God Keeps His Promises

 Yesterday, in our family Bible study, Dad was teaching us about the legacy of faith that Caleb had. His text for yesterday was Joshua 14:6-15.

Dad gave some background on the story, about how Caleb & Joshua had given a glowing report about the Promise Land (Numbers 13), saying that the inhabitants of the land were large, but that the Israelites could overcome them, with the LORD's help, even though their fellow spies had doubted the Lord. The Lord made a Promise to Caleb, that he would inherit the Land, because of his hope, faith & trust in the Lord (Numbers 14:20-24).

Then he told us how Joshua moved up in the ranks, becoming Moses' right-hand man & then assumed leadership over the nation of Israel when Moses passed away (Joshua 1). And how Caleb was right beside him, in all of this. Still serving the Lord. Still doing His Work.

Dad read to us from Joshua 1: 

"After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua the
son of Nun, Moses' assistant, 'Moses my servant is dead. Now therefore arise, go over
this Jordan, you & all this people, into the land that I am giving to them, to the people
of Israel. Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you,
just as I promised to Moses... No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of
your life. Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake
you. Be strong and courageous, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land
that I swore to their fathers to give them. Only be strong and very courageous, being
careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn
from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go.
This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and
night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you
will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Have I not commanded
you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed,
for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.'”
- Joshua 1:1-9

Dad pointed out (from the text above) that God had given all of the Promise Land to the Israelites (verse 3- "every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you"), that no man could stand against them (verse 5). That God was still with them, even though Moses had died (also verse 5). That the Israelites must be very careful to follow the Path that the Lord was Calling them on (verse 7-8). 

That took us to our text for yesterday (Joshua 14:6-15). Caleb asks Joshua to remember the Promise that the Lord made to him forty-five years earlier. Caleb had served the Lord faithfully all this time & was now ready to received the Promised Inheritance. Joshua rewarded Caleb's faithfulness in serving the Lord, how He blessed Caleb for following Him wholeheartedly. Now the Lord remembered His Promise to Caleb, made forty-five years earlier.

This reminded of 2 Samuel 7- God's Covenant with David. How God promised some very specific things that David didn't receive in his lifetime- a multi-generational Promise. But how David understood that & continued to trust in the God of his Salvation. And also of Hebrews chapter 11- the Hall of Faith. 

"These all died in faith, not having received the things promised,
but having seen them & greeted them from afar, & having acknowledged that
they were strangers & exiles on the earth. For people who speak thus make it
clear that they are seeking a homeland. If they had been thinking of that
land from which they had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return.
But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not
ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared for them a city."

- Hebrews 11:13-16

 This is not our Home. We are seeking a better home, in Heaven. And God always keeps His Promises- both years later & in future generations. His ways are not our ways. He has a Plan & a Purpose for this. No Promise He has made will ever return void. The Word of the Lord will stand forever. There will always be a Remnant. God is Sovereign over the affairs of man. He is still on His Throne. Be a faithful steward of all that the Lord has entrusted you with. You will be blessed. Trust Him. Do not lose heart. Be strong & courageous!

 "Let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up..." 

- Galatians 6:9

REMEMBER! REMEMBER! REMEMBER!

"After that, a whole new generation had been gathered to their ancestors, another generation grew up who knew neither the LORD & served the Baals. They forsook the LORD, the God of their ancestors' who had brought them out of Egypt. They followed & worshipped various gods of the peoples around them." - Judges 2:10-13

We are Called to REMEMBER what the Lord has taught us. This includes recognizing His sovereignty in our own lives,  tracing His Providential Hand throughout history (planning the future of nations), REMEMBERING our Christian heritage, seeing the role of the Church in history... As well identifying God's Hand of Grace on the lives of us, our parents & grandparents. And passing that knowledge on to the generations to come.

I remember being at the CHEF homeschooling Conference this past June, hearing scores upon scores of strong Christian leaders hammering home the importance of remembering. Our past, what God has done in our lives, who we were, who we are & who we're going to become (by the Grace of God).

We must teach our children about what the LORD has done in our lives. We must pass on our Christian heritage. We must hold on to the Promises. We must not lose our convictions or our sensitivity to the Spirit's touch! Our time on this earth is short. None of us know when our time might come. This is of the utmost importance. Too much is at stake!

"Those who cannot remember the past are bound to repeat it." - George Santyana

Over & over again we see the Israelites going through a repetitive cycle of forgetting the Lord, commiting sin again His Name, remembering their God, repenting, being restored & forgetting Him all over again... We do not want these aparent "memory lapses" evident in our own lives...

"My people, hear my teaching; listen to the words of my mouth. I will utter the hidden things, things from of old- things we have heard & known, things our ancestors have told us. We will not hide them from their descendents; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the LORD, His power & the wonders He has done. He decreed statutes for Jacob & established the law in Israel, which He commanded our ancestors to teach their children, so the next generation would know them, even the children yet to be born, & they would in turn tell their children. Then they would put their trust in God & would not forget His deeds but would keep His commands. They would not be like their ancestors- a stubborn & rebellious generation, whose hearts were not loyal to God, whose spirits were not faithful to Him..." - Psalm 78 (especially verses 1-8)

"Hear, O Israel: the LORD our God, the LORD is One. Love the LORD your God with all of your heart & with all your soul & with all your strength. These commandments I give to you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them upon your children. Talk about them when you sit at home & when you walk along the road, when you lie down & when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands & bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses & on your gates." - Deuteronomy 6:6-9

"Be very careful then, how you live- not as unwise, but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore, do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's Will is." - Ephesians 5:15-17