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God is Faithful
Joshua 24:14-15, 18, 21, 26-27
“Now fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your forefathers worshiped beyond the River and in Egypt and serve the Lord…choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve.’…‘We too will serve the Lord, because he is our God.’… ‘…No! We will serve the Lord.’…Then he took a large stone and set it up there under the oak near the holy place of the Lord…‘This stone will be a witness against us…if you are untrue to your God.’”
The great oak tree at Shechem was the first place Abraham built an altar to the Lord God Almighty in the Promised Land. It was there God promised him the whole land as his inheritance (Genesis 12:6). It was under this oak tree that Jacob buried all the idols and pagan jewelry that his family had acquired as they fled the area. Under this same oak tree at Shechem, Joshua renews God’s covenant with the people. All the tribes commit to the covenant, including Dan - the same tribes who quickly abandoned the living God and found idols to worship after a few generations (Judges 18). Our words and emotions of the moment influence us to make promises that we cannot keep. While we fail and drift toward idolatry, God does not fail. He is faithful to his covenant with us. God remembered his promise to Abraham and he fulfilled it through Joshua. He will also keep his promises to us.
Will we keep our promises to him?
Lord God Almighty, you have been faithful through the ages; you never change. Thank you for your covenant with me. I choose again this day to be faithful to our covenant and to live for you, for your glory.
Joshua 24:14-15, 18, 21, 26-27
“Now fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your forefathers worshiped beyond the River and in Egypt and serve the Lord…choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve.’…‘We too will serve the Lord, because he is our God.’… ‘…No! We will serve the Lord.’…Then he took a large stone and set it up there under the oak near the holy place of the Lord…‘This stone will be a witness against us…if you are untrue to your God.’”
The great oak tree at Shechem was the first place Abraham built an altar to the Lord God Almighty in the Promised Land. It was there God promised him the whole land as his inheritance (Genesis 12:6). It was under this oak tree that Jacob buried all the idols and pagan jewelry that his family had acquired as they fled the area. Under this same oak tree at Shechem, Joshua renews God’s covenant with the people. All the tribes commit to the covenant, including Dan - the same tribes who quickly abandoned the living God and found idols to worship after a few generations (Judges 18). Our words and emotions of the moment influence us to make promises that we cannot keep. While we fail and drift toward idolatry, God does not fail. He is faithful to his covenant with us. God remembered his promise to Abraham and he fulfilled it through Joshua. He will also keep his promises to us.
Will we keep our promises to him?
Lord God Almighty, you have been faithful through the ages; you never change. Thank you for your covenant with me. I choose again this day to be faithful to our covenant and to live for you, for your glory.
About this Plan
Join Randy Friesen as he follows the Bible reading plan of the Life Journal and shares his reflections with you. Each entry includes three parts: a highlighted passage from the reading, a brief reflection, and a prayer. We trust that you will be inspired by the messages that God is speaking through his Word.
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We would like to thank Randy Friesen, VIce President for Leadership Development with Global Disciples, for providing this plan. For more information about Global Disciples, please visit www.globaldisciples.org
