DAILY MANNA DEVOTIONAL WEDNESDAY, MARCH 28, 2018 CLEANSING BEFORE OCCUPATION TEXT: JOSHUA 10:28-37

DAILY MANNA DEVOTIONAL

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 28, 2018

CLEANSING BEFORE OCCUPATION

TEXT: JOSHUA 10:28-37

Key Verse: “And the LORD delivered it also, and the king thereof, into the hand of Israel; and he smote it with the edge of the sword, and all the souls that were therein; he let none remain in it; but did unto the king thereof as he did unto the king of Jericho” (Joshua 10:30)_

Israelites’ conquest of the Southern region of the land of Palestine may be a moving account but really, it was God at work: cleansing the land of evil. God would not allow His people to inherit the pollution of those they would displace. So, these heathen nations had to be judged for their wickedness and

immorality “…because of these abominations the LORD doth drive them out from before thee” (Deuteronomy 18:12).

Today’s passage therefore was more than the story of a conquest, but also a promise fulfilled concerning the Lord’s preparation for His people and an object lesson that God’s desire is to have a cleansed people and an equally cleansed environment. When our Lord Jesus entered the temple and saw the abomination of buying and selling there, He did not hesitate to purge it by casting out those responsible.

With the prevalence of evil in the world, the judgement of God hangs over it with very little time left for the fall of the sword of justice. The Lord said “…I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogance of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible” (Isaiah 13:11)

A localized judgment was experienced in the days of Joshua but a worldwide one will occur when the Lord returns in full-blown judgment. The way of escape is to make peace with God through confession of sin, forsaking them and accepting Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour. Only the ones who judges himself ahead of God's judgement by renouncing his sins, asking for forgiveness and receiving Christ, will no longer be judged “for if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged” (1 Corinthians 11:31).

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: Yield to God before He yields to justice.
COVER to COVER: JOSHUA 19-21.

PONDER:
1. The Christian battle is spiritual, against evil habits, demonic activities, wiles of Satan etc.
2. 5 countries are mentioned in the text. Notice that the strategies and the ease of winning them are different.
3. He "took" Makkedah v28, "fought against Libnah" v29, "encamped against" Lachish for 2 days v31,32, "encamped against" Eglon for a day v34,35.
4. Though methods differ, the end result was the same: "he utterly destroyed" them.
5. Though battle differs, there must be complete total victory before resting 2 Corithians 2:14, I John 4:4, 5:4

HYMN: In the warfare that is raging

1. In the warfare that is raging
For the truth and for the right,
When the conflict, fierce, is raging
With the powers of the night,
God needs people brave and true:
May He then depend on you?

Refrain:
May the Lord depend on you?
Loyalty is but His due;
Say, O spirit, brave and true,
That He may depend on you.

2 See, they come on sable pinions,
Come in strong, Satanic might,—
Powers come, and dark dominions,
From the regions of the night;
God requires the brave and true:
May He then depend on you? [Refrain]

3 From His throne the Father sees us;
Angels help us to prevail;
And our leader true is Jesus,
And we shall not, cannot fail:
Triumph crowns the brave and true,—
May the Lord depend on you? [Refrain]

PRAYER POINTS:
1. Lord, give me the spirit, courage and faith of a warrior.
2. Ask God for total victory over any habit or forces retarding your progress.
3. Lord, give me grace to "fight to finish" at the retreat.
4. Lord Jesus, visit each participant at the retreat and fight his/her battle for him/her.