Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions

Today’s devotion comes from Joshua 23:1-13.  

“Now it came about after many days, when the LORD had given rest to Israel from all their enemies on every side, and Joshua was old, advanced in years, that Joshua called for all Israel, for their elders and their heads and their judges and their officers, and said to them, “I am old, advanced in years.  And you have seen all that the LORD your God has done to all these nations because of you, for the LORD your God is He who has been fighting for you.  See, I have apportioned to you these nations which remain as an inheritance for your tribes, with all the nations which I have cut off, from the Jordan even to the Great Sea toward the setting of the sun.  The LORD your God, He will thrust them out from before you and drive them from before you;  and you will possess their land, just as the LORD your God promised you.  Be very firm, then, to keep and do all that is written in the book of the law of Moses, so that you may not turn aside from it to the right hand or to the left, so that you will not associate with these nations, these which remain among you, or mention the name of their gods, or make anyone swear by them, or serve them, or bow down to them.  But you are to cling to the LORD your God, as you have done to this day.  For the LORD has driven out great and strong nations from before you; and as for you, no man has stood before you to this day.  One of your men puts to flight a thousand, for the LORD your God is He who fights for you, just as He promised you.  So take diligent heed to yourselves to love the LORD your God.  For if you ever go back and cling to the rest of these nations, these which remain among you, and intermarry with them, so that you associate with them and they with you, know with certainty that the LORD your God will not continue to drive these nations out from before you;  but they will be a snare and a trap to you, and a whip on your sides and thorns in your eyes, until you perish from off this good land which the LORD your God has given you.”  Joshua 23:1-13.  

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Note the exhortations of Joshua in verses 6, 8, and 11 as highlighted above in bold italic font which I summarize as “Be very firm … to do all that is written in the book of the law” and “cling to the LORD your God” and “take diligent heed to yourselves to love the LORD your God”.

How can we do these things?

Through our own wisdom and our own will and our own strength?

Or, by God’s grace, through God’s will and His work within us?

“For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble;  but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, so that no man may boast before God.  But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption, so that, just as it is written, “LET HIM WHO BOASTS, BOAST IN THE LORD.”  1 Corinthians 1:26-31.

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him.  In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.”  Ephesians 1:3-6. 

“Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you;  and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.  I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances.”  Ezekiel 36:26-27.

“For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified.”  Hebrews 10:14. 

“for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.”  Philippians 2:13.

“For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.”  Philippians 1:6.