Unlike the grumbling and discouraging tones against God heard over and over in the books of Numbers and Deuteronomy, God's people - Isreal - begin anew with a vision of a godly nation. They will follow their godly leader.
"The book of Joshua gives a fresh breeze of hope. Writers of hymns and spirituals have often gone back to it to try to recapture the spirit of success that swept over God's people those first few years in the new land. It can work: people can follow God. Joshua shows how."
The Student Bible, New Revised Standard Version, Notes by Philip Yancey and Tim Stafford,Zondervan, 1994, 1996
As our focus as a congregation begins this year to evaluate our ministries, our participation, and ourselves, the book of Joshua, and particularly the closing chapter, speaks to us as God's people to recommit -- to leave behind the grumblings and discouragements of our own past -- personally or congregationally - and move ahead as GOD would have us to do. These lines below are from Dr. Kathryn Schifferdecker at Luther Seminary (hear them in her own voice thru the enterthebible.org web site here -- Covenant Renewal )
"One of the key texts in the book of Joshua. . . 'As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.' It's about a re-commitment of the faith to the God of Isreal. Yes, the Lord is faithful. The Lord has bought you back. Now recommit yourselves to that God and to that faith. And teach it to your children. Live by the covenant that the Lord made with you."
"We need to not rely on the faith of our parents -- of our grandparents. We ourselves in each generation need to renew that covenant -- to recommit ourselves to this faith - and to recommit ourselves to passing it on the the next generation."
What fitting words to consider as we move ahead!
Let us leave behind any grumblings and discouraging words and move ahead in a recommitment to
our faithful covenant with God as St Peter's Church.
Happy New Year to all!
Sunday, Dec 30 - Joshua 8 - 10
Monday, Dec 31 - Joshua 11 - 14
Tuesday, Jan 1 - Joshua 15 - 18
Wednesday, Jan 2 - Joshua 19 - 21
Thursday, Jan 3 - Joshua 22 - 24
Friday, Jan 4 - Judges 1 - 4
Saturday, Jan 5 - Judges 5 - 7
