March 27 - Joshua 15:20-17:18

Good morning everyone,

Before we get started on today’s scripture I want to take a brief look at where we finished off yesterday. 15:13-19 Caleb offered the hand of his daughter, Acsah, in marriage to the one who would attack and capture the town Debir, which means “sanctuary”, (formerly called Kiriath-sepher which means “city of books”.) It was Caleb’s own nephew Othniel, who later will become the first judge after the death of Joshua, that took the challenge to heart, conquered the city, winning the hand of the fair maiden, Acsah, who then asked her father for a wedding present. She wished to receive a field in the Negev, which he promptly bestowed upon her, however, she was not satisfied with the portion her father gave her, and as she was proceeding toward her new home, she jumped down off her donkey and boldly asked for further blessing, a second gift, springs of water. What father could resist the pleading look in the eyes of his daughter? So it was that Caleb gave her the upper and lower springs. 

Chapters 16 and 17 describe the inheritance Joseph’s two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh were to receive. With both tribes we read that “they did not drive out” the people of the land. Totally disobeying what God had specifically told them to do. Why is this important? By failing to remove all of the pagan people and their gods, the infestation will once again grow which will prove to cause many problems for the nation Israel. 

Why is it so difficult to obey God? In John 14:15 Jesus said, “If you love Me, keep My commandments”. We should not be obeying God because we have to. When you love someone the way we should love our God you will, I will, we all will want to do all that we possibly can to please God, to make Him smile, to give Him glory and honor. If we love God, we will obey Him, not always and not perfectly, but that will be our desire our hearts and our lives will reflect that and we will tell others about Him. Mark 12:30 “And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. This is the first commandment.”

When I was researching this morning I came upon a story that immediately brought to mind a “share” my life group leader had last night; how we never know when God will call us home and are we doing all we can to spread God’s Word and change lives. If you will but plant the seeds, God will help them grow. I don’t normally do this, but today I am going to leave you with that story. Hopefully it will encourage all of us to be more obedient when God calls us to plant seeds asking the question “Do ‘oo love Jesus?” 

Do You Love Jesus 
by J. Vaughan, M.A. 

A long time ago, a gentleman, a young man, was traveling in a coach, and opposite to him there sat a lady, and the lady had a very little girl on her lap, a very sweet pretty little girl. This young man was very much pleased with the little girl: he played with her, took great notice of her, he lent her his penknife to play with; and he sang to her, and he told her little stories; he liked her so exceedingly. When the coach arrived at the hotel where they were to stop, this little girl put her face close to the young man's, and said, "Does 'oo love Jesus?" The young man could not catch it, and so he asked, "What do you say, my dear?" She said again, "Does 'oo love Jesus?" He blushed, and went out of the coach, but he could not forget the question. There was a large party to dinner, but he could hear nothing but, "Does 'oo love Jesus?" After dinner, he went to play billiards, and while playing he could not forget it "Does 'oo love Jesus?" He went to bed, uncomfortable in his mind. When on his bed at night, in his wakeful moments and in his dreams, he could only hear the same question, "Does 'oo love Jesus?" The next day he had to meet a lady by appointment, he was still thinking about it, he could not forget it, but spoke a little out loud, and when the young lady came in, he said, "Does 'oo love Jesus?" She said, "What are you talking about?" He said, "I forgot you were present. I was saying what a very little girl said to me yesterday, 'Does 'oo love Jesus?'" She said, "What did you say to her?" He replied, "I said nothing. I did not know what to say." So it went on. Five years afterwards, that gentleman was walking, I think it was through the city of Bath. As he was going along the streets, he saw at the window the very lady who had had the little girl on her lap. Seeing her, he could not help ringing the bell, and asked if he might speak to her. He introduced himself to her thus: "I am the gentleman you will remember, perhaps, who travelled with you in a coach some years since." She said, "I remember it quite well." He said, "Do you remember your little girl asking me a question?" She said, "I do, and I remember how confused you were about it." He said, "May I see that little girl?" The lady looked out of the window, she was crying. He said, "What! what! is she dead?" "Yes, yes," was the reply. "She is in heaven. But come with me, and I will show you her room. I will show you all her treasures." And the gentleman went into the room, and there he saw her Bible, and a great many prize books, very prettily bound; and he saw all her childish playthings, and the lady said, "That is all that is now left of my sweet Lettie." And the gentleman replied, "No, madam, that is not all that is left of her. I am left. I am left. I owe my soul to her. I was a wicked man when I first saw her, and I was living among other wicked people, and living a very bad life. But she said those words to me, and I never forgot them. And since that time I am quite changed. I am not the man I was. I am now God's. I can answer that question now. Don't say that all of little Lettie is gone." And now I say to you, and to everybody in this church, "Does 'oo love Jesus?” 

I pray you have a great day to God be the glory. 

God bless you all…