A Devotional Verse From Joshua

 Be ye therefore very courageous to keep and to do all that is written in the book of the law of Moses, that you turn not aside therefrom to the right hand or to the left;     Joshua 23:6

This verse from Joshua indicates an interesting thing true in Joshua’s day as it is in ours; it takes courage to follow the word of God. It takes a courageous heart of faith to follow and promote the teaching of the Word of God.

While it is evident that the moral and spiritual lifestyle advocated by the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, if followed by everyone in the world would re-create human society and solve the majority of problems created by human sin, society at large is not open to scriptural guidance. It takes courage to advocate these things because modern day people in many cases do not like what the Bible has to say. They do not like the Bible’s definition of marriage and marital fidelity and fight against it. They do not like the Bible’s expression of an exclusive salvation that comes through faith in Jesus, even though it’s not forced on anyone but offered to them by faith. They do not like the concept that national governments are the servants of God to do what is good and right and to punish evil. They oppose the Bible’s teaching on sexual purity. They oppose the sanctity of the life of pre-born babies, and will go to almost any lengths to allow the termination of the lives of these children (presumably conceived in love). Drunkenness and dishonesty are popular despite the Bible's insistence that they are sin. Take any list of values from the Scriptures and the sinners of this world will reject and fight them.

So to advocate such things in this day and age causes those who believe and preach them to be ridiculed, branded intolerant, ostracized, even persecuted or killed. And yet our challenge is Joshua’s: Be ye therefore very courageous to keep and do all that is written in the book… When we present God’s word we do it in love, we do it in kindness, we do it to help and improve the world situation and make the lives of people in need better, so be very courageous! God’s word will not return unto Him void.