Hearts to Heaven in 2011

Lord willing, by the first of the year I will have a 2011 devotions in the Psalms project printed and ready to give away. My intent is to encourage you to start the New Year by getting into the Word of God, or rather, by getting the Word of God into you!

I think about the story of Joshua taking on the leadership role in Israel upon Moses’ death. This would be for him a new venture, an overwhelming one, no doubt. After 40 years of suffering in the wilderness for their unbelief, the nation was now ready to move forward and claim the land God had promised Israel long ago.

It was a new day, a new opportunity. New challenges would arise, new problems to overcome, new decisions to make and new directions to take. The past was behind them, the future wide open. Much like the dawning of a New Year.

What new opportunities will 2011 bring? What new challenges will you face? What new decisions will you have to make? What new directions might you take? Year 2010 is nearly gone. For some, you bid it a fond farewell. For others, you’re glad to see it go. Who knows what 2011 will be?

One thing’s for sure: Joshua needed help. To face the new day, to face the unknown, and to face what would have seemed impossible, he would need divine help. Yes, the Lord had promised He would give them this land, a land flowing with milk and honey. It was indeed a beautiful land. Would you have expected anything less from a gracious and sovereign God?

But, there were nations occupying the territory. Some of the inhabitants were giants. Their cities were large and fortified. You don’t just walk in and tell the people to move because God said this land now belongs to you. “So, you see, all you need to do is sign on the dotted line, pack up your things and calmly leave the country, and we’ll take over from here, thank you very much.” No, conquering this land would not be easy, and would not be possible without the power of the Lord.

On a side note, the Canaanites living there at the time were notorious for their moral and spiritual bankruptcy. Records on stone tablets reveal practices of brutality, corruption, infant sacrifice, serpent worship and male and female prostitution. The Bible clearly states that God was using Israel as His instrument of divine judgment against the peoples of this land. Deuteronomy 9:5 makes this plain: “It is not because of your righteousness or integrity that you are going in to take possession of their land; but on account of the wickedness of these nations, the Lord your God will drive them out before you…”

So the Lord had a word for Joshua as he prepared to meet the new day. It was a message of promise and encouragement along with a challenge. The promise was that God would give him and the nation of Israel the land – every place where they would set their feet – and that God Himself would be with Joshua as He was with Moses, never leaving and never forsaking him.

The encouragement was to be strong and courageous. Three times in four verses (Joshua 1:6-9) the Lord tells Joshua, “Be strong and courageous.” There was no need to be afraid nor discouraged. God would be with him wherever he went.

The challenge was to obey the Word of God. The Lord told Joshua to be careful to obey all of it, and not turn to the right or to the left. He told him to meditate on the “Book of the Law” day and night, never letting its truth depart from his mouth, so that he would be careful to do everything written in it. Then, God said, when the Word of God got into him he would be prosperous and successful.

Friend, if you desire a prosperous and successful New Year (using God’s greater definitions of prosperous and successful), if you want to be ready to face whatever unknowns, whatever giants, whatever opportunities or problems may abound, then I would urge you to get into the Word of God. Meditate on it day and night, and be careful to obey it fully.

If you don’t have a clue where or how to start, then stop by and pick up a free copy of “Hearts To Heaven in 2011: 31 Devotions for Meditation and Worship in the Psalms.” I'll also try to post each day's reading right here on this blog throughout January. Hope you have a happy New Year in the Lord!