TODAY’S SCRIPTURE
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. Joshua 1:5
Read: Joshua 1:1-9
Listen: Joshua 1
TODAY’S MESSAGE
Joshua and the Israelites stand at the edge of the Promised Land. Years ago, God promised their forefather Abraham that he would give this land to his descendants (Genesis 12:7). After hundreds of years of bondage in Egypt, God called Moses to lead the Israelites into freedom. In one epic scene after another, Moses confronts Pharaoh, and God sends ten plagues and defeats Egypt. Through Moses’s leadership, God parts the Red Sea and brings water from rocks in the desert. Now Moses has died, and God calls Joshua to lead his people. They face strong enemies with large cities and mighty armies. The Israelites have a track record of fear and falling away from God (Numbers 14:3-4). Joshua may have experienced fears as well—fear of being compared to Moses, about being a good leader or of the people rebelling.
God steps into this space to remind Joshua he need not fear because God is with him. God tells Joshua that by meditating on God’s instructions, he will remain on the right path (Joshua 1:7-8). God takes the pressure off Joshua by reminding him that this is God’s work and doesn’t depend on Joshua alone.
This week, we’ll unpack these same reminders to help us navigate our fears. We can experience God’s peace and joy during situations that may cause us to fear. Through God’s power, we can rest in his presence, stay on his right path and experience relief from the pressures knowing God is at work in our lives and the world around us.
IN YOUR CHAIR TIME TODAY
Reflect on your fear or one of the other emotions on the Navigating Emotions tool. Name the emotion and what is causing it. Then ask God to give you an extra measure of one of the fruits of his Spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control) today.
2022 BIBLE MEMORY PRACTICE
Develop spiritual roots and tap in the power of God’s word by memorizing monthly a Bible verse! View previous verses at beyondtheweekend.org/biblememorypractice.
JAMES 1:19–20
My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.
