Looking Forward
“My servant Moses is dead. Now therefore, arise, . . .”
Joshua 1:2
The Book of Joshua has many lessons for us. It teaches us to accept the good things that God provides for us. It is also about the Israelites journey to the Promise Land, promised to them by God.
The Israelites had been slaves in Egypt for 400 years. But, God had heard their prayers for deliverance from their bondage and the Egyptians. God set them free with the help of His servant Moses. For 40 years, Moses had lead the Israelites, helped by Joshua and Caleb. After the death of Moses, God said that Joshua should be their leader and lead the people into the Promise Land.
In every transition, it’s good to look both ways. When Joshua assumed leadership of Israel, God told him to consider the past and the future: “Moses My servant is dead. Now therefore, arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them” (Joshua 1:2). Then He promised, “As I was with Moses, so I will be with you. . . . Do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go” (v 5,9).
With confidence in God, we can look back and look ahead, then walk boldly into a new year. Bible Reading
Joshua 1:1-9.
Prayer: Father, I surrender this past year and give it up to You. I give You my failures, my regrets, and my disappointments, for I have no more use for them. Make me now a new person, forgetting what lies behind and pressing on toward that which lies ahead of me in this coming year. In Christ's name. Amen.
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