1 - Recipe for Success | Lessons of Faith from Joshua

Joshua, Moses' successor, was over 20 when he left Egypt. Apart from Caleb, he was the only one who survived the 40 years of wandering in the desert. He was one of the spies who explored the land of Canaan – a faithful servant of God who knew God from his own experience and was Moses' right-hand man for a long time. God chose him to lead the people of Israel into the land of Canaan.

Joshua 1:5-6 contains God's promises to him. We too can know that when we are called to a work, we are acting together with God and that He will not forsake us. But there are conditions and clear guidelines (Joshua 1:7-8): those who act according to God's law will succeed. Joshua and the entry into Canaan represent final redemption and the new homeland. Thus, Joshua is also a picture of Christ.

What role does the people play in entering the Promised Land? The exodus from Egypt is not yet the entry into Canaan. In between lies the path of faith. On this path, faith must grow and prove itself. Unbelief was then, as now, the poison that prevented true liberation. If our hearts are unbelieving, we risk repeating the history of the people of Israel. The self-deception in our hearts must be recognized. It is crucial to know how to believe and how to receive the Word of God. For life is in the Word, and the Word is received through faith.

It is a race of faith – rebirth is the start, growth leads us to perfection. The story of Joshua is the story of faith. What, then, is the difference between faith and presumption? More on all this in the first part of the series “Lessons of Faith from Joshua.”