If you’re following along in our reading plan to read the Bible from cover to cover in 90 days, then jump on in! Today is Day 21 of 90 and we just read Joshua 1-10 this afternoon. Wowzers, three weeks in, that’s kind of incredible, huh?!

If we can be real for a moment here, today was the first day that I really thought I wasn’t going to read. I don’t just mean, maybe not get through all of my reading, no – I just mean not even crack open the book at all. I’m sure if you’re one of my daily readers from the beginning then you can tell that I’m not really focused the past week. It’s been such an incredibly intense last few days and my heart is overwhelmed! I just really ask for your prayers right now, I need them. I thank you for them, too. Specifically I need them for healing (oh, I’ve just come off of my second medication since the beginning of the year and though that’s a praise, my body is having an issue adjusting. Pray for healing) and I’m struggling with dizzy spells from a viral thing (since I have lupus my body doesn’t fight anything so I’m just taking it easy this week) but I just need the dizziness to cease and headaches to stop so I can focus . . . here’s the thing, if I get stressed I get sick, that’s how lupus works. Well we’ve lost insurance on my daughter with special needs and if the government shutdown exceeds this month, then we’re going to lose help with her nutritional costs (her grocery bill is over $500 a month and WIC helps cover half of that, without their help we’re going to be in over our heads, she’s expensive but she’s worth it), so those are specific issues we need prayer for.

Okay so before I get mushy or start crying or any silliness, let’s get down to it! Did you read any of Joshua today? Were you so crazy excited? I enjoy reading through Joshua!

So if you were here yesterday then you know that God told Moses to go up to the mountain and look over, to see the land because he wasn’t going to be journeying over there with everyone else, and He also told Moses that he would die up there on that mountain.

And so he did.

Now that Moses is gone we see Joshua assume command! It’s a new season! So yeah, God calls on Joshua and tells him that he is to lead the Israelites; he’s to get them ready to cross the Jordan River, and they’re going to take possession of the Promised Land as He had promised Moses.

He tells them, “I’ll give you every place that you set foot”. Wow, right?!!?

He guarantees them victory when He tells Joshua, “No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life.” Joshua 1:5

God reminds them to be careful to obey all His commands. God reminds them that He will not leave them. God tells them to be strong and courageous.

He’s a good God, He doesn’t change. . . do you see?

Then in Chapter 2 we meet Rahab! Joshua has sent a couple spies out to investigate, and the king of Jericho finds out that the spies went to Rahab, the prostitute’s house, and so he sends out his officials but Rahab lies to them and tells them they’ve already left, meanwhile she’s hidden the spies on the roof. Rahab told the spies that they (the folks of Jericho) were in fear b/c they had heard the Lord had dried up the water of the Red Sea (amongst other things) and after talking she asks the spies to make a deal with her, “Our lives for your lives”, she wants them to spare her family and her, she wants their protection when the Israelites take Jericho. Joshua’s spies pledge to keep them safe only if her family is brought into her home and NOT in the streets and she has to tie this scarlet cord in her window.

In Chapter 5 one of my favorite things took place in the river – as they crossed and arrived on the the other side they built an altar of remembrance with the 12 stones from the river bed (b/c the 12 tribes).

There’s a circumcision in preparation for battle, they have Passover, and the manna stops. So Joshua and the troops head up and march around Jericho for six days (with the ark in tow, wow!) and on the seventh day the walls of Jericho collapsed at Israel’s trumpet blasts and his army shouting. Then Joshua charges Jericho, they conquer the city and kill its people, except Rahab, the prostitute, and her family.

There’s some fighting, disobedience by Achan, some stoning to death, another altar to God and again they attempt to take over Ai. Oh yeah and later on Joshua is going to be a big dummy, he’s going to go ahead and use his own self reasoning capabilities rather than speaking with God about these “strangers” who have humbly come to him from “far away” and he’s going to make a treaty with these travelers. We all do that sometimes don’t we? Make big decisions that sound reasonable and legit before even going to the Father and seeking His heart and wise counsel first. We’re a foolish people; a prideful people and we see that in Joshua, too.

Here’s where I wanted to end today’s reading because even though there’s so much going on in Joshua, I find this particularly fascinating. So these people, the people of Gibeon, they have essentially disguised themselves so that can make a treaty, a peace, with the nation of Israel. They fear the Israelites and even though Joshua doesn’t do this, “Hey God, what’s up” kind of fact check first with God; Israel doesn’t attack Gibeon but nearly half a dozen other kings jump on the chance, they’re ticked for Gibeon making peace with Israel, so they attack Gibeon . . . and Israel comes to their aid (Gibeons aid). They’re successful because Joshua tells God to make the sun stand still and He does. Say, what?

Yes!!

“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 9:12-14

Shut up!! Could you imagine!?!?!

“There has never been a day like it before or since, a day when the LORD LISTENED TO A HUMAN BEING.” Could you imagine? Telling God to do something and Him doing it? I know we pray, and ask, but just the way that’s worded – it gets me every time. But seriously, surely the Lord truly was fighting for Israel because could you imagine the sun standing still!?! It’s jut amazing to me, too fantastic to wrap my head around.

The five Amorite kings were killed after this and then Joshua and Israel go onto conquer the southern cities and we’re going to get more into Joshua tomorrow.

So first we have them going into Jericho and taking it. Then they took Makkedah where he didn’t leave any survivors. Then on to Libnah, where again, he left no survivors. Then Lachish; he did the same thing there. Of course, Horam had brought up his army, from Gezer, to help aid Lachish and so then Joshua took him and his army, too. Then Eglon; same fate. Then Hebron, again, no survivors.

Wow.

Surely God is my favorite author and it’s stories like these seen in Joshua and stories like Rahab that help build my faith. Until tomorrow, grace and peace.

“The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him.” Nahum 1:7

Day 21 Joshua 1 – 10

Day 22 Joshua 11 – 24

Day 23 Judges 1 – 10

Day 24 Judges 11 – 21

Day 25 Ruth 1 –   4

Day 26 1 Samuel 1 – 16

Day 27 1 Samuel 17 – 1 Samuel 31

Day 28 2 Samuel 1 – 24

Day 29 1 Kings 1 – 22

Day 30 2 Kings 1 – 25

Day 31 1 Chronicles 1 – 8

Day 32 1 Chronicles 9 – 19

Day 33 1 Chronicles 20 – 29

Day 34 2 Chronicles 1 – 21

Day 35 2 Chronicles 22 – 36

Day 36 Ezra 1-  Ezra 10

Day 37 Nehemiah 1 –  Nehemiah 13

Day 38 Esther 1 –  Esther 10

Day38 Job 1 –  Job 23

Day 39 Job 24 –  Job 42

Day 40 Psalms 1 –  Psalms 21

Day 41 Psalms 22 – Psalms 60

Day 42 Psalms 61 – Psalms 90

Day 43 Psalms 91 – Psalms 115

Day 44 Psalms 116 – Psalms 150

Day 45 Proverbs 1 – Proverbs 15

Day 46 Proverbs 16 – Proverbs 31

Day 47 Ecclesiastes 1 – Ecclesiastes 12

Day 48 Song of Solomon 1 – Song of Solomon 8

Day 49 Isaiah 1 –  Isaiah 27

Day 50 Isaiah 28 – Isaiah 66

Day 51 Jeremiah 1 – Jeremiah 20

Day 52 Jeremiah 21 – Jeremiah 52

Day 53 Lamentations 1 – Lamentations 5

Day 54 Ezekiel 1 – Ezekiel 22

Day 55 Ezekiel 23 – Ezekiel 48

Day 56 Daniel 1 – Daniel 12

Day 57 Hosea 1 – Hosea 14

Day 58 Joel 1 – Joel 3

Day 59 Amos 1 – Amos 9

Day 60 Obadiah 1

Day 61 Jonah 1 – Jonah 4

Day 62 Micah 1 – Micah 7

Day 63 Nahum 1 – Nahum 3

Day 64 Habakkuk 1 – Habakkuk 3

Day 65 Zephaniah 1 – Zephaniah 3

Day 66 Haggai 1 – Haggai 2

Day 67 Zechariah 1 – Zechariah 14

Day 68 Malachi 1 – Malachi 4

NEW TESTAMENT

Day 69 Matthew 1 – Matthew 28

Day 70 Mark 1 – 16

Day 71 Luke 1 – Luke 12

Day 72 Luke 13 – Luke 24

Day 73 John 1 – John 21

Day 74 Acts 1 – Acts 15

Day 75 Acts 16 – Acts 28

Day 76 Romans 1 – Romans 16

Day 77 1 Corinthians 1 – 1 Corinthians 16

Day 78 2 Corinthians 1 – 2 Corinthians 13

Day 79 Galatians 1 – Galatians 6

Day 80 Ephesians 1 – Ephesians 6

Day 81 * Philippians 1 – Philippians 4 (Morning)

                Colossians 1 – Colossians 4 ( Afternoon)

                1 Thessalonians 1 – 1 Thessalonians 5 (Bedtime)

Day 82 2 Thessalonians 1 – 2 Thessalonians 3 (Morning)

                1 Timothy 1 – 1 Timothy 6  (Afternoon)

                2 Timothy 1 – 2 Timothy 4 (Bedtime)

Day 83 Titus 1 – Titus 3 (Morning )

                Philemon 1 (Afternoon)

                Hebrews 1 – Hebrews 13 (Bedtime)

Day 84 James 1 –  James 5  (Morning)

                1 Peter 1 – 1 Peter 5 (Afternoon)

                2 Peter 1 – 2 Peter 3 (Bedtime)

Day 85 1 John 1 – 1 John (Morning)

                2 John 1 (Afternoon)

                3 John  (Bedtime)

Day 86 Jude 1

Day 87 Revelation 1 – Revelation 6

Day 88 Revelation 7 – Revelation 18

Day 89 Revelation 19 – Revelation 22

Day 90 – PRAISE!