Has God ever commanded you to do something? I don’t particularly like being told what to do, but when God speaks, there is a proper response.
Today, we are going to begin laying a firm foundation, a place where we can set our foot. So that when the time comes, we can stand confidently on what we know to be true.
The book of Joshua is filled with example after example of what to do when God speaks.
Last week, we discovered when we set our foot upon God’s truth, we actually get to know God. The week before that, we learned that our relationship with God correlates with our relationship with others. As we begin cultivating a deeper relationship with God, we understand the importance of doing what God tells us to do.
Think of it as a parent-child relationship. The child may think he or she knows best, but they don’t have the life experiences to truly know. As a parent, we guide our children, teaching them. It is in their obedience that our relationships develop and trust is formed.
When we hear God speak, we do not have to wonder what to do. We only need to trust God at His word and obey Him. We know exactly what to do because God said it.
Joshua 1:16 says, “whatever you have commanded us we will do, and wherever you send us we will go.” Joshua had already learned this lesson of trusting God, probably by watching Moses.
“Whatever you say God.”
This should be our response. But, we are children therefore we question everything. We want to go our own way. We fall down and God helps us get back up. We learn through our experiences. All the while, through all the trials, all the pain and tears, we are growing our relationship with God. We may not even realize it.
So, when God speaks a word to your heart, listen to it, confirm it, test it, meditate on it, receive it, and then act on it. This is obedience.
Trust and Obey for there is no other way…”
We are going to camp out in Joshua for a while. There is so much we can learn here about when God speaks and what we should do. When we set our foot upon the Word of God, either written or spoken, we are standing on a firm foundation. As we go forward, we will continue to see the importance of where we set our foot. We will discover as we “step” into our faith, we are actually developing our relationship with God.
Read Joshua chapter 2.
I want to point out a few key points from this chapter.
- Rahab knew who God was. (See Joshua 2:11)
- Rahab trusted these men.
- God’s kindness is revealed. (See Joshua 2:12)
- She and her whole household were saved.
I would like to think Rahab was already hearing God speak. That is why she thought she could trust these “spies.” She made them swear “by the Lord that you will show kindness to my family, because I have shown kindness to you.”
My study note says, “The Hebrew for “kindness’ is frequently translated to “love” or “unfailing love” and often summarizes God’s covenant favor toward his people or the love that people are to show to others.”
“Unfailing love of God or the love that people are to show others.”
Our relationship with God and other people is connected. It is built on love and trust. We were made for relationship. First with God then with others.
I hope you are beginning to to see this connection between our relationship with God and our relationships with everyone else. We were created for relationship. As we experience God’s love internally, that love flows in us, through us and should flow out of us onto other people. God is amazing!
Let us pray;
God, your loving-kindness is never ending. Teach us to trust You, hear You and obey You. Show us how to love so we can love others. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
P.S. Join me next week, as we continue on our journey through Joshua. Leave me a comment because I love to hear from you. Forward this message to a friend or share it on Facebook. Until then, when God speaks, trust God and obey. -M
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Trust and obey for there is no other way! Amen