The Law of Moses set a certain standard that the Jews were to live by. It was a standard that was pretty common throughout that time. However, Jesus challenges us to take a further step in coming closer to God. He came, not to change the Law, but to show a better way of following it.

The way of the world is to look down upon those who are less fortunate than us. We often scorn and mock those who do not fit in with others. But Jesus challenges that way of thinking. Those who are suffering for the sake of righteousness, no matter what their suffering looks like, they are the truly blessed ones. They are the ones that bring flavor and light to the world. They are the ones we need to emulate in our lives.

Only three major battles were fought over the Promised Land. In all three, God controlled the outcome of the battle and gave victory to his people. The final chapter of Joshua is focused on the future of the Israelites. Now that God had moved them from the desert to a home, how would they serve Him? Would comfort take them to idols, or would they remember who had gotten them to where they were?

No day had ever been like it, nor has there been a day like it since. The Sun stood still in the sky in order to provide victory for Joshua and the Israelites. All of this was the fulfill God’s glory in the Promised Land. When we have faith like Joshua, and we ask for miracles that further the kingdom of God, God is willing to answer these requests.

After the success of Jericho, the Israelites were confident they could face anything. But they soon found out that this was not true. Because of sin that was hiding in the dark, they did not have the Lord on their side. Sin kept them from moving forward in their journey, and it keeps us from moving forward as well.

Jericho was the most fortified city in the region. No army would have been able to stand against it. As Joshua contemplates how he is going to take the city, the Lord provides the answer. It is not Joshua who would overcome the unimaginable odds, but God would win the victory for his people.

God has given us many things. Our money is one of those things. And how we handle the money now will affect greatly what happens to us in the future. We need to be wise with what God has given us so that the Kingdom may expand. Tomorrow matters. And what we do today affects our tomorrow.

One of the biggest steps in mature faith is giving to the church. It is a sign of commitment to the local church, and a sign of trust in God. Too often, it is something that we are not always willing to do. Giving involves us handing over something that we think is ours. But Paul writes that giving is simply sowing for a harvest later. Giving is good and good for us.

Debt and the handling of money often times causes undue stress on people. Living paycheck to paycheck is not healthy for people. God has called Christians to live a different life. To live a life where debt is not the main problem they face. There is a greater enemy out there. One that we often forget when we are facing financial issues.

We live in a world that everyone wants what everyone else has. It is a world that we constantly compare ourselves to those around us. And if someone has it, then we need it. However, this constant comparison tends to lead to bad choices of our pocketbooks. We tend to buy things we really don’t need, or use. We throw our money away far too often. In the end, we need to remember that have less is often times more.