God's Promises Never Fail
You know in your hearts and souls, all of you, that not one thing has failed of all the good things which the Lord your God promised concerning you. (Joshua 23:14)
Josh. 23:2-3, 6-11, 14-16 and 24:14-15; Deut. 30:15; Rom. 8:28, 37-38; II Cor. 2:14; Gal. 6:9
What Is God Saying?
Joshua was a man of undivided loyalties. His trust in the promises of God matched his obedience to the Word of God, which is what made him a great leader. He led the children of Israel from wandering in the wilderness into the settling of the Promised Land. It was a monumental task, and it called for a courageous leader. The warfare was not so much against the people of idolatry as it was against the idolatry of the people. That was subtle and tempting. Only an all-out loyalty to God and a total commitment to His Word could win the long and tiring conquest. Joshua kept calling his people forward, inspiring them to do it God's way. Along the way, he emphasized, ‘Not one thing has failed of all the good things which the Lord your God promised.’ Joshua was blessed to hear the people he loved and led say in his hearing, ‘The Lord our God we will serve and his will we will obey’ (24:24).
How Does This Apply To Us?
The greatest blessings come from our obedience to God’s Word and trusting His promises. But we must never mistake the patience of God with His approval. The same God, the same loving God, who gives promises to the faithful, gives warnings to the careless and disobedient. We should not shelve what we know of the God of the Old Testament. We have a clearer idea of God as our loving Father because of Christ, but He is still the eternal God in both the Old and the New Covenants. If we choose (and the choice is ours) to live by His will, His promises will keep us. If we choose to live in a way He cannot bless and approve, we may get our way but live to regret its painful consequences. It is a God of Love who wants us to choose life and avoid death. His promises are good. His warnings are real. Trust His promises. Walk in His ways. Do this not for the easy life but for the victorious life. Adversity makes us grow because we learn to trust the promises of God. They never fail. Sing again and again the old hymn-better yet, live it again and again:
‘Standing on the promises that cannot fail, when the howling storms of doubt and fear assail, by the living Word of God, I shall prevail, standing on the promises of God.’
Pray With Me
All Your people know, Lord, that of all the good things You promised concerning them, not one has failed. Joshua reminded them of this near the end of his life. He was a man of faith. He lived and conquered based on Your promises. Looking back on a lifetime of courage and faithfulness, he saw Your promises fulfilled. Not one had failed. You not only promised good things, but You made good on Your promises. Help me to live on Your promises. Let them be as light to show where I am going. Let them be as food to give me spiritual energy. Let them be as arms underneath to keep me from discouragement or fear. When my spirit is heavy, and my strength grows weak, give me a renewed vision of Your promises-
• ‘In due season, you shall reap if you faint not.’
• ‘In everything, God works for good with those who love him, who are the called according to his purpose.’
• ‘Thanks be to God whom Christ always leads us in triumph.’
• ‘Nothmg will be able to separate us from the love of God.’
I will dwell on all the good things You have promised. That is the path of victory and the door to health. That is what gives me Heaven on the way to Heaven. Evidences of Your love surround me. I am floating on an ocean with an abundance of Your blessings. I cannot number all the good things You have promised and given. I rely on this, ‘Of all the good things You have promised, not one has failed.’ Since You do not change, I trust that not one good thing will fail through all my tomorrows!
Through Jesus Christ, my Lord, in whom all the promises of God find their Yes. Amen.
Moving On In The Life of Prayer
The Israelites who followed Joshua had to make a clean break from idolatry, which competed for their loyalty and interest. For us, prayer is, among other things, a time when we confess our wayward thoughts and our slackening interest in the Word and the will of God. The prelude to every prayer should often, if not always, be, ‘Lord, help me to put away the foreign gods which I have allowed to come into my heart today (and then carefully and honestly name them before God). I will serve You alone, O God, and Your voice I will obey.’ Having taken that first step into the closet of prayer, we will watch how joyful our communion with Him becomes and how faithfully His promises are fulfilled in us!
