Date: 03-25-2020

Title: Remembering God’s Faithfulness

(S) cripture:
    Joshua 24:2-15 (NASB77) And Joshua said to all the people, “Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, ‘From ancient times your fathers lived beyond the River, namely, Terah, the father of Abraham and the father of Nahor, and they served other gods. 3 ‘Then I took your father Abraham from beyond the River, and led him through all the land of Canaan, and multiplied his descendants and gave him Isaac. 4 ‘And to Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau, and to Esau I gave Mount Seir, to possess it; but Jacob and his sons went down to Egypt. 5 ‘Then I sent Moses and Aaron, and I plagued Egypt by what I did in its midst; and afterward I brought you out. 6 ‘And I brought your fathers out of Egypt, and you came to the sea; and Egypt pursued your fathers with chariots and horsemen to the Red Sea. 7 ‘But when they cried out to the LORD, He put darkness between you and the Egyptians, and brought the sea upon them and covered them; and your own eyes saw what I did in Egypt. And you lived in the wilderness for a long time. 8 ‘Then I brought you into the land of the Amorites who lived beyond the Jordan, and they fought with you; and I gave them into your hand, and you took possession of their land when I destroyed them before you. 9 ‘Then Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, arose and fought against Israel, and he sent and summoned Balaam the son of Beor to curse you. 10 ‘But I was not willing to listen to Balaam. So he had to bless you, and I delivered you from his hand. 11 ‘And you crossed the Jordan and came to Jericho; and the citizens of Jericho fought against you, and the Amorite and the Perizzite and the Canaanite and the Hittite and the Girgashite, the Hivite and the Jebusite. Thus I gave them into your hand. 12 ‘Then I sent the hornet before you and it drove out the two kings of the Amorites from before you, but not by your sword or your bow. 13 ‘And I gave you a land on which you had not labored, and cities which you had not built, and you have lived in them; you are eating of vineyards and olive groves which you did not plant.’ 14 “Now, therefore, fear the LORD and serve Him in sincerity and truth; and put away the gods which your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. 15 “And if it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”

(O) bservation:
    As Joshua reviews God’s covenant with the people of Israel he recounts all of God’s faithfulness to them in the past. He reviews their history and all that God has done for them. In light of that the people renew their commitment to the covenant.

(A) pplication:
    It is important from time to time to review what God has done in your life, to remember all he has done and provided. When I do this, I am reminded of just how faithful God has been and that gives me confidence for the future. As I observe responses to the Coronavirus pandemic I need not be afraid because God is faithful. I choose to trust the lord and to follow the best practices for limiting the spread of the virus. This is an opportune time for me as a follower of Jesus to live with confidence in God’s faithfulness as an example to those around me. Here is the truth, whether I am infected with the coronavirus or not, God is faithful. Today I choose to trust and serve the Lord.

(P) rayer:
    Lord, thank you for being faithful even when I am not. I trust you in the midst of this pandemic. Thank you for continuing to be faithful and working in and through me.