Several years passed from the time Abraham was told to leave his homeland until his descendants crossed over the Jordan River to take possession of the land. Abraham believed that God was going to give the land to his descendants and he never doubted God’s promise. Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses and Joshua were given the same promise that God was going to give them the land,(Genesis 17:19; Genesis 26:1-5; Genesis 35:12-15; Exodus 6:1-8; Joshua 1:1-9, 13; etc.).
It became clear to everyone who received the promise that they could not possess the Promised Land without God’s help. Possession of the promise was dependent upon God’s ability to give them the land. In conjunction with the Promised Land, every blessing that they would receive depended on their identity as God’s people.
God had identified them as His Own special people.
They were His holy people. All of their blessing, covering and protection depended upon that relationship with God.
Deuteronomy 28:9-10 “If you keep His commands and walk in His ways, the Lord will establish you as His holy people as He swore He would do. All the nations of the world will see that you are a people claimed by Lord, and they will fear you.”
For many decades, God’s chosen people talked about what God was going to do for them.
Talking about God’s promises is a large part of our faith. God’s promises show us what He has planned to do for us. These promises give us hope and a goal. Every time God renewed the promises, He said this is what I am going to do for you. God swore by Himself that He would fulfill the words that came out of His mouth, (Genesis 22:16; Isaiah 62:8; Hebrews 6:13-14). God said He would never go back on His word.
Isaiah 14:24 NKJV The Lord of hosts has sworn, saying, “Surely, as I have thought, so it shall come to pass, And as I have purposed, so it shall stand.”
We base our walk of faith on the integrity of God’s word. God’s faithfulness to His promise is absolutely necessary in our walk of faith. You need to know that God will do exactly what He said He would do.
We don’t want to just talk about what God is going to do for us… We want to talk about what God has done.
When Joshua was about to die, he reminded the people of God’s faithfulness.
Joshua 23:14 NKJV “Behold, this day I am going the way of all the earth. And you know in all your hearts and in all your souls that not one thing has failed of all the good things which the Lord your God spoke concerning you. All have come to pass for you; not one word of them has failed.
That is a good word. God has always done what He said He would do.
Many years later, Solomon was looking back at what the Lord had done for His people.
1 Kings 8:56 NKJV “Blessed be the Lord, who has given rest to His people Israel, according to all that He promised. There has not failed one word of all His good promise, which He promised through His servant Moses.”
It is important for us to look back and carefully observe how God has kept His word and fulfilled His promises.
Israel had a great record of what God had done for them.
- He brought them out of Egypt and took them across the Red Sea.
- He fed them and kept them throughout the wilderness wanderings.
- He brought them into the Promised Land and gave them victory over all their enemies.
We should take a look at the many things that God has done for us.
Our history is not much different from the Biblical accounts.
- God has kept us safe through the flood, fire, wind and waves.
- He has supplied blessing upon blessing.
- He has saved and delivered us from our enemies.
- He has been our shelter and support.
When God’s people began considering what He had done for them, they knew they could not go into their future unless God went with them.
Their success was a result of their being identified as the people of God. They knew that they could not go into their future and receive the promise unless God was with them.
Exodus 33:15-16 NKJV Then he said to Him, “If Your Presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here. For how then will it be known that Your people and I have found grace in Your sight, except You go with us? So we shall be separate, Your people and I, from all the people who are upon the face of the earth.”
This is not just the message of their continuance into the Promised Land. This is the reality for all of God’s people.
- David could defeat the lion, bear, and Goliath if God was with him.
- Elisha knew he could face all of the horses, chariots and great armies of their enemies because the Lord of Hosts was with him.
- Romans 8:31 says it clearly, “If God is for us, who can be against us?”
We all have a testimony of God’s help in the times of our need.
- Has He saved you from destruction?
- Has He healed your sick body?
- Has He supplied your need?
- Has He helped you through disaster?
- Has He fought against your enemy?
- Has He given you strength to enable you to stand?
- Has He kept you throughout your days?
We don’t want to just talk about what God is going to do for us… We don’t want to just talk about what God has done.
We want to talk about what God is doing for us… we are standing in His promises.
We need to take note of the Lord’s help in the midst of our situations and distractions.
Psalm 124:1-5 NKJV “If it had not been the Lord who was on our side,” Let Israel now say— If it had not been the Lord who was on our side, When men rose up against us, Then they would have swallowed us alive, When their wrath was kindled against us; Then the waters would have overwhelmed us, The stream would have gone over our soul; Then the swollen waters Would have gone over our soul.”
Psalm 124:8 NKJV Our help is in the name of the Lord, Who made heaven and earth.
The Psalmist knew what it was to identify God’s help while His people were going through trouble.
Psalm 46:1 NKJV God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble.
We need to see what Jesus is doing in our lives right now.
I am not talking about what He is bringing us into, that is our future.
I am talking about what He is doing right now.
Right now, He is a present help. He is a present help when the storm is raging all around us. He is our strength and help in the midst of our troubles. Right now He is giving His healing and restoration. He is an ever-present help.
Sometimes we act like the Lord’s disciples in the storm.
Jesus told them to get in the boat and cross over to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, (Mark 4:35-41; Matthew 8:23-27; Luke 8:22-25).
Jesus was with them in the boat and they were identified as His disciples. They were with Jesus and doing what He told them to do. After they got in the boat and launched out, a great windstorm came down on the lake and they were in jeopardy.
When the windstorms come and the waves begin to beat on our little boat, we need to know that Jesus is with us.
You need to know that Jesus is with you and that you are doing what He wants you to do. When they saw the storm and the waves, they became fearful and awoke Jesus and said, “Lord, Master, we are perishing!”
Do you think that the Jesus who feeds the thousands and heals all of their sick and casts out demons is different in your storms?
We look back at the miracles in our past and rejoice in what God has done. We need to know that He is the same today as He was yesterday. We even look at the multitude of God’s promises for tomorrow and say, “God is faithful and He will do what He said.” We need to know that His promises for the future are no different right now.
Hebrews 13:5-6 NKJV For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” So we may boldly say: “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear.”
Joshua was the new leader of Israel.
Moses had died and now Joshua was leading God’s people into the Promised Land.
Joshua had a history of God’s faithfulness. He had walked under the shadow of God’s presence for over forty years. All of that time God had been faithful.
Joshua 1:2-3 NKJV “Moses My servant is dead. Now therefore, arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them—the children of Israel. Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given you, as I said to Moses.
Joshua 1:5-6 NKJV No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you. Be strong and of good courage, for to this people you shall divide as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give them.
You need to be identified with the ever-present Christ. He has said, “Do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go,” (Joshua 1:9).
Joshua could look back and say, “Lord, you kept me in the wilderness.”
- You fed me when there was no food.
- You gave me water when their was no spring.
- You sheltered me through the cold and the heat.
- You have been faithful.
- Lord, You surrounded me with your goodness.
- Now, I am standing in Your Promise.
You need to know that the Lord does not change when you are standing in the Promised Land.
The Lord told Joshua, “I am going to go with you and I will bless you and give you this land.”
What does that mean?
All of Joshua’s days were filled with facing one enemy and challenge after another. The victory at Jericho marked the beginning of possession of God’s Promised Land. After Jericho, God gave them victory over Ai. Then God made the sun stand still until the Amorites were defeated. God continued to give him the Land of Promise one victory after another.
All some people see is the battle and conflict.
God kept telling Joshua, “Do not be afraid, nor be dismayed; be strong and of good courage, for this is what the Lord is going to do to all the enemies you are going to fight,” (Joshua 10:25).
- You need to see what God is doing.
- You are surrounded by His goodness.
- He is giving you His Promise.
- He is so faithful.
- He has been healing you and giving you strength.
- He has covered you and kept you through all of your tests and trials.
- He is faithful.
