Perfectly Imperfect Together

In Joshua 16 - 18, the land God promised the Israelites continues to be divided among the remaining nations. God's fulfillment of His part in the covenant is coming to fulfillment. One of the tribes started complaining about not yet receiving their land. Joshua basically told them to stop complaining, get up, and go get God's promise for their lives. Faith is active. Blessings come through...

In Joshua 14 & 15, the Promised Land continues to be divided as God's promise to His people is coming to fulfillment. Caleb was promised the land he stood on when he went to go scope out the land originally because he faithfully trusted God wholeheartedly. He is 85 years old but still wants adventure and to go out and help take his land himself. He trusted God and stood firm on God's f...

In Joshua 11 - 13, God defeats the enemy nations, drives them out of the land promised to His people, and settles them into the land He promised His people. These chapters have a lot of names that are hard to pronounce but they are a direct fulfillment of God's promises for His people. He promised them the land and He gave them the land. Israel is very large now and it all started with one man...

We are going to face storms in this earthly life. The great news is we have Jesus and we don't have to and shouldn't try to face them alone. We can trust God and His timing, power, and peace. We can eagerly choose to invite and keep Jesus in our boat through every day, hour, and moment we live through. God promises to always be with us through every thing - all the good and all the bad thi...

In Joshua 9 & 10, the Israelite leaders fail to consult God on an important decision and end up making a treaty with the Gibeonites. Because they made an oath under God, they had to honor the oath and the newly formed treaty. God reminds His people to not be afraid and continues to fight their battles and defeat their enemies. God sent hail and even held the sun and the moon still in the sky u...

In Acts 7, Stephen - filled with the Holy Spirit - addresses the Jewish leaders that do not believe Jesus is the Messiah. He boldly speaks of the glory of God with grace and power. He gazed at the heavens and saw Jesus standing in the place of honor at God's right hand. This is the only place in Scripture I've found where it says Jesus was standing rather than sitting in His place of honor...

In Joshua 7 & 8, the Israelites lost their first battle and 36 men. God promised them this land, but they had sin in the camp. We cannot be victorious in God and entertain sin at the same time. God gives us victory over our enemy, but we first have to turn, repent, and let Jesus cleanse us and purify us. Sin is not an individual affair - it affects families, friends, and even nations. God tell...

We are in a daily battle. One of the biggest battles, I believe, that many of us face is negative self-talk or self-doubts. We are made righteous by Jesus. Anything not supported by Scripture is a lie. It's time we rise up and conquer this battle. It's time we rise up, unite, and fight the enemy with all we've got. God already won, so it's time to stop living defeated. See who God says you are. Se...

In Joshua 5 & 6, the generation coming into the promised land of God enter into their part of God's covenant with them. When they do, God rolled away the shame of their slavery. When we accept Jesus as our Savior and enter into His covenant, our shame is also rolled away. Whatever sins we've done or have been done to us is cleansed and cleared by the blood of Jesus. Any and all shame and guilt...

In Joshua 3 & 4, God raises Joshua up as a leader of the Israelites and God successfully leads them into their very first steps into their promised land. The Ark of the Covenant leads God's people. God is with them and goes before them, after them, and with them in every single step. God is with us in every step of our days the exact same way. God tells Joshua that the Israelites will know tha...

In Joshua 1 & 2, the Israelites are ready to go and enter into God's promises for their lives and God is ready to send them. God tells Joshua three times in a row to be strong and courageous, know that God is going to be with him every step of the way, and to rest assured that God will not fail or abandon him. We will face battles and struggles in life. Psalm 23 says that we pass through the v...

In Deuteronomy 33 & 34, Moses is preparing for his departure into eternity with God. He gives each of the 12 tribes of Israel his final blessings before he goes. God knows they will turn from Him, but He is still going to pass the baton to Joshua to lead His people to their promised land. We break God's Word, but God does not break His. When Moses takes his final look at the land of God's prom...

In Deuteronomy 31 & 32, God's people are reminded repeatedly to not be afraid, to be strong and courageous, and to not panic before our enemies. He reminds us that God will personally go ahead of us and will not fail or abandon us. He reminds God's people of the importance of fearing God and remaining in awe and reverence of Him and who He is. God knows Israel will turn their backs on Him and...

In Deuteronomy 29 & 30, the covenant they are about to enter into with God is reviewed. Moses encourages them again to choose God, to choose obedience. Today, we get the opportunity to choose Jesus. God will not force us to choose Him, it's our choice. He desperately wants all His children to choose Him, but the choice is ultimately up to us. God is never far from us, we just have to cry out t...

In Deuteronomy 28, the blessings are given. If the Israelites choose to follow God, His blessings will be poured out on their lives. The chapter very quickly turns back to the curses they will endure if they do not choose God. Moses is doing all he can to warn them of what disobedience and rejecting God will bring in their lives. He knows these people quite well and knows they need all the warning...

In Deuteronomy 26 & 27, God's people are told how to respond when they enter into God's promise for their lives. Their first and foremost priority is to worship God. God wants an intimate relationship with us. The best gift we could ever give to God is our heart and soul wholeheartedly. We are God's special treasure, He delights over each and every one of us. The covenant the Israelites are ab...

In Deuteronomy 23 - 25, Moses reminds God's people that God loves them and has turned curses into blessings in our lives. What the enemy meant for evil, God turns to good for His glory. Jesus conquered sin and death on the cross and took the wrath of God's punishment for our sin onto Himself in our place. We are not to live trapped by sins, we are free. God hates sin and gives us His strength to r...

In Deuteronomy 20 - 22, Moses reminds God's people that we are not to be afraid or live in fear. We can rest assured and know that God is with us in every step of everything we face. We will have battles, but we also have God and He is mightier than anything we will face. God places high value on life, respect for life, and the dignity of others. God cares so much for His creation, He makes sure i...

In Deuteronomy 18 & 19, Moses reminds God's people that the Levites are missionaries and will receive God as their portion. God is their land. They get to reside wholly with God and serve His people. He calls God's people to not live like any of the people in the land they are about to enter or take part in any of their evil practices. They are to live set apart as God's holy, chosen people. H...

In Deuteronomy 16 & 17, God's people are again reminded to remember. To never forget the bondage God freed them from. Moses reminds them to celebrate the annual feasts, celebrations, sacrifices and offerings. He urges God's people to keep God at the center of all rhythms of life. He reviews the rules for justice and the importance of keeping justice pure, not twisted and to "Let true justice p...

In Deuteronomy 14 & 15, Moses calls God's people to remember that God has chosen them. They are to remember that God rescued them. Remembering God's grace leads to loving God, and loving God leads to obeying God. Israel was to be holy and set apart because Israel is holy to God and must be distinct, set apart, and different from any of the people around them. They were to eat different, live d...

In Deuteronomy 12 & 13, Moses is not messing around. They are about to enter into some very pagan nations full of false idols and false gods. They even had a god they would burn their children for. God is not okay with this. He reminds God's people to keep God and the very core and center of our souls and lives. Who we worship and how we worship means everything in our lives. He reminds the Is...

In Deuteronomy 10 & 11, Moses answers the question "what does God require of you?" He says in vs. 12b "He requires only that you fear the Lord your God, and live in a way that pleases Him, and love Him and serve Him with all your heart and soul." Moses reminds God's people that God chooses us. God wants us, He desires us, He sings over and delights in us. He so desperately wants an intimate re...

In Deuteronomy 8 & 9, Moses tells God's people to remember. Remember all that God has done, is doing, and all He is bringing you to. God is all powerful and bigger than any giant we may face in our lives. No matter what we are facing, God is bigger. We can trust Him. He calls us to remain in constant gratitude to God so we remain humble and avoid pride. Gratitude saves you from idolatry and pr...

In Deuteronomy 6 & 7, God calls us to listen, hear, and love which in turns brings us into obedience. God wants us to love Him with everything in us. He loves us for no other reason than He chose to love us. Love is the center of the law. Love is the only force that leads us to obedience. The love Jesus has for us is a love in action. He chose to die on the cross so we would not have to suffer...