Are you reading the Bible through with me? Grab your pen and journal, and get ready to write your thoughts as you journey through the Bible.
Today read Joshua 4-6. As the older, unfaithful generation died during the wilderness wanderings, they had failed to circumcise the males born during that time. They had let their devotion to God slip away little by little. It started with small things and led up to big things, like not doing what God required…circumcision. It was THE sign of the covenant relationship between Israel and Yahweh. It was what set them apart from everyone else.
Even after the miraculous crossing of the Jordan River at flood stage, there needed to be a renewal of the covenant before they could take possession of the land. When the circumcisions were done, Yahweh’s words to Joshua were, “Today, I have rolled away the disgrace of Egypt from you.” Even after all that God had done for the people during the Exodus from Egypt and in the wilderness, there were still those who tended to look back longingly to Egypt, even to the point of failing to circumcise their sons. Here, God initiated a renewal.
All of us who follow Jesus navigate the treachery of the world, our own flesh and the devil himself daily. For many, the pandemic made it easy for us to stay out of church or let our faithfulness falter. The longer we ignore God, the easier it becomes.
It’s often less demanding to go with the flow than swim against the current. Following God needs to be a full-time commitment, and it is hard to discipline ourselves to follow Jesus’ example. When that happens, and it happens to all of us at one point or another, it is time for a renewal of faith in God and commitment to the One Who purchased us with His own blood.
In your journal, list ways that you have become slack in following the example Jesus set before us, and forgetting to put Him first in your life.
PRAY: Father, strengthen me to keep my gaze on the Lord Jesus and not to long for the things of this world. Help me to not only teach my children and grandchildren to love You because You first loved us, but also to set an example of godliness and contentment. Oh, Lord, may those who follow me find that I have been a faithful servant.
