OT Fire Starters – Day 86: Joshua 1-2

READ: Joshua 1-2

THINK: If you’re like most young people, you dream of success. But how do you define or measure success, and how will you know if you’ve achieved it? Some people’s view of success amounts to little more than a self-centered pursuit of wealth, fame or power. But true success isn’t a selfish ideal. God created you with a desire for significance and He wants to develop in you the drive to have a positive influence in the world. But you won’t find or fulfill your ultimate purpose by doing things your own way. God’s plans must be carried out according to His principles and by His power. That can only happen as you base your life on God’s Word-the pattern for true success. Getting into the Word and letting the Word get into you can ensure that you become all you were created to be.

RESPOND: What kind of man was Joshua, and what can you learn from his example? (See 1:1 note.) How does Joshua’s role in the Old Testament symbolize what Jesus did in the New Testament? What does the “promised land” represent for New Testament believers? (See 1:2 note, subpoint 1.) How does Israel’s conquest and possession of the promised land represent how Christians today must persevere in their relationship with Christ? (See 1:2 note, subpoints 2 & 3.) How does God’s promise to Joshua apply to you? (See 1:5 note.) What’s the condition for receiving God’s promise-then and now? (See 1:7 note.) What can you do to help ensure that you obey God’s Word? (See 1:8 first note.) What does it mean to meditate on God’s Word, and what’s the benefit of doing it? (See 1:8 second note.) How does living according to God’s Word make you successful? (See 1:8 third note.) Despite her sinful past, why would Rahab and her family be saved when Jericho fell to the Israelites? (See 2:1 second note.) What does Rahab’s rescue illustrate about God’s plan of salvation? In what way did Rahab show faith, despite her obvious flaws at the time she hid the spies? (See 2:5 note.) What did the scarlet chord symbolize in Old Testament terms? (See 2:21 note.)

PRAY: Thank Jesus for never leaving or forsaking you and for giving you victory over your spiritual enemies as you trust and obey Him. Ask God to give you insight from His Word as you meditate on it and apply it.

ACT: Select one or two Bible verses or passages that have challenged or inspired you recently. Write these verses out on something you can keep with you at all times. Throughout the day, meditate on these passages, quietly rehearsing each aspect of the passages over and over in your mind. Rely on the Holy Spirit for insight, mulling over what these verses mean and considering how you can apply them in your current situations.