From Struggle to Triumph: Part 2 || Day 3

Joshua‬ 1:2-11
“Moses My servant is dead. Now therefore, arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them—the children of Israel. Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given you, as I said to Moses. From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the River Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your territory. No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you. Be strong and of good courage, for to this people you shall divide as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go. This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people, saying, “Pass through the camp and command the people, saying, ‘Prepare provisions for yourselves, for within three days you will cross over this Jordan, to go in to possess the land which the Lord your God is giving you to possess.’ ”

In Joshua 1:6 we learned this powerful truth. The struggle to obtain the inheritance of the Lord is over.
Now hear the word of the Lord from Joshua 1:7…
“Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the instructions Moses gave you. Do not deviate from them, turning either to the right or to the left. Then you will be successful in everything you do.”
Church, the struggle to obey the Lord is over.

Today I am declaring and decreeing an impartation of God’s power hitting you right now. That power is colliding with a new heart that wants to obey the Lord in every situation. The Bible says in Ezekiel 36:26, “And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart.”

The children of Israel struggled for 40 years to obey the Lord. While they were in the wilderness God would speak to them and tell them to do something and they would complain, murmur, and disobey the Lord. In return this would bring about pain and all types of destruction. It finally got to the place where God decided that a whole generation had to die in the wilderness.

For years one generation watched while another generation died in front of them. For year one generation had to sit back while another generation rebelled against the Lord. For years one generation had to put up with the complaining and murmuring of another generation. For years one generation had to wait on the poor side of Jordan because of the disobedience of another generation.

And now they sit at the banks of the Jordan River with that whole generation dead. They sit there looking at their promise, desiring to cross over. They sit there wondering what it will be like to not have to struggle any longer. They sit there wondering what it will be like to grow grapes the size of a man’s head.

I believe thoughts ran through their head like, “What if we get over here in the Promised Land and rebel like the generation before?” I believe that they were so sick and tired of struggling that they made an agreement to obey the Lord at all costs. This is how I know this, because they come to Joshua and said, “Whatever you tell us, we will do. We believe the Lord is with you and therefore we will obey every command.”

This is a stark contrast from the generation before them. The generation before them told Moses, “Who do you think you are? We are holy just like you.” The generation before them said, “Let’s choose a leader from among us and go back to Egypt.” The generation before them gathered all their gold together and made a golden calf to worship.

I believe when they made their decision to obey, God put in them a heart to obey. I believe when they made up their mind to follow their leader as he followed the Lord, God gave them a mind to obey. I believe when they came together in unity, God gave them a desire for this unity. I believe when they joined arms together and decided to have each other’s back, the God of Israel came and had their back.