Joshua told the people, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you.”- Joshua 3:5
In the Old Testament, Joshua had some big shoes to fill. He took over for Moses and had the difficult task of leading the Israelites into the Promised Land for the purpose of claiming God’s promise to His people. Joshua was a man who felt ill-equipped for the task at hand, and in the first chapter of this book, we see God assuring this new leader that everything was going to be okay.
Joshua had every right to be nervous about leading these people. They didn’t have a flawless track record when it came to obeying God and His appointed leadership. Joshua knew, however, for the Israelites to have a successful transition into the Promised Land, they were going to have to rely on God like never before. Sure, they have already went through a couple generations of people who wandered through the desert, and the natural survival implications that resulted in that journey, but in this new endeavor they knew that they were going to encounter hostile people groups every step of the way.
Joshua went back to the basics. He called on his people to trust God, obey His commands, anticipate God’s presence, and live in holiness. They lived in holiness by treating the Ark of the Covenant with respect and abiding by the rituals that God dictated long ago. Along with this, they resolved to live a life guided, every step, by the spirit of God.
There is a message implied in the story shown here. If we allow ourselves to be guided by the Spirit, and resolve to daily live surrendered to His design, then we will see God work through us in ways we could never imagine. This is who we are called to be if we call ourselves Christ followers. We are not the “frozen chosen”; people who are saved but simply desire to be on autopilot until they cash in their ticket to Heaven. We are a mobilized force for the kingdom, and obedience is our greatest asset. Prayer is the greatest weapon. Praise is the greatest defense.
The act of consecration (among other things) refers to the act of setting something aside for a special purpose. Imagine you are saving money specifically to purchase something special. In the same way, God consecrates us for His purpose. We are set aside for an amasing present and future of world transformation. So, we are called to live in that, and make a deliberate effort to set aside our time, talents, and treasures for Him.
Today, even though we are not the originators of our holiness, we can make a concrete decision to live in obedience to God’s leading. Don’t miss out on abundance because the world temporarily looks more appealing.
Prayer for today: Jesus, I need your help today to be everything you called me to be. Guide me and mold me according to your will. Amen.
This post was written by Rev DeCrastos. You can find his blog here: ministrysauce.com
