In the WordSample

Week 9, Day 1
Read Exodus 17:8-16, Exodus 24:13-18; and Numbers 14.

Promised Land - Jordan

How difficult is it to wait for something you eagerly desire?

Pretty hard! Whether it’s something small (like eating dessert after dinner or opening presents on Christmas morning) or something life-changing (like getting married to your spouse or finally meeting a new baby), waiting isn’t easy.

And patience is especially hard to come by in today’s “instant gratification” culture. From fast food to the Internet, so much is at our fingertips that, when something doesn’t happen instantaneously—frustration erupts.

But God is infinitely patient. Just look at Israel.

God has waited for 40 years for an entire generation of Israelites to pass away before bringing His people to the Promised Land (also known as Canaan). And it’s the land He had promised Abraham several generations before that.

God has been patient for hundreds of years, but the day has finally arrived. At long last, Israel will get a place to call home!

As Israel claims the Promised Land under the leadership of Joshua—one of only two people to survive the desert wanderings (the other was Caleb)—you’ll see God rewarding faith and patience.

And He does it by showing Himself faithful. With this grand entrance into Canaan, God honors the faith of Joshua and Caleb, who believed the Lord would deliver the land to them, as well as the faith of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, who believed the promise without ever seeing it come to pass.

Scripture Coverage: Joshua
Scripture Reading: Joshua
Book Genre: Historical
Main Theme: God’s people subdue the Promised Land by faith
Main Events: Jordan; Jericho; Conquering the Land; Dominion of the Land
Main Characters: Joshua

Think about: At the beginning of Joshua, we read that Israel is under new leadership. According to today’s readings, how has God prepared Joshua to lead Israel?