The Lord said to Israel, “I gave you a land you did not labor for, and cities you did not build, though you live in them; you are eating from vineyards and olive groves you did not plant.” (Joshua 24:13)
In the final chapter of this epic book, God recounts from the time of Abraham how he had kept his promise to bring Israel into the Promise Land. Their 400 year-old dream finally came true!
God proved his faithfulness to Israel again and again. We see throughout the book of Joshua that God called, rescued, protected, empowered, and provided for them. He kept his end of the bargain, even when they failed to keep theirs. Our God is in an entirely different league. He is the faithful covenant keeper.
How have you seen God’s faithfulness to you lately? How have you seen him rescue, protect, empower, or provide something for you recently?
Or maybe there’s something happening to you right now that’s causing you to think that God is not really for you anymore. It feels like God has forgotten you or removed his favor and love from you. If that’s the case, look at the unchanging realities for you in Romans 8:31-39:
31 What, then, are we to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us? 32 He did not even spare his own Son but gave him up for us all. How will he not also with him grant us everything? 33 Who can bring an accusation against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies. 34 Who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is the one who died, but even more, has been raised; he also is at the right hand of God and intercedes for us. 35 Who can separate us from the love of Christ? Can affliction or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? … 37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Hold onto the fact that God is faithful. It’s who he is. He can’t stop being faithful. Also hold on to the faithfulness of God’s son, Jesus! Fortunately, God’s love and favor doesn’t depend on our faithfulness, but it depends on Christ’s. Everything Jesus did for you is his guarantee that he will never turn his back on you. If Jesus went through betrayal, humiliation, torture, suffering, and death in order to save you, what makes you think he will stop at anything else?
As Joshua called Israel to choose who they will serve—our Lord Jesus calls us to make the same decision each day. Jesus can be trusted, based on his faithfulness to you. So where can you serve him this week?