INTRO
I worry about the impact of Corona19 on the church ministry and the global economy. We will suffer more as this continues. Fear and worry are overshadowing people's hearts. They started packing their garages with food. What should we do as Christians?
Read Bible Joshua 1:1-9
1 After Moses the LORD's servant died, the LORD said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses' assistant:
2 "Moses my servant is dead. Get ready! Cross the Jordan River! Lead these people into the land which I am ready to hand over to them.
3 I am handing over to you every place you set foot, as I promised Moses.
4 Your territory will extend from the wilderness in the south to Lebanon in the north. It will extend all the way to the great River Euphrates in the east (including all of Syria) and all the way to the Mediterranean Sea in the west.
5 No one will be able to resist you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not abandon you or leave you alone.
6 Be strong and brave! You must lead these people in the conquest of this land that I solemnly promised their ancestors I would hand over to them.
7 Make sure you are very strong and brave! Carefully obey all the law my servant Moses charged you to keep! Do not swerve from it to the right or to the left, so that you may be successful in all you do.
8 This law scroll must not leave your lips! You must memorize it day and night so you can carefully obey all that is written in it. Then you will prosper and be successful.
9 I repeat, be strong and brave! Don't be afraid and don't panic, for I, the LORD your God, am with you in all you do."
The death of Moses discouraged the Israelites. He led them through the Red Sea. They saw the great power of God. He was a great leader. Now, as they were about to enter the land of Canaan, they lost the great leader.
There are big challenges (or problems) in our life
Let's imagine. As you are going to college, your parents went bankrupt. Your parents cannot support your tuition or boarding. What shall you do? You might want to get jobs, or seek advice, or search for scholarships.
If you were Joshua at that time, what would you do? The first thing would be making a peace agreement with the Canaanites tribes to secure their survival. And then you would gather leaders of the people to organize a government. You would train armies. When you are ready for the battle, you will start the Canaanite conquest. This is human wisdom. God's plan is different.
First, you should understand how you fit into God's big picture
We must know that the problems and difficulties in our life have meanings in God's big picture.
If we know and rely on the big picture of God, we will not be swayed by the little things in our daily lives. Even though our plan fails, we will not despair. Moses' death could cause great despair for the people of Israel, as it was mentioned twice in verse 1 and 2. But because God is alive, his plan will go smoothly. Through the new leader Joshua.
This is what is said in the second verse. "Moses, my servant is dead. Get ready! Cross the Jordan River! Lead these people into the land which I am ready to hand over to them." You could argue this way. "We don't have any weapons yet, let alone war preparations. Do you ask us to cross the Jordan into the enemy's land? Aren't you too hasty?"
Here we should not get misled. God never tells us to do what we can't do. He did not tell Joshua to fight and win, but to rise up and lead the Israelites across the Jordan. And then what? God will give them the land. God says, "I am ready to hand over to them."
Joshua only had to do what God commanded him to do. Then God will do the rest. It's the same when we do neighborhood evangelism. We often wonder if the Jesus DVD will make them believe. We doubt too! However, we just distribute DVDs with the heart of a sower because it is God's will. And then God will do the rest part. When we know the great picture of God, we will be able to follow the Word of God without being swayed by the circumstances we are in.
Verse 3-4 and 6 explain how Joshua's marching into the land completes a piece of the puzzle for the big picture of God.
God has told them about His big picture. In verse 3-4 God told Moses about His plan to give the land to the Israelites of his generation. And this plan has its root from God's promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (verse 6). Therefore, all Joshua has to do is to enter the land and take possession of it, and complete the great picture of God.
Also, God encourages Joshua in verse 5 for this work for God's big picture. "No one will be able to resist you all the days of your life." How is this possible? God says, "As I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not abandon you or leave you alone."
Moses was the one who was defended by God. Even in the event of Moses' wrongdoing, God defended him. Miriam and Aaron criticized Moses when he married an Ethiopian woman. God punished Miriam and Aaron, who condemned Moses, not Moses, and caused him to suffer from leprosy. If you find the meaning of your life in God's big picture and use your life for God's vision, God will defend you just as he defended Moses. Isn't "I'll be with you" sufficient to cope with any problem in your life?
Second, we must be brave to follow the Word of God.
Verse 6, 7, and 9 repeatedly say, "be strong and brave." Not for war, but for obeying God's Word. Indeed, in order to follow God's words without being left or right, you must be brave and careful. The circumstances of our lives are complicated, and we go the wrong way unless we hold on to the Word of God every moment and rely on his guidance. It also takes courage to follow God's Word in the world that is against God.
So what should we do to follow God's Word well?
Verse 8. " This law scroll must not leave your lips! You must memorize it day and night so you can carefully obey all that is written in it. Then you will prosper and be successful."
We must not let the Word of God depart from our mouths.
It doesn't say you should understand God's words or keep them perfectly. It says, have God's words in your mouth. The first thing we need to do, whatever situation we encounter, is to get close to the Word of God. Don't you have time to read the Bible because you're busy? Because we are busy, we have to get closer to words because life's burden is heavy. Otherwise, we have no choice but to make mistakes. If you get close to God's words, you can keep them. And when we keep the Word, everything we do will be successful.
Joshua followed the Lord all his life. Sometimes he made mistakes, but by following the Word of God, he experienced the power of God. They crossed over to the bottom of the Jordan as God stopped the flowing waters of the Jordan. When he went around Jericho in obedience to God's words, the city collapsed. God hail his enemies to death. Even at Joshua's command, the sun and the moon stopped for 24 hours until he destroyed the enemy. Who will stand against Joshuas? Who can stand against us if God is with us? Keep close to the Word of God. God will be with you.
Isn't it easy? It will be easy if you trust God and difficult if you don't trust God.
When I came to USA to study, there was a prayer that I always used to pray whenever I had a hard time in my life and my ministry. "God, what is your will? I don't want my success or my reputation or money. Just one thing, I want to follow your will. I don't know what to do in this situation. Just tell me. I will obey you." And every time He gave me strength and grace to make me more trust in him.
CLOSING
After Moses' death, Joshua was entrusted with a great mission to lead the people of Israel to the conquest of Canaan. That time God said, "I will be with you. Just be courageous and brave to follow God's words. Then, I will be responsible for everything else." What a trustworthy promise!
Is there a problem in your life? Look at the big picture of God. Ask God what the problem means in His big picture and what role you should play, so that you can put together a puzzle of God's big picture. Then God will tell you what to do. Then do it. Be courageous to follow God's words!