A fresh touch

Oct 10, 2007
End of Joshua. When Joshua was an old man he called the children to remember all of God’s orders and their obedience to do all he had commanded. He erected a large stone under the oak tree that was in the holy place of God, saying, “This stone is a witness against us. It has heard every word of promise we have made to worship god and Him only. It is a standing witness against you lest you cheat on your God.” Then Joshua died at 110 years old and was buried at Timnath.


October 15, 2007
Romans 1:3 (Thoughts and quotes from The Message) “The sacred writing contain preliminary reports by the prophets on God’s Son. Through Jesus we received both the generous gift of His life and the urgent task of passing it on to others who receive it by entering into obedient trust in Jesus.”

Thank You Jesus for life. Your life that I have received by faith in You. Even the very faith to trust is a gift from You. May I be obedient to pass this gift on to all You put in my path.

Paul goes on to talk about how he longs to visit Rome and says, “The longer the waiting goes on, the deeper the ache.” Lord, I identify with this ache. The longer I wait for my family to come fully into that wonderful relationship with you, the deeper my ache to see it happen. Keep me faithful to pray and trust, even if I never see it with my own eyes.

Now they have traded the glory of God for cheap worthless trinkets. Oh God, keep the hounds of heaven on their trails. Bring these ones that I love into the lives You have appointed for them. Their faithlessness does not cancel out your faithfulness. Praise the Lord! Your words stand fast and true. Rejection doesn’t faze you. Hallelujah!

V. 23-31. We are utterly incapable of living the glorious life God wills for us. God did it for us! Out of sheer generosity He puts us in right standing with Himself. A pure gift.

He did it by means of Jesus Christ! God sets right all who welcome His action and enter into it. Both those who follow our religion and those who have never heard of our religion.

Lord, give us all a fresh touch from You on and in our lives and heart.

“And Israel had rest from war!”

October 3, 2007
Joshua 9-11

The people of Gibeon tricked the people of Israel and made a covenant with them for their lives. Verse 14 says “the men of Israel looked them over and accepted their evidence” but they didn’t ask God about it!

Oh Lord, how often do I weigh the evidence in my own so-called wisdom and make wrong decisions because I do not ask You about it? Keep my humble and needy before You that I would always seek Your leadership in small and big decisions.

You allowed Israel to keep their promise to these people, but it would have been so much better Your way! Then king after king came to fight against Israel and were defeated every one, because they obeyed Your orders to kill every one. No survivors. Not a breath of life anywhere.

10:15 says “Just as God commanded His servant Moses, so Moses commanded Joshua and Joshua did it. He didn’t leave incomplete one thing that God had commanded Moses.” V. 23 He did everything God had told Moses. Then he parceled it out as an inheritance to Israel according to their tribes. “And Israel had rest from war!”