Live the Word Bible Studies

Purpose Study Bible 239: All In

Joshua described the reason Caleb came into the fullness of his inheritance and all God had for him:

So Hebron has belonged to Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite ever since, because he followed the Lord, the God of Israel, wholeheartedly (Joshua 14:14).

Caleb was all in on serving the Lord and therefore God was all in on watching over what was his and giving it to him at the proper time. God is no fool and cannot be tricked. He knows the hearts of all, including you, and responds to people in accordance with how they respond to Him: "For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him" (2 Chronicles 16:9). This was the key to Caleb being ready and able to fight for what God had given him even though he was 85 years old.

All people want more of God, especially in times of need or trouble. And God is gracious and often hears and helps. However, God is not a valet or butler who responds to people in need. In other words, if you want more of God, then first you must give Him more of you—more of your time while you express your creativity and pursue your purpose. Giving more of yourself to Him will cause another set of challenges but you won't be trying to find God in your times of trouble.

Is your creativity a hobby or do you pursue it with commitment, striving to improve? Do you know your purpose? If so, do you give as much time to it as possible? If not, what price are you willing to pay to find it? Have you set faith goals for your purpose and creativity that will require God's power and provision to achieve? If your pursuit of God's interests for your life are part time, then your strength will be limited and restricted. If you go all in on God, He promises to go all in for you, just like He did for Caleb.

Purpose Study Bible 238: Your Sustaining Vision

Caleb and Joshua were the two spies who brought back a positive faith report when the others were negative about the people's chances of taking the Land God had promised. Thus, no one from that generation was permitted to enter the Land except those two. Forty-five years later, this is what Caleb stepped forward to say:

"Now then, just as the Lord promised, he has kept me alive for forty-five years since the time he said this to Moses, while Israel moved about in the wilderness. So here I am today, eighty-five years old! I am still as strong today as the day Moses sent me out; I’m just as vigorous to go out to battle now as I was then. Now give me this hill country that the Lord promised me that day. You yourself heard then that the Anakites were there and their cities were large and fortified, but, the Lord helping me, I will drive them out just as he said" (Joshua 14:10-12, emphasis added).

What's more, Caleb didn't expect his portion to be handed to him. He declared that once he was given the go ahead, he was willing to fight for the right to live there. Technically and legally the land was his, but he knew he had to pay a price if he and his family were to come into and enjoy it to the fullest.

You too have an inheritance in Christ, a purpose that will produce godly fruit as long as you "work it." But work it you must, for the forces of darkness will not yield what belongs to you unless you're willing to exert the time and effort to see it happen. What are you believing the Lord for in your later years? Have you retired, not just from work, but from a life of faith? Have you lost your zeal to be able to say "I have fought the good fight" (2 Timothy 4:7) as Paul wrote?

And if you're young(er), what is your sustaining vision for life? Caleb moved with the people but had to wait for an entire generation to pass away before he could come into his own. Are you willing to wait, staying ready for the day of promise? As you live and serve Him, keep in mind that your inheritance is not just in this life as we read in Hebrews 11:13, 16:

All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth. ... Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.

Like Caleb, be ready to live a life of faith that is looking forward to the reward and God will welcome you into the heavenly city He has prepared for you.

Purpose Study Bible 237: No Land

Joshua was directing the distribution of land to the tribes, but we see it mentioned twice that one tribe got no land:

But to the tribe of Levi he gave no inheritance, since the food offerings presented to the Lord, the God of Israel, are their inheritance, as he promised them. ... But to the tribe of Levi, Moses had given no inheritance; the Lord, the God of Israel, is their inheritance, as he promised them (Joshua 13:14, 33).

The Levites did not to receive any land because they were to serve the Lord and the people in His holy place and were to live off the offerings of the people. That is because the Lord and His service were their portion, as Jeremiah declared: "I say to myself, 'The LORD is my portion; therefore I will wait for him'” (Lamentations 3:24, emphasis added). Later we will see that God did give them cities in which to live within the borders of every tribe's territory.

Jesus was also a priest and He told His disciples, “'My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work" (John 4:34). Now we are a kingdom of priests and the Lord is also our portion and our "food" is to do His will. And how the Lord chooses to provide for you is His business. You only have to focus on His promise that He will provide so you can, like the Levites, serve Him and the people.

Have you allowed financial concerns to limit your expression of purpose? Has the Lord chosen to provide for you in ways that are not conventional or similar to how He does it for others? Can you focus on the fact that He is your portion and will not allow you to lack, and that goes for your family and you in your latter years? The reality of this promise that God will provide should free you to serve the Lord by doing what you love, knowing you are in God's will and doing what it is that He wants you to do.

Purpose Study Bible 236: Old Age

We have followed Joshua's life story since he was Moses' assistant in Exodus, and finally the reality of his mortality had come:

When Joshua had grown old, the Lord said to him, “You are now very old, and there are still very large areas of land to be taken over. ... As for all the inhabitants of the mountain regions from Lebanon to Misrephoth Maim, that is, all the Sidonians, I myself will drive them out before the Israelites. Be sure to allocate this land to Israel for an inheritance, as I have instructed you, and divide it as an inheritance among the nine tribes and half of the tribe of Manasseh" (Joshua 13:1, 6-7).

Notice that God had Joshua working right up to the very end, apportioning land and planning for the remainder of the Land to be secured and inhabited.

God has purposeful work for you to do as well, and it always involves serving other people, helping to address their needs. Since their needs remain, then your purpose remains intact until you have no strength or ability to express it. This is important, for modern trends seem to indicate that workers are effective up to a certain age but after that they must retire. That doesn't seem to be God's thinking, however.

This has implications for you no matter your age. If you're young, you must prepare physically and financially so you have the health and money to actively serve the Lord in your latter years. If you're older, you must not slip into the thinking that you deserve a break and thus waste your last years pursuing leisure or retreating from active service in God's army.

So where are you in the span of life? What are you doing to prepare for old age? Are you accumulating wisdom and skill to serve with distinction for as long as the Lord permits? Are you staying relevant so God can use you in every generation in which you live? May God grant you many fruitful years in His service, and may you keep your mind open to what the Lord says about old age and not what culture dictates it should look like.

Purpose Study Bible 235: Fruit

Joshua and his army continued to go through the Land, defeating and dispossessing the leaders and inhabitants who were there:

These are the kings of the land whom the Israelites had defeated and whose territory they took over east of the Jordan, from the Arnon Gorge to Mount Hermon, including all the eastern side of the Arabah ... thirty-one kings in all (Joshua 12:1, 24).

The writer paused the historical narrative to give an account of the kings who had been defeated, naming each king by name and then totaling the list. This list represented the fruit of their labors and the tangible evidence of God's helping presence.

And now we are commanded to also bear fruit in our promised land as Jesus taught us to do: "Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father" (John 14:12) and "You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you" (John 15:16).

When you stop and think about it, fruit is always measurable: a pound, bushel, half-bushel, peck, pint, cluster, or bunch. So when Jesus tells you to bear fruit, you should be able to count it so you know how much it "weighs" or how numerous it is. And Jesus expects you to bear fruit in increasing measure because the Spirit is in you to help you produce not just internal fruit, but also external fruit for the Kingdom that will glorify God.

What and where's your fruit? Is it important to you that you bear it? Can you describe it? How are you measuring it? Do you want more? Everyone's fruit varies because everyone has different gifts and is working in a different part of God's vineyard. Spiritual fruit can be difficult to measure but that doesn't mean we shouldn't try to measure. Give some thought to this matter and then determine to be more mindful of your need to measure your fruit and hopefully see it increase over time.

Purpose Study Bible 234: A Lot With A Little

@2016, Ralph F. Wilson, [email protected]

Our God is an efficient God. He gets things done with a minimum of effort when He is working with cooperative and obedient subjects, and Joshua and his army were just that. After their initial foray into the Promised Land, we read this simple summary:

All these kings and their lands Joshua conquered in one campaign, because the Lord, the God of Israel, fought for Israel (Joshua 10:42).

God was fighting for Israel but Israel still had to fight, if that makes sense. They had to exert effort and invest their time, but when they did, God "fought for Israel" and they achieved a lot in a little time. This is important for you to understand. Why? Because you've often not done something because you thought, I don't have the time. But if God is with you, He can empower and strengthen you to do more with less—time, energy, money, or whatever other resource is needed to get the job done.

God can stop the sun, provide through animals like ravens or fish, calm raging seas, or confuse those who oppose you. He can defeat superior forces aligned against you, part the waters, or multiply a few rations into a feast. Those are just some of the things He can do for you, but you have to do your part. You have to trust Him and act, rather than waiting for Him to move before you do.

What have you been saying you will do "one day"? What have you been convinced you can't do because you don't have something instead of acting, believing God would provide that something? What have you said you don't have time to do but could start, trusting that God could stretch the time you have?

Joshua did a lot in a short period of time and that was only the beginning of their exploits in their new homeland. Let God help you to do more too and when you do, it will become not just a special event but a way of life when you see God move on your behalf time and time again.

Purpose Study Bible 233: For How Long?

Painting by James Jacques Joseph Tissot (French, 1836-1902) and followers

God had given the people the Land, but they still had to fight for the right to live in what God had given them. After the miracle of the sun and moon standing still, there was still plenty of work to do before they could rest:

When they had brought these kings to Joshua, he summoned all the men of Israel and said to the army commanders who had come with him, “Come here and put your feet on the necks of these kings.” So they came forward and placed their feet on their necks. Joshua said to them, “Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Be strong and courageous. This is what the Lord will do to all the enemies you are going to fight" (Joshua 10:24-25).

Like Joshua's army, you also have a lot of work ahead of you in order to come into and enjoy all that God has promised you. Through it all, God is teaching you how to stand in the authority of your purpose and the promises that He will answer your prayers and give you the victory. He has given you a purpose but now you have to confront your enemies and stand on their neck, to speak, addressing and overcoming behaviors motivated by fear and anger and selfishness.

And when you start the battle against them, it seems like it will never end, because more enemies keep showing up. Someone once said, "new levels, new devils." Yet what is the word of the Lord to you? It's "do not be afraid; do not be discouraged; be strong and courageous." For how long? For as long as it takes to gain the victory over doubt, condemnation, and a poverty mentality.

Are you growing weary of what seems like a constant battle? Do you question whether it is worth all the struggle to come into what God has for you? It's no problem to answer yes to those questions, but it is a problem if you shrink back from doing what you must to come into your own:

So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. For, “In just a little while, he who is coming will come and will not delay.” And, “But my righteous one will live by faith. And I take no pleasure in the one who shrinks back" (Hebrews 10:35-38).

Be encouraged as you read this that God is teaching and transforming you in the midst of your battles. One day, you'll have a testimony and victories that will enable you to help others while also empowering you to live in the Promised Land of purpose that God is giving you.

Purpose Study Bible 232: More Time

Joshua and his men marched all night and went into battle the next day, surprising their enemies when they attacked as we read last week. They had so much to do and the battle was going so well in their favor that Joshua prayed this prayer:

On the day the Lord gave the Amorites over to Israel, Joshua said to the Lord in the presence of Israel: “Sun, stand still over Gibeon, and you, moon, over the Valley of Aijalon.” So the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, till the nation avenged itself on its enemies, as it is written in the Book of Jashar. The sun stopped in the middle of the sky and delayed going down about a full day. There has never been a day like it before or since, a day when the Lord listened to a human being. Surely the Lord was fighting for Israel! (Joshua 10:12-14).

What a remarkable event this was! The men had marched all night, fought all day, and the sun and moon held still in their courses so the army could fight another whole day and night. According to my math, Joshua and his men marched or fought for 72 hours without rest. God gave them the time and energy they needed to do the job He had given them to do. In essence, they had faith for time and God gave it to them along with a great victory.

Later Paul wrote, "So then, be careful how you walk, not as unwise people but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil" (Ephesians 5:15-16, NASB, emphasis added). Are you making the most of your time? Are you believing the Lord for more time, which is simply the time you need to get the most important things done? Are trusting God to help you require less time to do more? Do you see that along with time, God can give you supernaturally natural energy and wisdom to get any job done, no matter how big or overwhelming?

God can increase what seems to be a little time into all the time you need to do His will as you carry out your purpose and express your creativity. As you learn to have faith for money, career, and ministry, God wants you also to have faith for time and strength. Remember, you are not alone, for God is working right there with you.

Purpose Study Bible 231: Sleepless Nights

Joshua continued to lead the people through the Land, fighting against and defeating the inhabitants. When a number of local kings joined together to defeat the Jews, we read how Joshua responded:

So Joshua marched up from Gilgal with his entire army, including all the best fighting men. The Lord said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid of them; I have given them into your hand. Not one of them will be able to withstand you.” After an all-night march from Gilgal, Joshua took them by surprise (Joshua 10:7-9).

God assured Joshua that the victory was theirs, but notice what he and his army had to do. They had to march all night and then they had to fight all day! There were no shortcuts to their victory in this instance. They had to lose some sleep and then go right into battle, relying not on their own strength but on God's.

We later read that both Jesus and Paul "lost sleep" as they carried out their purpose:

One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God. When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he also designated apostles (Luke 6:12-13).

I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked (2 Corinthians 11:27).

Is there anything so important to you that you are willing to sacrifice sleep to get it done? Do you then trust God that you will have the energy you need to carry out your duties while getting less sleep than you thought you needed? Notice that Jesus spent the night in prayer before He selected the workers who would remain closest to Him throughout His ministry. He did that to ensure that He knew the men He should select. Just like Jesus and Joshua, you also should be willing to seek God to see that your purpose and creativity are all that God had in mind for them to be so God can give you the victory in all you do.

Purpose Study Bible 230: Your Latent Creativity

You are a creative masterpiece made by God, but you may think that you aren't creative. Since you are made in His image, however, you are a creative being too. Let's talk about one aspect of your creativity that you may not have considered. In Joshua, we read,

There, in the presence of the Israelites, Joshua wrote on stones a copy of the law of Moses (Joshua 8:32).

Joshua knew how to write and in all probability, so do you. We know he could write because he wrote the Law on the stones. If someone doesn't know how to write, it's not that they don't have the ability. It's just that they have never been taught. And when they are taught the rules that everyone learns, they will then write in a style that is unique to them, so much so that an expert could examine samples of their writing and determine if they wrote something or not. The point is that your handwriting is an example of a latent creativity that has been given to everyone.

And another lesson is that you can't write until you've been taught. Once taught, you produce something that is unique to who God made you to be. This begs the question: What other latent creativity do you have that you aren't aware of? If you can be taught to write, can you learn to paint, write, sculpt, learn a new language, or start a business? The answer is yes, you can. How would you know what you need to be taught about some creative expression? You would know by paying attention to what interests you. It's what you've said over the years, "I'd like to take ceramics classes, or creative writing courses, or earn a business degree, or learn to speak French, or take piano lessons."

If you have said those or similar things, now is the time to act. This is the day that the Lord has made, so devise a plan for you so you can be exposed to something new. You won't know if you have the latent ability to do it until you are instructed and then practice, but just like the ability to write, there are other creative skills in you just waiting to be activated. The time now is to find out what they are, and then to develop your own style, just like you would your handwriting. And then you will have a creative expression that is yours to do with what you would like for the rest of your life.