Monday April 29
Victory in Jesus
Joshua 1:1-2
1 After the death of Moses the servant of the LORD, it came to pass that the LORD spoke to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses' assistant, saying:
2 "Moses My servant is dead. Now therefore, arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them--the children of Israel.
Joshua is the book of victory. It's the Old Testament book that describes the New Testament victory that we have in our Lord Jesus Christ. For Joshua is a picture, a type, and an illustration of the Lord Jesus Christ. Remember that the name in the Old Testament, Joshua, is the Hebrew name of our New Testament name, Jesus. Joshua represents and pictures the victory that only Jesus can give us. The Lord Jesus is our heavenly Joshua who leads us into the land of promise, the land of fulfillment, the land of victory.
Far too many believers live sub-normal Christian lives. The normal Christian life should be one of victory in Jesus every day. Sure, we will experience sadness, suffering, hardship, disappointment and discouragement in our spiritual pilgrimage as we deal with the realities of life. But instead of being a miserable person we should still experience the presence of the Holy Spirit in every situation and circumstance and enjoy all the fruits of the Spirit. Which are “love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control…” (Galatians 5:22-23).
Paul shared this with the Philippian church in Philippians 4:11-13: “Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
“Everywhere and in all things”, Paul learned to be content and full, despite the hardships that he experienced in his ministry. He gave a list of these difficult things and times in 2 Corinthians 11:23-28: “In labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, in deaths often. From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep; in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness-- besides the other things, what comes upon me daily: my deep concern for all the churches.” Wow! Paul enjoyed and experienced victory in Jesus despite all these things.
That is what we desire to learn about as we study the book of Joshua! We can learn our Bibles by studying the characters of the Bible. The storyline of the Old Testament begins with Adam and find out how man becomes a sinful creature. In Genesis 6, we meet Noah and learn about God’s judgment with the flood. In Genesis 12, we learn of God’s calling to Abraham to produce the people of Israel who will give us the Bible and a Messiah, the Christ who will bring us hope and salvation. In Genesis 25-50, we meet Jacob and his twelve sons who give us the nation of Israel.
From Exodus 3 to Deuteronomy 34, the Bible focuses attention on the ministry of Moses, God's chosen servant to lead the nation of Israel out of slavery and through the wilderness. He also gives us the “Law of God”, and the first five books of the Bible. But Moses died; and though he would not be forgotten (he's named over fifty times in the Book of Joshua), a new "servant of the Lord" (Josh. 24:29) would take his place. "God buries His workers, but His work goes on."
In Joshua 1, we will be studying how this change in leadership carries with it a tremendous spiritual lesson for believers who want to experience God's best in their lives. God’s best leaders were always God’s best servants!
My friend, today by faith we can begin to enjoy victory in our heavenly “Joshua”, Jesus, if we humble and submit ourselves to His authority and Lordship in our daily lives despite our situation!
God bless!