Ep 534 – Joshua 1:10-18

What does it mean to enter God’s rest? It sounds appealing but can sometimes feel like an unachievable dream. For many of us, God’s rest is synonymous with heaven. And while there is little doubt that heaven will be a place of rest, joy and contentment, there is still an aspect of God’s rest that is available in this life. As Joshua and the people of Israel stood on the eastern banks of the Jordan River, looking over the waters into the land of Canaan, they realized that they were on the verge of entering God’s rest. The land on the other side of that river had been promised to them by God and He had declared that it would be a place of abundance, but also of rest. And yet, as we will see, God’s promise of rest was not a guarantee of a lack turmoil or conflict. There were still enemies in the land who would need to be defeated. Which meant there were battles to fight and wars to win. In Joshua 1:10-18, we will see Joshua preparing the people to enter God’s rest, but by warning them that it was going to take effort. The land was theirs, but they were going to have to fight for it. It was going to require obedient submission to God’s will and faithful trust in His power to provide.