Luke 18- Joshua 1-2

Vacation to Cambria, no Internet to post!

Luke 18-
1Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.

I was just listening to Rob Biagi’s song this week about prayer. God answers prayer 3 ways, He says yes, no, or not today. I am so thankful that we’re able to come to God with requests! We don’t have to have an appointment, we can talk to Him anywhere, anytime! This verse is a great reminder for me to not give up on my requests, so I can see the full answer to prayer.

Luke 18: 8 when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?
Wow. We know that Jesus is coming back. Carlynn did a great WBS message on, do we doubt His return? He could come back today! We need to make sure we’re doing the work of God when He returns! We need to be evaluating our time and priorities, seeing where we’re serving, who are we witnessing to?

9To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable:
13"But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, 'God, have mercy on me, a sinner.'
14"I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."

God thank you for this reminder how 1) we’re not to look down on others and compare ourselves and 2) how we’re to be humble, remembering we’re ALL sinners. Lord, help me as I struggle with this sometimes, I am a sinner, we’re all the same.

16But Jesus called the children to him and said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. 17I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it."

Thank you for the blessing of my children and for allowing me to raise them and teach them and train them. I thank you God for Abigail especially, who’s trying God, she’s learning obedience, listening, and mostly, I thank you that she wants to pray God and is already memorizing your Word at 3! I pray God that my children will be saved by you, that you will call them to yourself God. Help me DAILY to instill YOU into their minds God. Give me endurance and patience Lord and forgive me of my sins when I’m impatient and frustrated.

18A certain ruler asked him, "Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?"
19"Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered. "No one is good—except God alone.

How true, there is NONE righteous, no not one. Romans 3:10. Help us to remember that NO ONE is good except you God and Lord, that none of us deserve anything good!

22When Jesus heard this, he said to him, "You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."
23When he heard this, he became very sad, because he was a man of great wealth.

Vs 22 says you lack ONE thing. For this man, it was his love of wealth that kept him from following Christ. I think sometimes in our own life, we can make idols of things and people, a desire for material things, or making our children our first priority over God and spouse. We need to make sure we’re not holding on too tight to the things God has blessed us with. I love the song “Blessed Be Your Name” because it’s so true, He gives and He takes away. Just like in the days of Job, job lost so much! “When I survey the wondrous cross” the lyrics say “my richest gain I count but loss”, He demands my soul, my life, my all.” Vs 28 Peter said to him, "We have left all we had to follow you!" Help me God to constantly be examining my life to purge what needs to go and to follow when and where you lead.

27Jesus replied, "What is impossible with men is possible with God."

Joshua 1-2

What a great encouraging passage of scripture!
No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. 6 "Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give them. 7 Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. 8 Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go."
The truths God shares here with Joshua!
I am with you! Don’t fear! Be courageous! Don’t turn to the left or right. Don’t be terrified! Don’t be discouraged! Meditate on the Book DAY and NIGHT! Wow.
16 Then they answered Joshua, "Whatever you have commanded us we will do, and wherever you send us we will go. 17 Just as we fully obeyed Moses, so we will obey you. Only may the LORD your God be with you as he was with Moses.
Just as the passage in Luke we read how we’re all sinners, I like reading how God uses people of all circumstances to perform his will. Here in Joshua, the two spies are hidden by a prostitute! She feared the Lord more than she feared the guards and their King.

To read what Rahab shared with the spies, how the truth of God’s mighty works had been heard throughout the lands, people who weren’t God’s people feared Him 9 "I know that the LORD has given this land to you and that a great fear of you has fallen on us, so that all who live in this country are melting in fear because of you. 10 We have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to Sihon and Og, the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan, whom you completely destroyed. 11 When we heard of it, our hearts melted and everyone's courage failed because of you, for the LORD your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below.
Also, Rahab knew that God was (and still IS) the God in heaven and on earth and had the power to save her family! (vs 12-13)