Partnership with God!
- May 2, 2025
- 5 min read
We are about to embark on a new series in the book of Joshua. It seems interesting to follow on from where we were last week with ‘Easter Witness.’
Matthew 28:19-20: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Chapter one of Joshua is much like this: verse 2 - "Now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, into the land that I am giving to them;" verse 9 - "Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”
The book of Joshua records some of the most interesting times for the children of Israel, but Joshua’s story began a long time before that! He was one of Moses’ top men (Exod 24:13), and along with Caleb was convinced that God had given Canaan into Israel’s hands (Num 14:5–10).
The book of Joshua is the fulfilment of a promise God made to His people some 500 years before. This book is really about God’s Faithfulness.
Go towards the end of the book, look at Joshuah 21:45 and then Joshua 23:14: “ Not one word has failed of all the good things that the Lord your God promised concerning you. All have come to pass for you; not one of them has failed.” Amazing!
Just stop and read that again and then thank Him that it’s so true for you today!
Back in Kadesh Barnea, they could have the fulfilment of the promise, but they failed to trust God. Hebrews 3:19 summarises this, “weren’t able to enter because of unbelief” .
Numbers 14:27-30: 'The LORD said to Moses and Aaron: "I have heard the complaints of these grumbling Israelites. So tell them… Not one of you will enter the land… except Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun.”'
We’re now at the end of a 40 years wilderness experience of ‘not entering’ because of Israel’s lack of faith and courage. Now we have the next part of the story.
A line is being drawn. It’s now ‘get ready to cross the Jordan.’
Someone has described wilderness as “the barren space between where we’ve been and where we are going; the empty place between a familiar, comfortable past and an unfamiliar, often risky future.”
Verse 1 - The old must die in order for the new to be born. Be dispensable!
There comes a time in the life of God’s people in any place when their leader passes on. The chapter starts, “Moses my servant is dead”, but it ends, “The Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
God has allowed me to lead people and churches through important periods in their lives. God's workmen move on/out, even die, but God's work is not dependent on men and women and it never dies.
Charles Wesley wrote over 9000 hymns. In 1876, a monument to him was erected in Westminster Abbey. At the base are these words by Charles Wesley, “God buries his workmen, but carries on his work.”
Enzo Bianchi says, "The greatest tragedy for a religious person is not being a sinner but the embracing of stagnation, the refusal to grow."
Even at my stage in life – I still want more, I want to continue to grow, I’m not done yet!! I’d like to believe that God has still got first claim on my life. What about YOURS?
Maybe through Joshua this will be the start of a new season, a new opportunity, a new venture because ‘we’ve never been this way before.’
We have already said that the overarching theme of Joshua is 'God’s Faithfulness', which speaks to me firstly of PARTNERSHIP.
The book of Joshua is one of entering in, not only the Promised Land, but pressing into God, and of knowing more and more God’s presence.
God comes to Joshua and says, "Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them"... “I will never leave you nor forsake you!” (v5). For Joshua, just as for Moses, moving in God’s will was a PARTNERSHIP! God had a part to play... and they had a part to play.
Charles Price wrote: “The specific will of God in any particular situation is never outside of his general will for all situations.”
At Kadesh Barnea, the nation, including Moses, lost the privilege to enter the Promised Land. Their actions show that unbelief can cost. Refusing the partnership that God will do what He says. Refusing to trust God by doing what He says.
Only 2 men out of over 1.2 million stepped foot into the promised land (Joshua and Caleb). Why? Because they alone had faith to see beyond their current circumstances and remain in Partnership with God! This way you’ll have confidence in the midst of uncertainty, courage in the face of fear, constancy in the midst of change, and hope in the overwhelming sense of gloom.
How you live and what you believe are equally important!
C.S. Lewis said, “You never know how much you really believe anything until its truth or falsehood becomes a matter of life and death to you.”
Romans 12:2 says,“Don’t copy the behaviour and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.”
God says to Joshua, "Want to know how this will work? – then know ME and my word!" (vs7-8). You can know all about God’s word (even have a degree in theology) ... but there’s a difference in having it in your head and on your heart!... Allowing God himself to so take hold of us that the very purpose of our lives is to honour Him! That’s the source of strength and courage!
We must get beyond the Kadesh Barnea’s of life!
That place of fear and failure; that place of turning an eleven day journey into forty years of wandering. It’s where we disregard and disobey God, to do what we want and go where we want to go.
Faithlessness is tragic because it blinds us to God’s presence and His power. We end up returning to the ‘start again of the journey’, roaming around the possible breakthroughs that remain in sight but out of reach.
In PARTNERSHIP with God there’s no end to what can be achieved! One who works in close partnership with God grows in the ability to discern what God wants, and prays accordingly, “Not my will, but yours, be done.”
Bishop of London said, “Be who God made you to be... and you can set the world on fire!”
LIVE by design not default!
There is nothing more liberating, empowering and comforting to know: “Lord will be with you wherever you go!” So,“do not be afraid!”
Maybe that’s how Joshua felt, ‘now the nation are looking to ME!' It was okay being Moses’ associate... at least the buck stopped with him! But God wasn’t calling him to be Moses... He’s calling him to be Joshua!
God just kept whispering... "Do not be afraid I will be with you." What a PARTNERSHIP!
Max Lucado said, “These days are Glory Days. My past is past, my future is bright, God’s promises are true and his Word is sure. With God as my helper, I will be all he wants me to be, do all he wants me to do, and receive all he wants me to receive. These are the Glory Days.”
Want more from God and continue to grow, yep. Believe God has a claim on my life, absolutely. Partnership with God, I/ we cannot do anything in our own strength or authority but only under God’s power. For months I have been praying about an important decision I am going to have to make at some time. I want to follow God’s will and I know His timings are perfect. I don’t think I am there yet but lately a few things have been laid before me whether in a passage of scripture or daily verse of the day that is perhaps setting the time for this decision to be made. In the past few days I am reminded…