Devotional
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Daily Readings: Joshua 20 and Psalm 20 While God had given ancient Israel’s justice system a profound set of principles to guide it, there was no “police force” set up to administer the system. The people themselves administered the system. God recognised that when someone dies, emotions are running so high that an injustice might…
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Daily Readings: Joshua 19 and Psalm 19. After leading the people of God in so many victories, and patiently administering the allocation of land, Joshua had left someone out. Himself. In v.49-50 we read, “When they had finished dividing the land into its allotted portions, the Israelites gave Joshua son of Nun an inheritance among…
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Daily Readings: Joshua 18 and Psalm 18 In Psalm 18 David seems to be recounting a fierce battle in which he nearly died. If we were to take God out of the picture of the psalm, all that would be left is a sudden ambush in a dangerous place, a blood-stained battle-field, a sudden fierce…
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Daily Readings: Joshua 17 and Psalm 17 In Psalm 17:7-8 the psalmist prays, “Show me the wonders of Your great love, You who save by Your right hand those who take refuge in You from their foes. Keep me as the apple of Your eye, hide me in the shadow of Your wings.” It is…
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Daily Readings: Joshua 16 and Psalm 16 Daily readings listing territory given to various tribes thousands of years ago can feel a bit pointless and irrelevant to our lives today, but notice the beautiful words of Psalm 16:5-6, “Lord, You alone are my portion and my cup; You make my lot secure. The boundary lines…
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Daily Readings: Joshua 15 and Psalm 15. In Joshua 15:19, Caleb’s daughter said to him: “‘Do me a special favour. Since you have given me land in the Negev, give me also springs of water.’ So Caleb gave her the upper and lower springs.” It strikes me that if she hadn’t asked she might never…
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Daily Readings: Joshua 14 and Psalm 14 The 85-year-old Caleb declared to his commander and friend, Joshua: “‘You yourself heard then that the Anakites were there and their cities were large and fortified, but, the Lord helping me, I will drive them out just as He said.’” (Joshua 14:12) Neither age, nor any other factor, can ever…
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Daily Readings: Joshua 13 and Psalm 13 When every other tribe was being assigned land, the Levites had none apportioned to them. Why not? They were to be unencumbered by land and farming in order to serve the Lord in His tabernacle. For their material support they were entitled to a portion of the offerings…
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Daily Readings: Joshua 12 and Psalm 12 One reason we don’t get all that excited reading this list of conquered kings is that we weren’t involved in the conquest. This is a list of the famous victories God won (against all the odds) on behalf of the Israelite under Joshua’s leadership. It was recorded to…
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Daily Readings: Joshua 11 and Psalm 11 Joshua and the Israelites had just completed an exhausting campaign, having come under attack from five kings and having defeated them with the Lord’s powerful intervention (Joshua 10). Now, no sooner are they back in camp again than the next alliance of kings rise up to war against…