Victory’s Battle Cry—A Study in Joshua, Part 15—A Call to Remember
Fresh mercies must not drown the remembrance of former mercies, nor must the glory of the present instruments of good to the church diminish the just honour of those who went before them, since God is the same who wrought by both. Moses gave to one part of Israel a very rich and fruitful country, but it was on the outside of Jordan. Joshua gave to all Israel the holy land, within Jordan. So the law has given to some few of God’s spiritual Israel worldly blessings, earnests of good things to come; but our Lord Jesus, the true Joshua, provided for all the children of promise spiritual blessings, and the heavenly Canaan. Matthew Henry’s Commentary on Joshua 12-1-6 from (An Exposition of the Old and New Testaments (1708-10), known also as Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible).
Joshua 12 presents us with a listing of those Kingdoms Conquered by Moses and then by Joshua representing the restoration of the lands that had been promised to Abraham. Throughout the scriptures it is chronicled about God’s Mercy, God’s Grace, God’s Sovereignty, God’s Glory and God’s faithfulness. Over and over again, we are able to see God’s victory which He accomplishes through and in spite of Man’s foolishness and weakness.
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Like the Loving Heavenly Father that He is, He shows His mercy over and over again to us. He recognizes our frailty; yet, He so wants us to develop hearts that are able to see Him one day with full understanding that He is the Greatest Treasure, He is Magnificent Glory, He is beauty beyond anything we have ever known, and His is the pureness of love that our hearts are longing for. He is well aware that the only way for us to reach that understanding and lay aside the foolish arrogance, self-absorption, and self-exalting nature of our hearts so that we might see Him is through trials and tribulations which force us to let go of those things that cannot satisfy our souls. Too often we cling to things or aspire to greater “rewards or treasures” on earth; yet, God wants us to keep our eyes focused on Him and eternity.
Along this pilgrimage journey, we are guaranteed to have tribulation, trials, difficulties, and loss; but, that is part of the Glory and the awe of what gives our testimony credibility. It is the very heart of the Gospel of Christ as well. It is the very reason Jesus wept. He is standing with everything that we need for all of eternity wrapped up in His being; yet, we weep and mourn because of perceived losses here on earth. Is there really anything of eternal value that any one of us can lose if we are in Christ and called by Him? Yes there are losses that we may mourn; but, that should not shatter our central core of hope which only comes from God.
Much like Jeremiah there are times that we might say the following words.
Lamentations 3: (GNV) “17 Thus my soul was far off from peace: I forgot prosperity,18 And I said, My strength and my [h]hope is perished from the Lord,19 Remembering mine affliction, and my mourning, the wormwood and the gall.20 My soul hath them in remembrance, and is humbled [i]in me.21 I consider this in mine heart: therefore have I hope.22 It is the Lord’s [j]mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.23 They are renewed [k]every morning: great is thy faithfulness.24 The Lord is my [l]portion, saith my soul: therefore will I hope in him.25 The Lord is good unto them that trust in him, and to the soul that seeketh him.26 It is good both to trust, and to wait for the salvation of the Lord.”
The Keys to fighting for joy and holding fast to Christ during those long dark valleys are:
1. Go back and chronicle all the miracles of your lifetime and all the mercies God has shown you. That is what God urged His people to do.
2. Remember that your entire life on this earth is but a second compared to eternity.
3. Never forget, that there is no price too great to pay for the salvation of one soul. No price too great to change the eternity of one soul.
4. Our redemption was bought with the greatest act of love and grace that could ever occur. That truth should give our hearts a humble desire to be His servant for life; whatever He wants.
5. He is God—the Creator of the Universe with all power, majesty and Glory and He chose to love me—what would I not be willing to sacrifice for Him?
Listen to this poem written by Adelaide A Procter My God I Thank Thee
1599 Geneva Bible (GNV)Geneva Bible, 1599 Edition. Published by Tolle Lege Press. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations in articles, reviews, and broadcasts.
© 2014 Effie Darlene Barba
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