Author: tanahmerah

God Loves to Do the Impossible

Gideon, Israel’s fifth judge, receives
God’s call while hiding in a wine-
press secretly threshing wheat.
Midian’s oppression is indeed
severe and Gideon is God’s man
to lead the people in throwing
off that yoke of bondage – a task
that Gideon is not keen to accept!
But once convinced of his calling
through two miraculous signs,
Gideon leads a humble army of 300
men, equipped only with torches
and trumpets, in a stunning victory
against the mighty Midianite forces.
Israel’s weapons and rather unusual
battle plan leave no room for doubt:
The victory is the Lord’s.

Lord, You Love Impossible Odds:
The Lord said to Gideon: You
have too many warriors with you.
If I let you fight the Midianites,
the Israelites will boast to me
that they saved themselves by
their own strength. Therefore,
tell the people: Whoever is timid
or afraid may leave and go home.
22,000 of them went home,
leaving only 10,000 who were
willing to fight (Jdgs 7:2-3).
But the Lord told Gideon:
There are still too many!
Bring them down to the spring
and I will sort out who will go
with you and who will not (v4).
Then the Lord said: By the 300 men
who lapped I will save you & deliver
the Midianites into your hand (v7).

Lord, when we face overwhelming
circumstances, it is a perfect
position for You God to intervene.
For it is in those times that we
like Gideon can learn to trust You.
Many times we have felt there was
no way out in the circumstance;
only to discover later that You Lord
was actually making a way for us.
In Jesus’ mighty name, Amen.

Lord, facing overwhelming odds
can be frightening as Gideon felt.
You God understood his fear but
didn’t excuse Gideon from his task.
Instead You led Gideon to slip into
the enemy camp and overhear a
chat that would give him courage.
You God indeed can give us the
strength we need for any situation.
Help us Lord to listen to You and
be ready to take the first step;
for after we begin to obey will we
find the courage to move on. Amen.

Lord, Your Word alone is sufficient
Promise of the ultimate victory.
We just need to simply trust You
and carry out Your instructions.
Thank You for being our warrior.
Thank You, when I am in a battle,
You’ll shine in midst of that battle.
Thank You for giving us victory
when it seems just impossible.
In Jesus’ mighty name, Amen.

The Lord of Peace Is With Us

Gideon, Israel’s fifth judge, receives
God’s call while hiding in winepress.
Midian’s oppression is indeed severe
and Gideon is God’s man to lead
the people in throwing off that
yoke of bondage – an assignment
Gideon is not keen to accept!
But once convinced of his calling
thru two miraculous signs, Gideon
leads a humble army of 300 men,
equipped only with pitches, torches
and trumpets, in a stunning victory
against the mighty Midianite forces!
Israel’s unconventional weapons and
unusual battle plan leave no room
for doubt: The victory is the Lord’s!

Lord, we Claim Your Presence:
When the angel of the LORD
appeared to Gideon, he said: The
LORD Is With you, mighty warrior.
But sir, Gideon replied, if the LORD
is with us,why has all this happened
to us? Where are all his wonders
that our fathers told us?… But now
the LORD has abandoned us and
put us into the hands of Midian.
The LORD turned to him and said:
Go in the Strength you Have and
Save Israel out of Midian’s hand.
Am I not sending you?… I Will Be
With you, and you will strike down
all the Midianites (Jdgs 6:12-16).
Then the angel of the Lord touched
the meat and bread with the staff,
and fire flamed up from the rock
and consumed all he had brought.
Gideon then said: Sovereign Lord,
I have seen the angel of the Lord
face to face! Then the Lord said:
Peace be with you; do not fear…
So, Gideon built an altar there to the
Lord and named it The Lord Is Peace
Jehovah Shalom (Jdgs 6:21-24).

Lord, Gideon was well aware of
his own inadequacy. But when he
told the Lord that he wasn’t up
to the job, the angel didn’t try to
assure Gideon he was adequate.
Instead of pumping up Gideon’s
self confidence, he infused Gideon
with the confidence from God.
Lord, we agree that You are with
us and that victory does not lie in
our own adequacy or abilities, but
in Your presence & power. Amen.

Lord, our perceptions tend not
to judge You well as it should.
Like Gideon, we tend to focus
on what God hadn’t done; that
He hadn’t delivered His people yet.
We note Your reply to Gideon:
to go with the strength he has.
Lord, thank You for all that You
have done; and help me now
focus only on what You have
said You will do. Amen and amen.

Lord Jehovah Shalom, I speak
shalom into my body and health.
I speak shalom into my mind,
my thoughts and my heart.
Let there be shalom in my plans,
in my future and in my relationships.
Lord, reveal to me the choices
I need to make to enter into an
even greater level of Your Peace.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

Compromises Result In Failure

By faithfully obeying the Lord,
Joshua led the Israelites to military
victory. After his death, the tribes
failed to clear the inhabitants from
the land, so the Lord withdrew His
promise to help drive people out
and bless the Israelites in battle.
The new generation abandoned
God and worshiped idols.

Lord, we learnt from the early part
of Judges that the Israelites had
compromised Your command to
drive out the inhabitants of the land
And incomplete removal of evil
often means disaster in the end.
We learnt that we must beware
compromising with wickedness.
Help us Lord even as we purpose
Not Compromise in Trusting You;
Not Compromise in Knowing You &
Not Compromise in Obeying You.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

Lord, we will Trust & Obey You:
The Lord was with Judah and they
took possession of the hill country.
But they failed to drive out the
people living in the plains because
the people there had iron chariots.
Hebron was given to Caleb and he
drove out the people living there,
who were descendants of Anak.
But the tribe of Benjamin failed
to drive out the Jebusites living
in Jerusalem. The tribe of Ephraim
also failed to drive out Canaanites
living in Gezer (Jdgs 1:19-29).
Lord, we note Judah failed to drive
out the people in the plain because
their courage and faith failed when
they saw the iron chariots. Help
us fully trust and obey you; not
to compromise but instead follow
thro to complete the job. Amen.

Lord, we will Get to Know You:
Now Joshua, the servant of the
Lord died. Another generation
arise who did not know the Lord
nor the work which He had done
for Israel. Then the children of
Israel did evil & served the Baals.
And the Lord delivered them to
plunderers…Nevertheless the Lord
raised up judges who delivered
them. But when the judge is
dead, they reverted and behaved
more corruptly (Jdgs 2:8-19).
Lord, we don’t want to fall away
in laziness, temptation and sin.
Help us not to neglect spending
regular time with You each day.
Help us to Know You better and
become more & more like You.
And let us experience You. Amen.

Lord, we’ll Obey Your Commands:
These people were left to test the
Israelites – to see whether they
would obey the commands the
Lord had given… So Israel lived
among the Canaanites, Hittites,
Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and
Jebusites, and they intermarried
with them…. And the Israelites
worshiped their gods (Jdgs3:4-6)
Lord, You allowed pagans in the
land to test your people whether
they will obey your commands.
We will not bond with heathens
and we will advise our children to
heed Your warning that marriage
between believers & unbelievers
create countless problems. Amen.

The Living God Is In Control

The Jews are poised within view of
the land promised to their ancestors
& denied their unbelieving parents.
The task seems impossible:
a turbulent river; rough terrain to
cross and walled cities to conquer.
So God begins to prepare His people
for the days of warfare just ahead.
He reminds Joshua that careful
attention to His Word brings
blessing and success. Spies are
sent to survey Jericho, the first
obstacle in the land. The priests
bearing the ark of covenant lead the
pple across the rampaging Jordan.

Praise be Supreme God In Control:
Rahab: We have heard how the
Lord made a dry path for you
through the Red Sea. And we
know what you did to the two
Amorite kings east of the Jordan
River, whose people you completely
destroyed… For the Lord your God is
supreme God in heaven(Jos 2:10-11)
So Joshua said to the children of
Israel: This is how you will know
that the Living God… is among you
and that He will certainly drive out
the Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites…
Amorites and the Jebusites.
Behold, the ark of the covenant
of the Lord is crossing before
you into the Jordan (Jos 3:10-11).
As soon as the priests who carry
the ark of the Lord, the Lord of
All The Earth set foot in the Jordan,
its waters flowing downstream
will be cut off and stand up
in a heap (Joshua 3:13).

Lord God Almighty, You sit
on the throne in heaven above.
You are truly ruler over all; and
Power and might are in Your hand.
You God alone can go before us
to open doors we could not open
on our own, and lead in a path we
could not have created on our own.
Be gracious Lord towards us as we
lift up our eyes & look to You. Amen

O Living God, we praise You
for Your powerful life-giving name.
Thank You for being active and
engaged in our everyday life.
You are not a God who is distant
and not keen in what happens to us.
Just as You helped the Israelites,
You Lord are alive and moving in
the situations of our lives as well.
Grateful for Your loving care. Amen

Lord of All The Earth, we praise
& exalt You Lord for Your ability to
subdue all that’s in Your creation.
You are the great and awesome
God who still does mighty
acts on behalf of Your people.
It is so comforting to know that
nothing is too difficult for You or
removed from Your control. And
in You we can find peace. Amen.

Hearing God thru His Word

The purpose of the book of Joshua
is to give the history of Israel’s
conquest of the promised land.
The first half of the book (chap 1-12)
recounts three military campaigns
spanning seven years, in which
Joshua meets and defeats
more than 30 enemy armies.
The second half (chapters 13-24)
relates the settlement of Canaan,
the fulfillment of God’s age-old
promise to Abraham.

On Monday, we learn from Josh 1
to Be Strong and Courageous.
On Tuesday, we learn fr Josh 2/3
that the Living God Is In Control.
On Wed, we learn from Josh 4
to Remember God’s Deeds.
On Thu, we learn from Joshua 6
that Obeying God Brings Success.
On Friday, we learn from Josh 13/21
that God Keeps His Promises.
On Sat, we learn from Joshua 24
that God Is For & Backs His People.

Let us humble ourselves and pray
and seek His face. Help us O God
be Christ’s disciples who Hear You:
For You as Living God Is In Control
& we will Remember Your Deeds;
For You Urge us to be Courageous
and Obeying You Brings Success;
For You God Keep Your Promises
and that You’ll Back Your People.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

God For & Backs His People

After being commended for their
faithful service in conquering the
land of Canaan, the warriors of the
tribes east of Jordan are sent home.
They recognise the Jordan River
(which forms a natural barrier
between the tribes) may one day
form a spiritual barrier as well.
To prevent this, a memorial altar
is built on the riverbank. The book
closes with Joshua’s farewell
address where he gives the people
an ultimatum. Choose You this day
whom you will serve… as for me and
my house, we will serve the Lord.

Lord, we’ll choose to Serve You:
And Joshua said to all the people:
Thus says the Lord God of Israel:
…I took your father Abraham
from the other side of the River,
led him thru Canaan & multiplied
his descendants (Joshua 24:2-3).
And I brought you into the land of
the Amorites on the other side of
Jordan, and they fought with you.
But I gave them into your hands, that
you might possessed their land (v8).
(Joshua said): So honour the Lord
and serve Him wholeheartedly.
Put away forever the idols
your ancestors worshipped…
Serve the Lord alone. But if you
are unwilling to serve the Lord,
then choose today whom you
will serve…But As For Me and
my family, we will serve the Lord.
The people replied: We would
never forsake the Lord & worship
other gods (Joshua 24:14-16).

Lord, we remember the times that
You guided, helped and backed us.
Just as Joshua pointed the way
to You God, each of us also has
the same opportunity to do so.
Thank You Lord for allowing us
to join You at work at various
ministries, including small groups.
Pray that those who look to us
for leadership will be drawn to You.
Lead them to choose to serve You
Lord only and no other. Amen.

Holy Lord, thank You for allowing
us into Your presence thru Christ.
You dwell in holy place, yet You
also dwell with those who are
contrite and of a humble heart.
Make my heart like Yours even as
I strive to be more reflective of You.
Speak to me before I think of wrong
thoughts or make wrong choices.
Enable me Lord to live humbly
and purpose to serve You. Amen.

Lord, let me not be useless, but
purpose to be Your faithful servant.
I hand over to Your care Lord my
prayers & yet to be fulfilled hopes.
I give my mind for You to think in me;
& I give my eyes to see as You see.
I give my tongue to speak Yr words;
and I give my hands to do Your work.
Above all I give You my heart that
You Lord will love thru me. Amen.

God Keeps His Promises

Israel under Joshua leadership
has already conquered Canaan by
destroying key cities & their kings;
yet there remain much land to be
possessed. To complete the task,
Joshua assigns territories to each
individual tribe with instructions
to clear out the remaining pagan
influence and possess the land
completely. And God helped
them to do so as promised.

Lord, thanks for Keeping Promises:
When Joshua was an old man,
the Lord said to him: Much land
remains to be conquered…
All the regions of the Philistines
and the Geshurites. Northward
includes the territory of the
five Philistine rulers of Gaza…
all the land of the Canaanites…
and the Lebanon area to the east.
I myself will drive these people
out of the land… So be sure
to give this land to Israel as a
special possession (Jos 13:1-6).
The Lord gave to Israel all the land
of which He had promised to give
to their fathers, and they took
possession of it… And not a man
of all their enemies stood against
them; the Lord delivered all
their enemies into their hand.
Not a word failed of any good
thing which the Lord had spoken
to the house of Israel. All came
to pass (Josh 21:43-45). Amen.

Lord, just as the Israelites, we
still face the trials and fight the
battles of unconquered land.
Reveal the promised land You
have given us to conquer which
can include undone good works,
unmet needs as well as
unused talents and resources.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

Lord, I realise I could cling to Your
promise for years and then made
a momentary decision that could
forfeit everything like Moses did.
Help me be like Joshua believing
God does not withdraw promises.
For You mean what you say and
will do all that You have promised.
Give me Lord the faith to believe
You will fulfill everything that You
have ever spoken to me. Amen.

Lord, our hearts tend to become
so fixated with the here and now.
Lift our eyes to our promised
land and promised inheritance.
Fill our hearts with anticipation
of all we stand to inherit when
we enter into Your Holy Land.
And Lord, let the fulfilment of the
promise in Josh 21:43 be repeated
these days; for What for What A
Faithful God Have I; for every good
Word of Yours is: Yes and Amen!!

Obeying God Brings Success

Joshua employs a textbook
strategy for military victory:
Divide and conquer. He attacks
the middle of the country first,
dividing the enemy forces in half,
before mopping up resistance
among the isolated troops in the
south and north. His stunning
victory at Jericho shows the
importance of following God’s
direction down to the smallest
detail, no matter how trivial
they seem to be, proving
Obedience Brings Victory.

Lord, we’ll Obey Your Instructions:
The Lord said to Joshua:
I have given You Jericho, its
king and all its strong warriors.
Your entire army is to march around
the city once a day for six days.
Seven priests will walk ahead of
the Ark each carrying a ram’s horn.
On the seventh day you are to
march around the city seven times,
with the priests blowing the horns.
When you hear the priests give
one long blast on the horns, have
all the people give a mighty shout.
Then the walls of the city will
collapse & the people can charge
straight into the city (Josh 6:2-5).
Now Joshua had commanded the
people saying: You shall not shout
or make any noise until I say to you
Shout! Then you shall shout (v10).
When the people heard the sound
of the trumpet, and the people
shouted with a great shout, that
the wall fell down flat. Then the
people went up into the city…
and they took the city (v20).

Lord, when You told Joshua:
“I Have Given You Jericho”; it
indicated that it was a done deal.
It’s Finished work; just waiting for
the people’s obedience to bring
that promise to their experience.
It was by faith the people of Israel
marched around Jericho for 7 days,
and the walls came crashing down.
Lord grant us the faith to obey Your
instructions to match around our
Jericho to see the walls fall. Amen.

Lord, according to scripture, when
Your promise comes into contact
with our faith-filled obedience,
walls fall and obstacles disappear.
For the only way our Jericho will
stand is if we believe our limited
perception instead of God’s Word.
Grant us the grace to simply trust
God’s Word & not miss opportunity
to see Your power in action. Amen.

Lord, help us to remember that
when You God calls us to battle,
You have already won the victory.
Teach us O Lord to walk by faith
and not by sight. We choose to
believe You rather than our own
perceptions and interpretations.
And we receive by faith Your
given victory in our situation.
In Jesus’ mighty name, Amen.

Remembering God’s Deeds Builds Faith 

Joshua is appointed by God to take
the reins of leadership. The people
are poised within view of the land
 promised to their ancestors and
denied their unbelieving parents.
The task seems impossible: a
turbulent river and mighty walled
cities. So God prepares His people
by reminding Joshua that attention
to His word brings success.
Spies are sent to survey Jericho,
the first obstacle in the land.
The priests,bearing the ark of the
 covenant, lead the people across
the rampaging Jordan without
even getting their sandals wet!
The stage is set for conquest.

Lord, we Remember Your Deeds:
Joshua said to the Israelites:
In the future your children will ask
What do these stones mean?
Then you can tell them: This is
where the Israelites crossed
the Jordan on dry ground.
For the Lord your God dried up the
river right before your eyes, and He
kept it dry until you were all across,
just as he did at the Red Sea…
He did this so all the nations of the
earth might know the Lord’s hand
is powerful and so you might fear
the Lord your God (Josh 4:21-24).

Lord, Your Word is full of reminders
to Your pple of Your mighty deeds.
In today’s verses, Joshua tells the
story Israelites to build an altar which they
could return to when they needed
a reminder of what God had done.
Thanks for showing us Your mighty
power thru healing and deliverance yr
Thanks Jesus for the saving work
on the cross & the reminder of the
Lord’s Supper of Your love. Amen.

Lord, You’re calling us to remember
because looking at what You had
done in the past builds our faith
for the present and the future.
You are promising that the same
power You had demonstrated in
the past is available in the present.
So, we will remember Your deeds
of grace and lovingkindness. Amen.

Lord, Help us build altar of memory
stones for they will create in us a
alertness to Your hand in our lives.
Gear us to be always be on the
lookout for signs of God’s hand
in the circumstances of our lives.
Grant our lives Lord to be an altar
as well as a tangible expression
of Your power and provision.
In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

The Living God Is In Control

The Jews are poised within view of
the land promised to their ancestors
& denied their unbelieving parents.
The task seems impossible:
a turbulent river; rough terrain to
cross and walled cities to conquer.
So God begins to prepare His people
for the days of warfare just ahead.
He reminds Joshua that careful
attention to His Word brings
blessing and success. Spies are
sent to survey Jericho, the first
obstacle in the land. The priests
bearing the ark of covenant lead the
pple across the rampaging Jordan.

Praise be Supreme God In Control:
Rahab: We have heard how the
Lord made a dry path for you
through the Red Sea. And we
know what you did to the two
Amorite kings east of the Jordan
River, whose people you completely
destroyed… For the Lord your God is
supreme God in heaven(Jos 2:10-11)
So Joshua said to the children of
Israel: This is how you will know
that the Living God… is among you
and that He will certainly drive out
the Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites…
Amorites and the Jebusites.
Behold, the ark of the covenant
of the Lord is crossing before
you into the Jordan (Jos 3:10-11).
As soon as the priests who carry
the ark of the Lord, the Lord of
All The Earth set foot in the Jordan,
its waters flowing downstream
will be cut off and stand up
in a heap (Joshua 3:13).

Lord God Almighty, You sit
on the throne in heaven above.
You are truly ruler over all; and
Power and might are in Your hand.
You God alone can go before us
to open doors we could not open
on our own, and lead in a path we
could not have created on our own.
Be gracious Lord towards us as we
lift up our eyes & look to You. Amen

O Living God, we praise You
for Your powerful life-giving name.
Thank You for being active and
engaged in our everyday life.
You are not a God who is distant
and not keen in what happens to us.
Just as You helped the Israelites,
You Lord are alive and moving in
the situations of our lives as well.
Grateful for Your loving care. Amen

Lord of All The Earth, we praise
& exalt You Lord for Your ability to
subdue all that’s in Your creation.
You are the great and awesome
God who still does mighty
acts on behalf of Your people.
It is so comforting to know that
nothing is too difficult for You or
removed from Your control. And
in You we can find peace. Amen.