Thursdays with Joshua

Read Joshua 22:1-4 – Then Joshua called the Reubenites, the Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh, and said to them: “You have kept all that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, and have obeyed my voice in all that I commanded you. You have not left your brethren these many days, up to this day, but have kept the charge of the commandment of the Lord your God. And now the Lord your God has given rest to your brethren, as He promised them; now therefore, return and go to your tents and to the land of your possession, which Moses the servant of the Lord gave you on the other side of the Jordan. (NKJV)

Faithfulness marks the path to honor. When Joshua’s battles had concluded, he called the tribes of Reuben, Gad and Manasseh to him and commended them for their faithfulness. They chose land on the east side of the Jordan, the first land Israel had conquered, but they continued to fight with the army until all the tribes had their inheritance—just as Moses commanded. Now they could go to their new homes with their leader’s approval and their nation’s gratitude. Faithfulness doesn’t always garner a lot of attention, but it does get noticed. When you do the right things repeatedly, a harvest builds up that can’t be obtained with short-term actions. God established His creation under an agricultural pattern that shows us the value of sowing good seeds. When we do good things, a harvest of good things builds up in our lives. Just as wrong choices bring negative consequences, our good choices will bring good results. So, we are encouraged to be faithful, to not grow weary doing good and to honor God with the work of our hands. Don’t let momentary frustrations or any other excuse turn you from doing things well. Be your best and give your best for others, and a harvest will come. And with God, the harvests are always exponentially larger than the seeds you plant.

– Dr. Mike Clarensau serves as Senior Director of the Healthy Church Network of the Assemblies of God.