Joshua 1:7-8
The final step in effective ministry and work as faithful Christians is to perform consistently – to be a Christian at all times and to do ministry to the best of our ability. In our Pastor-Parish Relations meeting on Sunday the problem of poor attendance came up. Someone pointed out that it requires some commitment to attend church on a regular basis. If you miss a Sunday it’s no big deal. If you miss two Sundays you may feel a little guilty. If you miss three it is easy to miss the fourth, the fifth and so on.
Our faith requires dedication, and the commitment of faith is presented in Joshua. Joshua has taken over leadership of the Israelites from Moses and God has offered His instructions. What three things does God command in verse 7? What is commanded in verse 8? What will happen if Joshua and the Israelites obey these commands?
The Lord has given Joshua and the people of Israel some simple instructions and encouragement. They should be courageous and bold in what they do because God is with them. But they also need to remain dedicated to their faith, obeying the commands of God and studying their Scriptures.
By remaining faithful to God’s commands and immersing themselves in God’s teaching they are guaranteeing that they will have success. They will be prosperous and happy. And with this perpetual reminder of God’s presence they can be strong in what they do.
This same lesson is for us today. We are called to remain in the teachings of our God. We are to continue to worship together and study the teachings and commands of God. By remaining dedicated to our faith we can be strong and courageous in our ministry and in our living. And God will cause us to prosper.
But all of this requires that we perform consistently. As Christians and believers in God we are to live out our faith on a regular basis, turning neither to the right nor to the left. This requires daily dedication and daily discipline to prayer and holy living. By remaining dedicated to God we can perform as Christians consistently.
DAILY CHALLENGE: How often do you meditate on the word of God?
No comments:
Post a Comment