Old Testament Wednesday

Scripture of the Day:

Joshua 1:2-9

2 Moses my servant is dead; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, thou, and all this people, unto the ^aland which I do give to them, even to the children of Israel.

3 Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you, as I said unto Moses.

4 From the wilderness and this ^aLebanon even unto the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and unto the great ^bsea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your ^ccoast.

5 There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with ^aMoses, so I will be ^bwith thee: I will not fail thee, nor ^cforsake thee.

6 Be strong and of a good ^acourage: for unto this people shalt thou ^bdivide for an ^cinheritance the ^dland, which I sware unto their fathers to give them.

7 Only be thou strong and very ^acourageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: ^bturn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest ^cprosper whithersoever thou goest.

8 This book of the ^alaw shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt ^bmeditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.

9 Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the ^aLord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.

Historical Background:

After Moses, Joshua was called of the Lord to lead the people of Israel into the promised land. This counsel comes from the Lord to Joshua as he is preparing to lead the people of Israel into a conflict that must appear difficult to overcome. The Lord reminds Joshua of the ways that He has led the people of Israel and guided Moses and promises that Joshua will be led in the same way.

Gospel Principles Outlined:

1) We must have strength and courage as we seek to do the Lord's will.

2) The promises that led and protects those that have gone before remain in full force for us today.

3) The Lord will NEVER fail nor forsake us. Never.

4) Following and trusting the Lord will give us strength and courage.

5) Studying and learning the scriptures will also give us strength and courage.

What I Learned Today:

The Lord knows full well what He has prepared for us and what needs to be done in order for us to be able to accomplish His mission for us. It is, therefore, up to us to have the strength and courage to do the things that will put us in a position to achieve the things we must in this life. One thing that I have noticed throughout the scriptures is the number of times that the Lord specifically comforts those who are trying to follow Him. We really do not need to try to manage our trials alone. We try to all the time. And then we wonder why it is so difficult. Every time we need comfort in our trial, we can go to Him and He will answer us. EVERY TIME. It is great to see that even a great leader such as Joshua needed comfort from the Lord. We all should turn to the Lord to gain strength and courage.

Here are some additional resources on this topic:

"We Want the Best for You" Elder Jeffrey R. Holland

"Never, Never, Never Give Up!" Mary N. Cook

Old Testament Manual

Things I Will Implement:

Fundamentally, this scripture comes down to trusting the Lord. Hang in there when it is tough and you will make in through. I have a lot of concerns going on and I need to trust the Lord more. I need to work harder and more courageously in order to reach the success that he has prepared for me. I will trust. I will work. I will study.