CHOSEN BY THE LORD GOD

Proclamation:

“Now the day before Saul came, The Lord had revealed this to Samuel: ‘About this time tomorrow I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin.  Anoint him ruler over My people Israel; he will deliver them from the land of the Philistines.  I have looked on My people, for their cry has reached Me.’”  1 Samuel 9:15-16 (NIV)

Explanation:

These words were written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God by the prophet Samuel.  The people of Israel wanted a king to lead and rule them and The Lord God told Samuel to give them a king. (1 Samuel 8:21-22)  The Lord God told Samuel that He would send the man to him.  When Samuel saw Saul, The Lord God spoke to him and said, “This is the man I spoke to you about; he will govern My people.” (1 Samuel 9:17)  Saul was looking for his father’s lost donkeys (1 Samuel 9:3 and 9:6) but Samuel was looking for a king. (1 Samuel 9:17)  The Lord God saw something in Saul that he did not see in himself.  After Samuel told Saul what he had in store for him, Saul ran and hid himself among the supplies and the people had to come and get him. (1 Samuel 10:22-23)  Only when The Spirit of God came upon him did he begin to act like an anointed man of God. (1 Samuel 10:6 and 11:6)

Application:

When The Lord God has a position for us, it will not be necessary for us to seek it out.  Others will see the leadership qualities in us, which we may not see in ourselves, (1 Samuel 10:23) and The Lord will make a way for us to get where He wants us to be.  Promotion comes by the hand and will of God, and He will make a way for it to happen. (Psalm 75:6-7)  Whatever The Lord God has in store for us will be ours.  We just need to make sure that we don’t block our own blessings by willful disobedience to The Word of God.

DO NOT COPY THE LOST SINNERS OF THE WORLD

Proclamation:

“So all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah.  They said to him, ‘You are old, and your sons do not follow your ways; now appoint a king to lead us, such as all the other nations have.’”  1 Samuel 8:4-5 (NIV)

Explanation:

These words were written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God by the prophet Samuel.  When Samuel grew old, he appointed his sons to lead and judge Israel. (1 Samuel 8:1)  However, Samuel was a prophet of The Lord God (1 Samuel 3:19-21) but his sons did not follow his ways. (1 Samuel 8:2-3)  So the elders of Israel got together and told Samuel to appoint a king to be over them so that they could be like the other nations around them.  Having The Lord God as their king was not good enough for them.  They wanted to copy the sinful nations around them.  Samuel was displeased with them for this request (1 Samuel 8:6) but The Lord God told him that the people had rejected God as their King, not Samuel as their leader. (1 Samuel 8:7)

Application:

When you have the best, why would you want to copy something less?  Why would we want to imitate the sinful people of the world when we know where they will end up? (Revelation 20:15)  As believers we have The Holy Spirit of God within us (Ezekiel 11:19 and 36:26-27) and therefore we are not of this world. (John 8:33)  We are to behave in a Christ-like manner. (Romans 6:4 and 6:11)  It is Christ that we are to imitate and not the sinful people of the world.

LISTEN CAREFULLY BECAUSE THE LORD GOD SPEAKS TO HIS PEOPLE

Proclamation:

“Now Samuel did not yet know The Lord; The Word of The Lord had not yet been revealed to him.  A third time The Lord called, ‘Samuel!’  And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, ‘Here I am; you called me.’  Then Eli realized that The Lord was calling the boy.  So Eli told Samuel, ‘Go and lie down, and if He calls you, say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.’  So Samuel went and lay down in his place.”  1 Samuel 3:7-9 (NIV)

Explanation:

These words were written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God by the prophet Samuel.  The young boy, Samuel, was being raised up in the temple by Eli, the priest. (Samuel 3:1)  His mother, Hannah, had given him to Eli to keep her vow to The Lord God for giving her a son. (Samuel 1:24-28)  Samuel was being trained in the temple but he did not know The Lord God for himself.  That is why he got up from his resting place and ran to Eli three times because he thought that the priest was calling him. (1 Samuel 3:2-8)  Eli finally realized that The Lord God was calling Samuel so Eli told him to answer The Lord the next time that He calls him.  This was Samuel’s call into the service of The Lord and He was with him from this point on, and Samuel was recognized as a prophet of The Lord. (1 Samuel 3:19-21)

Application:

Everyone cannot hear the voice of The Lord God.  Some people hear only a noise, (Acts 9:7) or a sound like thunder (Exodus 19:16) but nothing which they can understand.  Those who hear the voice of The Lord and obey it will be blessed. (Deuteronomy 28:2 and 30:10)  There are times when The Lord God speaks in “a still small voice” to His people. (1 Kings 19:12-13)  At times the voice of The Lord is powerful. (Psalms 29:4-5)  The voice of God can create something out of nothing. (Genesis 1:1-30)  At other times His voice can be soft and gentle.  Jesus, The Christ, said that His sheep know His voice and follow Him. (John 10:27)  This text was Samuel’s call to service of The Lord.  As a believer there a special and unique work which The Lord God has for each one of us to do.  We need to listen carefully for our call, answer it, and then get busy doing whatever it is that The Lord has for us.  He speaks to us today through His Holy Word so read it prayerfully.  Woe be unto them who hear the voice of The Lord and understand it but harken not unto it. (Deuteronomy 28:62 and 1 Samuel 12:15) 

RECEIVING THAT WHICH WAS PRAYED FOR

Proclamation:

“Early the next morning they arose and worshiped The Lord and then went back to their home at Ramah.  Elkanah made love to his wife Hannah, and The Lord remembered her.  So in the course of time Hannah became pregnant and gave birth to a son.  She named him Samuel, saying, ‘Because I asked The Lord for him.’”  1 Samuel 1:19-20 (NIV)

Explanation:

These words were written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God by the prophet Samuel.  The Book begins with an account of his parents, Elkanah his father and Hannah his mother who year after year had no children. (1 Samuel 1:1-2)  Elkanah had two wives but he loved Hannah and would always give her a double portion of whatever he gave his wife, Peninnah, and his sons. (1 Samuel 1:4-5)  Peninnah would ridicule Hannah year after year because she was barren and Hannah would become upset. (1 Samuel 1:6-10)  Hannah went to the temple and prayed silently while she was weeping.  The priest, Eli, saw her and thought that she was drunk because her lips were moving but she was not speaking. (1 Samuel 1:9-17)  The Lord God heard Hannah and answered her prayer and gave her a son.

Application:

There are times when we are going through periods of anguish, frustration, despair, sorrow, or suffering that we pray and ask The Lord God for something, and we promise Him that we will change our behavior if He will bless us with that which we asked for.  All too often, however, He blesses us and we fail to keep our promise to Him.  Here is an example of a woman who prayed during her period of distress and kept her promise when The Lord blessed her, even though keeping her promise meant giving up her son.  We should not take lightly promises that we make to God.  We should not only be careful what we ask The Lord God for, we should also be careful regarding what we promise Him.  He will keep all of His promises to us. (2 Peter 3:9)  We need to do a better job of keeping our promises to Him.  When we pray for things that will give God glory our prayers will be answered. (John 14:13-14 and 16:26)  Let us be grateful and honor our commitment to Him.

WAITING FOR YOUR BOAZ

Proclamation:

“Then Naomi said, ‘Wait, my daughter, until you find out what happens.  For the man will not rest until the matter is settled today.’”  Ruth 3:18 (NIV)

Explanation:

These words were written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God by an unknown human author, but a number of Bible scholars credit it to Samuel.  Ruth, the daughter-in-law of Naomi, demonstrated her love, commitment, and devotion to her mother-in-law and stayed with her after their husbands had died.  The two women left Moab and journeyed to Bethlehem, (Ruth 1:19) the place where Naomi was from and where her kinfolk still lived.  Ruth went out into the fields to pick up leftover grain behind the harvesters to provide for herself and Naomi. (Ruth 2:1-3)  The field belonged to Boaz, who was a distant relative of Naomi. When Boaz saw her, he asked the overseer of his harvesters about her and he took an interest in her. (Ruth 2:5-16)  Later that day Ruth told Naomi what had happened and Naomi told her that Boaz was a relative of hers. (Ruth 2:19-23)  It was Naomi who had discerned that Boaz had an interest in Ruth and gave her advice.

Application:

Because of her faithfulness to her mother-in-law, Ruth gained the respect of the people in her mother-in-law’s homeland. (Ruth 2:11-12)  She did not go running after the young men in town and she demonstrated that she was a woman of good character. (Ruth 3:10-11)  Ruth honored her commitment, and she was patient before she was blessed to get what she wanted.  We should understand that The Lord God can supply all of our needs (Philippians 4:19) and He may even bless with some of the things that we want.  However, we must first learn to be content with that which we already have. (Philippians 4:12)  We must also show that we love Him by keeping His commandments and obeying His Holy Word. (John 14:15 and 14:23)  We must learn to be patient and wait on The Lord. (Psalm 27:14 and 37:34)  If we believe in Him and exhibit good Christian behavior, we will be rewarded. (Hebrews 11:6)

A VOW OF LOVE COMMITMENT AND DEVOTION

Proclamation:

“But Ruth replied, ‘Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you.  Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay.  Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die and there will I be buried …’”  Ruth 1:16-17 (NIV)

Explanation:

These words were written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God by an unknown human author, but some credit it to Samuel because of the timing when the judges ruled Israel.  Ruth, the daughter-in-law of Naomi, demonstrates an excellent example of love, commitment, and devotion to her mother-in-law.  After her father-in-law and her husband died, Ruth would not leave her mother-in-law’s side and vowed to stay with, even after death.  Ruth was a Moabite and her people worshiped idol gods, (Ruth 1:15) but thanks to Naomi and her son, Ruth was exposed to The Lord God and was converted.

Application:

People often say the words, “I love you” but their actions are not always consistent with their words.  Ruth, the great, great grandmother of David, demonstrated her love for her mother-in-law by vowing never to leave her.  She even vowed to be near her in death by being buried where she is buried.  In this life, very few people will go with us wherever we go.  Some people will go as far as to become extended family members and our people will become their people.  However, most people will not go as far as to change their religious beliefs and worship The Lord God with us.  In marriage the two people are to become as one person. (Ephesians 5:31)  There is rarely this level of commitment in any other relationship.  Parents are willing to die for their children, and some children are willing to die for their parents, but they do not go with them everywhere they go.  When we make a commitment to love The Lord God, nothing in the world, or in our lives, should be more important to us than Him.  He will never leave us or forsake us. (Hebrews 13:5)  Nothing can separate us from the love of God. (Romans 8:35 and 8:39)

CHOSEN FROM BEFORE BIRTH TO LEAD GOD'S PEOPLE

Proclamation:

“You will become pregnant and have a son whose head is never to be touched by a razor because the boy is to be a Nazirite, dedicated to God from the womb.  He will take the lead in delivering Israel from the hands of the Philistines … Now then, drink no wine or other fermented drink and do not eat anything unclean because the boy will be a Nazirite of God from the womb until the day of his death.”  Judges 13:5-7 (NIV)

Explanation:

These are the words of God which were written by Samuel under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  After the Israelites did evil in the eyes of The Lord, He let them be conquered by the Philistines. (Judges 13:1)  Afterwards, The Lord God raised up Samson, who was chosen before he was born, to lead His people. (Judges 13:2-14)  It was Samson who killed a young lion with his bare hands, (Judges 14:5-6) who killed thirty men to pay a debt, (Judges 14:12-19) and who took the jawbone of a donkey and slew a thousand Philistines. (Judges 15:14-16)  Then Samson led Israel for twenty years. (Judges 15:20)  Unfortunately, Samson had a weakness for the Philistine women.  His first wife was a Philistine woman, (Judges 14:1-8) who betrayed him. (Judges 14:15-17)  So was the second woman who was the love of his life, Delilah. (Judges 16:4)  It was Delilah who told the Philistine leaders the secret of Samson’s strength so that they could defeat him. (Judges 16:5-20)  When they seized him, they gouged out his eyes, bound him in shackles, and made him push the grain grinding machine in the prison. (Judges 16:21)  Samson killed more Philistines when he died than he did when he was alive.  The temple was filled with the rulers of the Philistines and there were about three thousand more people on the roof of the temple when Samson collapsed the two pillars which supported the temple killing more than three thousand Philistines. (Judges 16:27-30)

Application:

The Lord God knows everything about each of us.  It was He that made us when we were in our mother’s womb. (Psalm 139:13-16)  Each of us is unique.  The Lord God has something special for each of us to do and He knew what we would do before we were born. (Psalm 139:16)  Just as He knew what Samson would do, He knows what we will do.  Samson made some bad choices during his life but he never lost faith in The Lord.  He prayed to The Lord God for strength on his dying day.  We need to remember, just because we are in a bad situation does not mean that The Lord God is not with us or that He cannot hear us when we pray.  We are part of God’s plan and we just need to do our part.

AGAIN AND AGAIN THEY SINNED AND WERE FORGIVEN

Proclamation:

“Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of The Lord.  They served the Baals … And because the Israelites forsook The Lord and no longer served Him, He became angry with them …”  Judges 10:6-7 (NIV)

Explanation:

These are the words of God which were written by Samuel under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  The Israelites were God’s chosen people but they repeatedly sinned against Him.  In addition to the murmuring that they did against Moses and The Lord God while they were wandering in the wilderness, and the making and worshiping a golden calf while they were at the foot of the mountain of God, the Israelites seemed to exhibit a pattern of doing that which was evil in the sight of The Lord God by worshiping idols. (Judges 3:7, 8:33-34, 10:6, and 13:1)  Each time that they did this, The Lord God would punish them, and they would cry out to be forgiven, and He would forgive them.

Application:

Today, most of us do not serve idol gods, but we put other things ahead of Him and that is just as bad.  Nothing should be more important to us than The Lord God. (Exodus 20:3)  We should put Him first in our lives. (Matthew 6:33)  However, just like the Israelites we have sinned, and we continue to sin, again and again, in one way or another.  But thanks be to God that He is a God of another chance, and we have been forgiven over and over again.  Our sins may differ, but a sin is a sin, whether it is in thought, spoken word, or deed.  He who is guilty of only breaking one point of God’s law, is just as guilty as if he had broken all of them. (James 2:10)  Each day we are given another chance to live to the glory of The Lord God, and to ask to be forgiven when we fall short by sinful omission or commission.  Again, we should thank The Lord God and be grateful that He is a forgiving God, and that He is a God of another chance.

THEY DID THAT WHICH WAS EVIL IN THE SIGHT OF THE LORD

Proclamation:

“After that whole generation had been gathered to their ancestors, another generation grew up who knew neither The Lord nor what He had done for Israel.  Then the Israelites did evil in the eyes of The Lord and served the Baals.”  Judges 2:10-11 (NIV)

Explanation:

These are the words of God which were written by Samuel under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt, across the Red Sea, (Exodus 14:21-22) to the edge of the promise land. (Exodus 16:35)  Because of their lack of faith, that generation wandered in the wilderness for forty years until the adults all died. (Numbers 14:16)  Joshua then led their children, the next generation, across the flooded Jordan River into the promise land (Joshua 3:15-17) and through a series of victorious battles over the inhabitants of the promise land. (Joshua 12:1-24)  Then he divided the lands that they conquered among the tribes of Israel, (Joshua 13:8 to 19:51) and that generation served The Lord God.  However, when they died off, the next generation did not know The Lord God or what He had done for their parents and grandparents.  This new generation of Israelites did not serve The Lord God as their ancestors had done, they did evil in the sight of The Lord.

Application:

It is our responsibility as believers to teach our children, the next generation, about The Lord God and all that He has done. (Leviticus 10:11, Deuteronomy 6:7, and Proverbs 22:6)  It is our job to raise up our children in the fear and admonition of The Lord. (Ephesians 6:4)  We should not only tell them about His ways, but we should be living examples of His Holy Word.  Our children should see in us that which we expect them to exemplify.  If we do not teach them the ways of The Lord God, then we should not be surprised when they stray and begin to do that which is evil in His sight. 

GOING FORTH FROM VICTORY TO VICTORY

Proclamation:

“These are the kings of the land whom the Israelites had defeated and whose territory they took over east of the Jordan, from the Arnon Gorge to Mount Hermon, including all the eastern side of Arabah … thirty-one kings in all.”  Joshua 12:1-24 (NIV)

Explanation:

These are the words of God which were written by Joshua under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  In this twelfth chapter, Joshua records the kings, and the land over which they reigned, which the Israelites were victorious over. (Joshua 12:7-24)  Beginning with Jericho, Joshua and the Israelites were victorious over the kings of thirty-one lands. (Joshua 12:24)  As the Israelites conquered these lands in succession, they went from victory to victory.

Application:

It is easy for us to be negative and to focus upon the bad times, and upon our losses.  However, some of our losses were to teach us a lesson, (2 Corinthians 12:7) or they were our punishment for our disobedience. (Joshua 7:2-5 and 7:12)  The Lord God has promised us the victory through Jesus, The Christ. (1 Corinthian 15:57)  All we have to do is believe in Him and obey His Holy Word, and we will be victorious.  When The Lord God is with us, our enemies will not be able to stand against us. (Joshua 1:5)  He will fight our battles for us. (2 Chronicles 32:8)  If The Lord God is with us, who can stand against us? (Romans 8:31)  We will be victorious if we do all things His way.  If we believe and pray; trust and have faith in Him; read, study and live The Holy Word, then we will enjoy victory after victory, in this life and the next one.  The Lord God is omnipotent!  He already has the victory. (1 Chronicles 29:11, Psalm 98:1 and Isaiah 25:8) As believers we are born again, and whatsoever is born of God can overcome the world, and that is the victory. (1 John 5:4)

DO IT AGAIN THE RIGHT WAY THIS TIME

Proclamation:

“Now Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai … to … spy out the region … when they returned to Joshua, they said, ‘Not all the army will have to go up against Ai …’ So about three thousand went up; but they were routed by the men of Ai. (Joshua 7:2-4)  Then The Lord said to Joshua, ‘Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.  Take the whole army with you, and go up and attack Ai.  For I have delivered into your hands the king of Ai, his people, his city and his land.’”  Joshua 8:1 (NIV)

Explanation:

These are the words of God which were written by Joshua under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  The first time that Joshua led the Israelites against the army at Ai, The Lord God was not with them for they had sinned and broken their covenant with Him. (Joshua 7:11-12)  The first time, Joshua listened to his spies and did not speak to The Lord God.  The second time Joshua prayed, listened to God, and followed His plan when he attacked Ai.  The Lord God had to first encourage Joshua because the Israelites had been routed by Ai the first time they fought them.  This time, Joshua had renewed his commitment to The Lord God, and this time he was going to do it the right way, God’s way.

Application:

All too often we do things our way, without going to The Lord God in prayer first.  The Bible teaches us that we should pray about everything. (Matthew 21:22 and Luke 21:36)  We need to show our love for The Lord God with our life and our life style.  Jesus, The Christ, said, “If you love Me, keep My commandments.” (John 14:15)  And, if we love Him, then we should not be afraid to step out on faith and do what He says do. (1 John 4:18)  We should not let the fear of failure, or the fear of rejection, cause us to stop doing something God’s way.  Even if we failed the first time, let’s do it again but do it the right way this time.  Let’s do it God’s way.  Let’s not go into battle unprepared.  Let us pray first, then let us put on the whole armor of God. (Ephesians 6:10-18)  If we do it His way, the victory is ours. (1 Corinthians 15:57)

GOD PUNISHES HIS PEOPLE FOR DISOBEDIENCE

Proclamation:

“Israel has sinned; they have violated My covenant, which I commanded them to keep … That is why the Israelites cannot stand against their enemies … I will not be with you anymore unless you destroy whatever is among you …”  Joshua 7:11-12 (NIV)

Explanation:

These are the words of God which were written by Joshua under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  The Lord God told the Israelites not to keep any of the spoils from Jericho after they took the city.  The precious metals were to go into the treasury of The Lord. (Joshua 6:18-19)  But Achan, from the tribe of Judah, took some of them for himself and this angered The Lord God. (Joshua 7:1)  So when they went to war against the army of Ai, God was not with them and they were routed. (Joshua 7:4)  Afterwards, Joshua asked God why they lost and what were they to do? (Joshua 7:6-9)  The Lord God told him that Israel had sinned and violated His covenant.  Then Joshua examined the people, tribe by tribe, clan by clan, family by family, and man by man, until Achan was found and admitted what he had done. (Joshua 7:16-21)  They gathered all that he had taken, and his family, and his animals, and all that he owned and took them to the Valley of Achor.  There they stoned him, and them, and then burned them all. (Joshua 7:22-26)

Application:

Don’t play with The Lord God.  Don’t say that you are a believer, and then go about and act like a non-believer.  When we sin, we need to confess and ask to be forgiven.  We should not try to hide it as if God can’t see it.  We should search ourselves, our hearts, and our homes to make sure that we are not harboring something which The Lord God abhors, or holding back something which should be given to Him.  Unrepentant sin can not only bring God’s wrath down upon the individual sinner, but also upon his children, his grand-children, and on their children. (Numbers 14:18)   One fine day, all that we thought, said, and did will be judged, it will all pass through the fire of judgment.  All of it that gives God glory will pass through the fire, and we will be rewarded for it.  However, everything else will be burned up and we will suffer a loss, but we ourselves will be saved. (1 Corinthians 3:11-15)  Let us do all that we can to the glory of God.  When we pray, let us ask to be forgiven for sins of omission as well as sins of commission.

GREAT OBSTACLES FOR MAN ARE NO PROBLEM FOR GOD

Proclamation:

“When the trumpets sounded, the army shouted, and at the sound of the trumpet, when all the men gave a loud shout, the wall collapsed; so everyone charged straight in, and they took the city.”  Joshua 6:20 (NIV)

Explanation:

These are the words of God which were written by Joshua under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  After they crossed the Jordan River, the Israelites proceeded to Jericho.  The walls of Jericho were a formidable obstacle. (Joshua 6:1)  However, Joshua listened to The Lord God, (Joshua 6:2-5) and he obeyed Him and the walls collapsed. (Joshua 6:6-20)   The Israelites entered the city and destroyed every living thing within the city (Joshua 6:21) except for Rahab and her family who were in her house. (Joshua 6:22-23)  Rahab’s house, which was built into part of the wall around the city, (Jericho 2:15) was left standing when the walls collapsed. (Joshua 6:22-23)

Application:

In our lives today, everything is not always smooth sailing.  At times we run into obstacles, or road blocks, or mountains too steep for us to climb.  Whatever the problem is that hinders us, it is not a problem for The Lord God.  He is omnipotent, and with Him all things are possible. (Matthew 19:26 and Mark 10:27)   We just need to pray, listen to The Lord, and then obey Him and do what He says for us to do.  If we believe in Him, and have faith in Him, He will take care of our obstacles.  Trust in The Lord, and He will give us something to shout about.

GOD CAN USE MIRACLES TO BLESS US AND FRIGHTEN OUR ENEMIES

Proclamation:

“Now when all the … kings along the coast heard how The Lord had dried up the Jordan before the Israelites until they crossed over, their hearts melted in fear and they no longer had the courage to face the Israelites.”  Joshua 5:1 (NIV)

Explanation:

These are the words of God which were written by Joshua under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  When the priests carrying The Arc of The Covenant stepped into the Jordan River, the water stopped flowing and they walked across on dry ground.  They stopped in the middle of the Jordan and stood on dry ground while all the Israelites walked around them into Canaan. (Joshua 3:17)  After the whole nation of Israel had crossed the Jordan, The Lord God told Joshua to send twelve men back to where the priest were standing and gather twelve stones.  These twelve large stones were carried back on their shoulders and set up, one on top of the other as a monument, where they made camp. (Joshua 4:1-9)  Then Joshua commanded the priest carrying The Arc of The Covenant to out of the Jordan and the waters returned to their place and resumed flowing. (Joshua 4:15-24)  When the people of Canaan heard how The Lord God had dried up the Jordan for the Israelites, they became afraid to face them. (Joshua 5:1)

Application:

The miracles that The Lord God preforms in our lives to make a way out of no way for us, can be the same miracles that strikes fear in the hearts of our enemies.  All we have to do is trust and obey Him, and our blessings will cause our enemies to become afraid.  The very blessing which The Lord God uses to encourage us, He can also use to discourage our enemies.  When we glorify Him and proclaim His goodness to us, we encourage the hearts of other believers, and The Holy Spirit of God can use that to cause non-believers to become upset and worried, or to become convicted, convinced, and converted.

OBEY THE LORD GOD AND HE WILL EXALT YOU

Proclamation:

“And The Lord said to Joshua, ‘Today I will begin to exalt you in the eyes of all Israel, so that they may know that I am with you as I was with Moses.’”  Joshua 3:7 (NIV)

Explanation:

These are the words of God which were written by Joshua under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  After The Lord God had encouraged him, (Joshua 1:7-8) Joshua told the Israelites to get ready because in three days they would cross the Jordan River and enter the promise land. (Joshua 1:11)  The people answered him by saying that would do whatever he says for them to do, and they would go wherever he says for them to go.  They said they would obey him just as they had obeyed Moses. (Joshua 1:16-18)  Then Joshua sent two spies to go scout out the city of Jericho and they went to the house of Rehab. (Joshua 2:1-24)  Then Joshua told the priests to take up the Arc of the Covenant and pass ahead of the people and step into the Jordan River. (Joshua 3:6-8)  When they stepped into the river, the waters stopped flowing. (Joshua 3:13)  Just as Moses had led the Israelites across when The Lord God parted the Red Sea, so Joshua led them across the flooded Jordan River when The Lord stopped the flow of the river and it piled up. (Joshua 3:15-17)

Application:

It is not necessary for one to brag, or to boast, or to puff one’s self up in order to impress people.  When we humble ourselves and follow The Lord God, and do as He says for us to do, then He will exalt us. (Psalm 37:34, Matthew 23:12 and Luke 14:11)  He can work a miracle in our lives and cause the people around us to respect us.  We may not be well known throughout the nation but we will be well respected by those within our sphere of influence.  People who push their way to the front in order to be first, will end up being last in the minds and hearts of the people that they pushed aside and those who saw their behavior.  The Bible says that the first shall be last and the last shall be first. (Matthew 19:30, Mark 9:35, and Luke 13:30)  When we lift Him up, and do His will, He will lift us up. (Psalm 37:34)