation will choose to turn back to God before it gets too dark.

Did your mom teach you “Don’t judge the book by the cover”? Mine did. She was saying you can’t evaluate worth by just looking on the outside. God showed us this in living color as He chose men like Gideon and David. Here is how Gideon describes himself, 6:15And he said to him, “Please, Lord, how can I save Israel? Behold, my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.” God said that Gideon was a Mighty man of valor. When God called Gideon it is as though Gideon looked around and said “Who me??” God chooses who He chooses. Sometimes it makes no sense except that God sees in that person what he or she will become even if they are not there yet. In Gideon’s case God chose him and Israel to show His great power through. With just 300 men they routed the enemy and God’s name was made great once again. Instead of telling God why you can’t take on the task He has for you choose to trust that if He has called you He will fight with and for you. Don’t be afraid to say yes to His call. He who has called you is faithful and He will bring it to pass!

God is not a game or something to be toyed with. When you were in school were there ever teachers you knew you could get away with things. You could chew gum in their class or give excuses for not turning stuff in. Then there were teachers you knew you had better tow the line because they would not put up with anything. We were even afraid to cross them by having an attitude because we knew the consequences would be severe. Joshua was trying to tell the Children of Israel that he had led that God is not to be toyed with. He is not some lenient teacher or grandparent that thinks your disobedience is cute. He is sovereign God and He will punish you. 24:22 Then Joshua said to the people, “You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen the Lord, to serve him.” And they said, “We are witnesses.” 23He said, “Then put away the foreign gods that are among you, and incline your heart to the Lord, the God of Israel.” Even as they were agreeing that they would follow God, they already had foreign gods among them and Joshua knew their offense would get even worse. God’s plan was best but to divert from it would cause disaster. Joshua was a loving leader who longed for good to come for his people. The same is true for us. God longs for us to live in abundance, but our choices determine whether we live in abundance or conflict. Praying today we live making decisions leading to abundance!

Every time I get to the story about the Eastern tribes returning home and building the altar my heart hurts for them and I get frustrated with human nature toward miscommunication. The rest of the tribes misread the intent of the Eastern Tribes’ hearts and assumed they would not follow through with worshiping where they were instructed so they were ready for war. Once they talked and realized they had misjudged their brothers they were fine. How often do we misjudge someone else’ intent by what is in our hearts? How many times do we assume evil when it really isn’t. How often do we assume that something is about or against us when it has nothing to do with us. Ouch! Could just talking about it with the people involved answer our questions and dissolved any conflict? Yet just like them we are a drama driven society and we had rather talk about the situation and get everybody worked up than to talk to those involved. I think this was the first CNN or Fox News reports to get people worked up when there was not anything to really be worked up about. Father please help us not be driven to drama and to use communication to talk to people instead of talking about them. Forgive us for when we have made a mess and sinned with our tongues and attitudes.

Since today records the day of my birth I chose Caleb’s words to write on. Caleb was 85 at the time this part of the scripture is written. He was 40 when he had gone up and spied out the land. I am somewhere in the middle. 🙂 But I pray my strength will be as Caleb’s was 14:11 “I am still as strong today as I was in the day that Moses sent me; my strength now is as my strength was then, for war and for going and coming. ” May my resolve be as his as well when he said as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord! I pray I will be steadfast in service and whole hearted in love!

Years ago I was having a discussion with a young woman. She was inferring that the sins of one does not affect others. She was trying to prove her point about a specific issue that she thought should be okay saying it happens in private and really did not affect other people’s lives. Today’s scripture is where I took her to show her that the sins of one can, will, and does affect the whole body even if it is done in private. Achan was a man who lusted after a few items he had taken when Jericho was defeated. It was just a robe and a few pieces of silver and gold. His disobedience caused Israel to lose its battle with Ai because God chose not to be with them sense there was sin in the camp. It was a major defeat as a small army defeated Israel and the leaders of Israel went from being confident and trusting in God to fearing and weak. Joshua fled to his knees in prayer asking God what happened. God told him to Get UP! There was sin in the camp. Root out the sin and then victory will come. That is what they did and the end result was that Achan and his family were killed and Israel went back to Ai and wiped it off the map as well. This story has always made me consider and really pray asking God if there is any sin in my heart and life that would keep my family and my church from seeing success. When there is my job is to confess it and stay right with God. I don’t ever want to be the cause of evil towards those I love and cherish. I also don’t want anything to stand between me and God. It is not just from fear that I obey but a true love for the One who keeps my life on the Path of Promise. By the way, that young lady realized in time the truth of the passage and she too walks right with God out of love and devotion to Him. It is so sweet when we trust God and His word to lead us in right paths.

Today we finally got the Children of Israel into the Promised Land. They have journeyed so long in the wilderness. Their leader Moses has passed on and they have a new leader. The journey has started much like their exit from Egypt with God telling them to prepare themselves, then they cross the Jordan on dry ground much like their ancestors had done at the Red Sea. They have obeyed and placed the memorial stones and the next thing out of Joshua’s mouth is it is time to circumcise all of the males. I can just imagine how the mass of people must have responded. WHAT??? We have just entered into enemy territory and you want us to make ourselves weak and vulnerable? Can this really be God’s plan? Just as their forefathers had followed God’s command and cut away the flesh, God was asking this new generation to do the same. And so it was that the people followed God’s plan and chose to humble themselves and trust God. What a great example for us. In our world were everything and everyone tells us to be strong and not let people see weakness or they will take advantage of you God says, depend on Me. He is our strength. Many would say if you a Christian you are weak because you need something or really Someone to lean on. If leaning on the Creator of the Universe is weak I would agree that I am weak, but I choose weakness that He might be my strength. It is like when a small child who is picked on by a bully at school has total peace because they know their big brother has got their back. God has not just our back, but our future, our past and our present. He tell us in Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your hear and lean not on your own understanding but in all of your ways to acknowledge Him and He will direct your path. Strength through weakness! It worked out well for Israel and it will for us as well.

Can one person really make a difference? I am sure that question is asked many times each day. The answer is yes they can. Listen to how Joshua 1 put it. 6″Be strong and courageous, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land that I swore to their fathers to give them.” Joshua would “cause” the people to inherit the land. It would be his influence, his leadership and ultimately his choices that helped the people to inherit what God had for them. Last night I attended a Youth for Christ banquet. I was asked to speak on how the church could be an impact in the lives of the students. Before I walked out the door I was talking to my mom and dad telling them about what I was doing. Dad said, isn’t it interesting. The man who led me to Christ was led to Christ through Youth For Christ. He was mentored by them. When he became a pastor he then shared the plan of salvation with me and mentored me.” I was almost speechless thinking about how Youth for Christ will never know the long term impact they have had. My dad has pastored over 50 years and many have come to know Christ through His ministry including me and my siblings. Chip pastors a huge church and Les and I have had opportunity to lead many to Christ. My other siblings have led people to Christ through their various ministries as well. All of this because someone chose to invest in Youth for Christ over 60 years ago and one man shared his faith with a boy in school. WOW! One person really can make a difference. Joshua made a difference and he led Israel to conquer and inhabit the promised land. What is God asking you and me to do. All we have to do is play our part and God can and will handle the rest. If you are interested in giving toward Youth for Christ or finding out more about it message me and I will put you in touch with someone who can help you connect in your area.

Bond slave is not a term we use, but in Jesus’ it was a well known term. It originates in our reading today 15:6 “But if he (your slave) says to you, ‘I will not go out from you,’ because he loves you and your household, since he is well-off with you, 17then you shall take an awl, and put it through his ear into the door, and he shall be your slave forever.” When Paul wrote in the New Testament he described himself as a bond servant or bond slave of the Lord Jesus Christ. As he wrote this he was saying I choose to stay as the slave of my Master. He loves me and cares for me and it is my joy to be His. What a great description of how it feels to follow Christ. We have been bought and paid for and it is our joy to serve our Master. Have to verses Get to is two entirely different heart attitudes. Because of the price paid for me it is my pleasure to get to obey His commands, be His hands and feet as He chooses, and to tell others about the Master who has also paid the price for them that they would not have to be a slave to the harsh task master of the world but to the Love of Christ! I Page Hughes am a happy bond slave to my Master Jesus Christ My Lord.

What’s in your heart. You know, deep down where no one really sees. It is easy to cover for a while, but when life gets hard and you have been pushed to the max, what is really inside bubbles to the top. Deuteronomy 8:2 “And you shall remember the whole way that the Lord your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not.” He humbled them and tested them. Some of us find ourselves in testing times now. It is revealing what we believe instead of what we say. Do we really trust. Do we really believe He can handle our problems? Are we more prone to lean on our own ability, money, control or on His plan even when it leads up some pretty large mountains? For Israel just like for us it is an obedience issue. The only way to pass the tests is to trust God, Walk in the knowledge of His word, and lean on Him praying for guidance and wisdom each step of the way. His ways are higher than ours and He knows the plans He has for us. Our job is to trust and obey.