Verse of the day: Joshua 3:2-4 So it was, after three days, that the officers went through the camp; 3 and they commanded the people, saying, “When you see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, and the priests, the Levites, bearing it, then you shall set out from your place and go after it. 4 Yet there shall be a space between you and it, about two thousand cubits by measure. Do not come near it, that you may know the way by which you must go, for you have not passed this way before.”
Oh that we would be this careful in our day-to-day walk with the LORD. Joshua and the Israelites are getting ready to cross the Jordan, but he warns them that no one is to make that move until they first see the ark of the covenant of the LORD going before them, with God’s chosen leaders carrying it. So often, we let our own desires and ideas lead us rather than allowing God to lead. We fail to go to God with our plans, and then wonder why they fall through or fail. We fail to realize that the plans we make are our own and may not be what the LORD wants us to pursue. Proverbs 16:9 tells us, “A man’s heart plans his way, but the LORD directs his steps.” Proverbs 19:21 further explains, “There are many plans in a man’s heart, nevertheless the LORD’s counsel—that will stand.” It is our own failure when we go forward with “big” plans, but do not first go to God’s Word and prayer before putting our plan(s) into action. Even though Joshua was confident that God would deliver that land as He promised, he took steps to ensure that he and the people of Israel were doing it in accordance to God’s timing and leading. How much greater success would we have in serving the Lord and finishing our race if we took the steps to make sure that God is leading, rather than our selfish ambitions? The Psalmist wrote in Psalm 119:105, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” As God’s children, our desire should be as express in Psalm 143:10, “Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God; Your Spirit is good. Lead me in the land of uprightness.” When we seek God’s leading in any situation in life, we will never go wrong if we follow His leading. Even when it makes no sense to us, if God is calling us to go in a certain direction, we must trust His leading over our own understanding of a matter. Proverbs 3:5-7 tells us, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. 7 Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and depart from evil.” Serving God and walking the path He sets before us is an exciting venture, if we do it His way. There will be times when He will lead us on a path we have never walked before. In those times, just as Joshua stated, we must say to ourselves, “that I may know the way by which I must go, for I have not passed this way before”. Let us be a people who is known for seeking God at every turn, so that in whatever we do we can do our best to do it in a way that bring God the most glory (1 Corinthians 10:31). None of us has an excuse for not knowing what path to follow in life. God, in Christ, has provided us with the Holy Spirit, who indwells and seals us, and His Word, which the Spirit uses to guide us. God has also provided the church with leaders who are responsible for leading the people of God. It is wise for us to seek godly counsel as we are told in Proverbs 15:22, “Without counsel, plans go awry, but in the multitude of counselors they are established.” Like the Bereans in Acts 17:11, who checked everything the Apostle Paul told them against the Scriptures, we too should always check the advice, or guidance, given to us, even by those we view as wise counselors. Let us walk with the Lord with purpose and on purpose.
Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).
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