"This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:8-9
Joshua was born in Egypt and his name means, "Yahweh is salvation." We know he opposed the majority, along with Caleb, when they were sent with eleven others to spy out the land of Canaan, and they cowered in fear pleading not to try to conquer the land. (Numbers 14:6-9)
But we are told Joshua and Caleb were of a different spirit fully belonging to God. Their outstanding qualities are faith, courage, obedience and devotion to the Law of God. I believe Joshua achieved faith, courage, and obedience through his devotion to the laws of God, and His commandments, and we can too! I believe God was saying the same thing to me this morning He was to Joshua in 1400-1370 BC, and I believe He may be speaking to anyone who has an ear to hear what the Spirit of God is speaking right now in present day America. Are we willing to set aside our thoughts and ideas for the commandments of God?
First we must become obedient meditating on the Word day and night, so that we only speak His laws rather than man made laws. It must not depart from our mouths, so we might be careful to do according to all that is written in it.Then we are promised our way will be prosperous and successful. As I have stated over and over we must obey individually before we can become the women and men of God our children are in desperate need of. We cannot become the nation we once were without returning to when we were one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. What unites us is being one with God first, and then we become one as a nation. As we know from our true history we become a light unto the world, and a force not to be reckoned with, because we are on God’s side, not asking Him to be on our side.
I want to address the men to wake up, and start by becoming the leaders in your home, spiritually first and foremost, and implement what God spoke to Joshua within your families. If you want to become a great leader and impact lives, making your life count for something, you must be faithful in the small things when no one sees but Him. Please understand this is not judgement, but exhortation for what I believe God has laid on my heart to share from His Word. Men are to be the head of their homes taking full responsibility for that authority they have been given by God. A wise woman will happily come under that authority, and teach the children to do the same. As women or men we must desire God’s way more than our own. The key is that all would submit first and foremost to the commandments of God. That results in unity and a home that will weather the storms of this life into eternity.
As we study the instructions God is speaking to Joshua and to us, it is to be strong and courageous. He says He will not fail us or forsake us. In verse 9 it is repeated and He promises to be with us wherever we go. How desperately we need men of God to rise up to be leaders as God has called us to be. We are not to tremble or be dismayed. We cannot always stand with the majority. We are not a democracy, but a republic.. We can see throughout history great leaders have to be willing to stand alone and die for what they stand for: namely freedom! Our nation was founded for religious freedom to worship the One true God who wrote the Bible and created the world we live in. He is and was and will always be the first and the last, the Alpha and Omega. Choosing not to believe in Him doesn’t change truth that has always been and will always be. Man is not greater than his Creator. Heaven and earth shall pass away, but not the Word of God. (Matthew 24:35)
Please join me this morning as we look to Joshua 1 to prioritize God’s Word over Google and our cell phones. May we start with spending more time, day and night in God’s Word. Then it will not depart from our mouths. This is what God commanded of Joshua if he was to lead God’s people to the promised land. Our nation was a promised land from God. We did cling to His Word when this nation was established. We had leaders who gave all for the freedom God intends for all man to have. Our laws came from His laws! Read the Bill of Rights, the Constitution, and the Declaration of Independence. America was defined by His laws. We have evolved to a government in total opposition to the laws of God. This nation is divided against itself. It will not stand unless God’s law is reinstated, and we return to our founding leader’s examples and documents. It will take leaders who are willing once again to pay the price to remain one nation under God with liberty and justice for all. We must be careful to do all that is written in God’s laws not veering to the left or right! We each must choose to be governed by God individually in order to be able to govern ourselves as a sovereign nation once again. Only then we will find success and prosperity that God defines in His Word. We have forgotten what true success and prosperity are. Man is self consuming in his definition. We bite and devour one another. God’s ways and truths lead to life for all mankind. May we return to the truths that our great nation was founded on, one on one before our God as Joshua did meditating on it day and night, so it will not depart from our mouths.
In His love.
Teresa Roberts
Masterpiece Fitness
276-237-6680
I experienced an incredible backpacking trip this weekend on the Appalachian Trail beginning at Elk Garden, spending a glorious night at Buzzard. The most scenic panoramic view on the AT in my opinion and finishing at Virginia Creeper Junction. What a gift from God in every way!
