April 7, 2025
Joshua 1:1-9
After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ aide:
“Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River
into the land I am about to give to them—to the Israelites.
I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses.
Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the great river, the Euphrates—
all the Hittite country—to the Mediterranean Sea in the west.
No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life.
As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.
“Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people
to inherit the land I swore to their ancestors to give them.
Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you;
do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go.
Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night,
so that you may be careful to do everything written in it.
Then you will be prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded you?
Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged,
for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”
Lord, what an awesome task before us:
You're telling us
to get ready to be brave and strong,
and to take possession.
What a promise of enlarging our territory
so we can claim more for the kingdom!
You will be with us, and we have no reason to fear.
Your word is buried deep in our hearts
and is always on our lips
so we won't sin against you.
Your encouragement is to read your word day and night
and meditate on your word
while our heads rest on our pillows.
This keeps us encouraged,
even in the most dire of circumstances.
You remind us
that we will accomplish all that you have before us
because you go with us.
May be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might!
May we never stop telling
of all all the beautiful, wonderful things
you, God, have done in our lives
so that we can encourage the next generation.
May we tell someone how you, God,
defeated our enemies,
pulled us out of places
where we didn’t realize you were close.
You have helped us close our mouths
before we said something we would regret.
You have healed our body
because we asked for mercy.
You are the God I will worship all the days of my life.
You are the God who sees me and knows me,
and has given me gifts
so that I may glorify God in the world.
There is no other God
except the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob,
the God of all creation.
And I worship God in the name of Jesus Christ.
Amen.
