Joshua 1-4; Psalm 143; Luke 14

Having appointed Joshua as the leader of Israel in place of Moses, God commands him to "be strong and of good courage." These qualities, essential in life in general and leadership particularly, are drawn from abiding in the Word of God and trusting Him (Joshua 1:7-9).

The story of Rahab the harlot often raises questions. By hiding the Israelite spies, she told a lie to her ruler. Why does God set her as an example in Hebrews 11:31? In reality, God sets her as an example, not for her behavior or life in general, but for her faith. Rahab knew Jehovah was the true God and believed He had given this land to Israel (Joshua 2:9-11).

When leading his people across the Jordan, God does two important things - He elevates Joshua in the eyes of the Israelites, so they know he represents Jehovah (Joshua 3:7; 4:14), and He displays His power so they may know "that the Lord your God is among you, …" (Joshua 3:10).

Commanding the Israelites to set up a memorial to remind them of the crossing of the Jordan, God adds this event to a series of others testifying to His power and love for His people - the exodus from Egypt, provision in the wilderness, forgiveness of their sins. All these they needed to remember so as not to forget God and their dependence on Him (Joshua 4:1-7).

It is this memory that supports David when he falls into trouble - "I remember the days of old; I meditate on all Your works; I muse on the work of Your hands" (Psalm 142:5). That's why it's important to remember what God has done, both in the history of His people in Scripture, in the history of the church and the children of God who lived before us, as well as in our own lives.

Following Christ requires total dedication to Him. It's impossible to be a Christian and not live for Christ (Luke 14:25-27). Jesus speaks about this repeatedly in several parables - those invited to the feast had to leave everything and go (Luke 14:16-24), those building a tower had to carefully consider what it would cost (Luke 14:28-30), a king going to war had to assess the possibilities (Luke 14:31-33). Christianity without living for Christ is like unsalted salt, which is useless (Luke 14:34-35).