With My Own Eyes

“Paul says to note God’s severity.  Mark it down.  Remember it.  Consider it.  But we are disobedient.  Because God’s severity is not as warm and fuzzy as God’s kindness, we not only don’t study or contemplate it, but we don’t even note it.  We live in a day and age when, from pre-seminary all the way through seminary, prospective pastors are fed the pabulum of church growth.  Then once they hit the playing field of ministry they are fed it more and more.  From books to classes to seminars to conferences, the church is absolutely consumed with growing at all costs.  Forget whether the members of our churches have any real depth or substance to them; we just want to be able to measure and count the three Bs:  buildings, budgets, and butts in the seat.  The Bible does say a few things about churches and growing in those ways, but today this has become the prevailing mind-set of ministry in evangelicalism, and it is a biblically perverted, missionally distorted mind-set.

This avoidance of the difficult things of Scripture–of sinfulness and hell and God’s notable severity–is idolatrous and cowardly.  If a man or a woman who teaches the Scriptures is afraid to explain to you the severity of God, they have betrayed you, and they love their ego more than they love you.”  Matt Chandler in The Explicit Gospel, pg. 41.

Here is today’s Bible reading: Joshua 13:1-14:15; Luke 18:1-17; Psalm 85:1-13; Proverbs 13:7-8.

Joshua 14:10-12 (NIV) 

“Now then, just as the Lord promised, he has kept me alive for forty-five years since the time he said this to Moses, while Israel moved about in the desert. So here I am today, eighty-five years old! [11] I am still as strong today as the day Moses sent me out; I’m just as vigorous to go out to battle now as I was then. [12] Now give me this hill country that the Lord promised me that day. You yourself heard then that the Anakites were there and their cities were large and fortified, but, the Lord helping me, I will drive them out just as he said.”

I love this passage!  Caleb is 80 years old, and he’s not done fighting.  “Let me at ’em”, he says.  He is as wholehearted in his commitment to God and His promises as he was 40 years ago.  No wonder God blessed him.  I want to age like that.  

Here is today’s Bible reading:  Joshua 11:1-12:24; Luke 17:11-37; Psalm 84:1-12; Proverbs 13:5-6.

Psalm 84:5 (NIV)
Blessed are those whose strength is in you,
who have set their hearts on pilgrimage.

This world is not our home.  Why do we work so hard trying to make it so?  We were made for pilgrimage–a journey to our eternal home.  The journey requires that we travel light.  I know I am trying to carry too much.  How about you?

Here is today’s Bible reading: Joshua 9:3-10:43; Luke 16:19-17:10; Psalm 83:1-18; Proverbs 13:4.

Luke 17:10 (NIV)
So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.’ “

Ever feel like you are doing God a favor by serving Him?  Like we have done a good deed so now He owes us?  Like we are not really that sinful and God is lucky to have us on HIs side?  I have.  How ridiculous.  

Joshua 9:14 (NIV)
The men of Israel sampled their provisions but did not inquire of the Lord.

Big mistake.  The men of Israel thought this one was a no-brainer and they could handle it on their own.  They put their trust in their own understanding.  They were duped and had to pay a big price.  The lesson: consult God in EVERYTHING.  

Here is today’s Bible reading: Joshua 7:16-9:2; Luke 16:1-18; Psalm 82:1-8; Proverbs 13:2-3.

Joshua 7:24-26 (NIV)
Then Joshua, together with all Israel, took Achan son of Zerah, the silver, the robe, the gold wedge, his sons and daughters, his cattle, donkeys and sheep, his tent and all that he had, to the Valley of Achor. [25] Joshua said, “Why have you brought this trouble on us? The Lord will bring trouble on you today.”
Then all Israel stoned him, and after they had stoned the rest, they burned them. [26] Over Achan they heaped up a large pile of rocks, which remains to this day. Then the Lord turned from his fierce anger. Therefore that place has been called the Valley of Achor ever since.

They stoned Achan and his family and then burned them.  Why?  Because Achan disobeyed God and took some plunder.  Why such harsh consequences?  I believe the story is meant to illustrate the communal nature of our faith.  My sin impacts you and vice versa.  We are a family.  We must not treat sin casually, but recognize that it is rebellion against the God who created us and sustains us.  There are no little sins.  All sin separates us from God.  We terribly underestimate our sinfulness and God’s grace.  May we take sin as seriously as God does. 

Here is today’s Bible reading: Joshua 5:1-7:15; Luke 15:1-32; Psalm 81:1-16; Proverbs 13:1.

Joshua 6:15-16 (NIV)
On the seventh day, they got up at daybreak and marched around the city seven times in the same manner, except that on that day they circled the city seven times. [16] The seventh time around, when the priests sounded the trumpet blast, Joshua commanded the people, “Shout! For the Lord has given you the city!

What if Joshua and the Israelites had only done this for six days?  They would have been right on the verge of the miracle and never experienced it.  Their faithful obedience and perseverance opened the door to God’s miraculous intervention.  If you are ready to give up, don’t quit.  You may be right on the verge of the miracle.  Faithfully obey and persevere.  

Here is today’s Bible reading:  Joshua 3:1-4:24; Luke 14:7-35; Psalm 80:1-19; Proverbs 12:27-28.

Luke 14:33 (NIV)
In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple.

In our desperation to see people become followers of Jesus, we can fall into the trap of presenting to them something less than the Gospel of Jesus.  We accentuate the benefits without clearly communicating the cost.  We portray a Gospel of easy-believism.  Not Jesus.  He spends this portion of Scripture seemingly trying to talk people out of following Him.  He tells them to count the cost.  You see, the Gospel is a free gift that will cost us everything.  Don’t think that you can follow Jesus and hold on to your old life and old self. They must be crucified with Christ so that Christ and then live through you.  Have you given up everything to follow Jesus?  Is the Gospel you are sharing with others a message that clearly communicates the cost?

We finish the Pentateuch today! Great work.

Here is today’s Bible reading:  Deuteronomy 34:1-Joshua 2:24; Luke 13:22-14:6; Psalm 79:1-13; Proverbs 12:26.

Luke 13:22-24 (NIV)  
    Then Jesus went through the towns and villages, teaching as he made his way to Jerusalem. [23] Someone asked him, “Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?”
    He said to them, [24] “Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to.

Ridiculously sobering. 

Luke 13:32-33 (NIV)  
    He replied, “Go tell that fox, ‘I will drive out demons and heal people today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will reach my goal.’ [33] In any case, I must keep going today and tomorrow and the next day–for surely no prophet can die outside Jerusalem!

I like this defiant, determined streak in Jesus.  I need more of that.

Joshua 1:1-2 (NIV)  
    After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ aide: [2] “Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them–to the Israelites.

As far as God was concerned, the defining quality of the life of Moses was that he was a servant of God.  I can think of no better title.