Joshua 6:10-21 (NLT)

Now the gates of Jericho were tightly shut because the people were afraid of the Israelites. No one was allowed to go out or in. But the Lord said to Joshua, “I have given you Jericho, its king, and all its strong warriors. You and your fighting men should march around the town once a day for six days. Seven priests will walk ahead of the Ark, each carrying a ram’s horn. On the seventh day you are to march around the town seven times, with the priests blowing the horns. When you hear the priests give one long blast on the rams’ horns, have all the people shout as loud as they can. Then the walls of the town will collapse, and the people can charge straight into the town.”

So Joshua called together the priests and said, “Take up the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant, and assign seven priests to walk in front of it, each carrying a ram’s horn.” Then he gave orders to the people: “March around the town, and the armed men will lead the way in front of the Ark of the Lord.”

After Joshua spoke to the people, the seven priests with the rams’ horns started marching in the presence of the Lord, blowing the horns as they marched. And the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant followed behind them. Some of the armed men marched in front of the priests with the horns and some behind the Ark, with the priests continually blowing the horns. “Do not shout; do not even talk,” Joshua commanded. “Not a single word from any of you until I tell you to shout. Then shout!” So the Ark of the Lord was carried around the town once that day, and then everyone returned to spend the night in the camp.

Joshua got up early the next morning, and the priests again carried the Ark of the Lord. The seven priests with the rams’ horns marched in front of the Ark of the Lord, blowing their horns. Again the armed men marched both in front of the priests with the horns and behind the Ark of the Lord. All this time the priests were blowing their horns. On the second day they again marched around the town once and returned to the camp. They followed this pattern for six days.

On the seventh day the Israelites got up at dawn and marched around the town as they had done before. But this time they went around the town seven times. The seventh time around, as the priests sounded the long blast on their horns, Joshua commanded the people, “Shout! For the Lord has given you the town! Jericho and everything in it must be completely destroyed as an offering to the Lord. Only Rahab the prostitute and the others in her house will be spared, for she protected our spies.

“Do not take any of the things set apart for destruction, or you yourselves will be completely destroyed, and you will bring trouble on the camp of Israel. Everything made from silver, gold, bronze, or iron is sacred to the Lord and must be brought into his treasury.”

When the people heard the sound of the rams’ horns, they shouted as loud as they could. Suddenly, the walls of Jericho collapsed, and the Israelites charged straight into the town and captured it. They completely destroyed everything in it with their swords—men and women, young and old, cattle, sheep, goats, and donkeys.

Explanation:

In this passage, Israel has crossed the Jordan River and they are beginning to possess Canaan.

Jericho is the first city they need to conquer, and it is surrounded by a 28-foot-tall, 6-foot-wide stone wall. God gives their leader Joshua some very complicated fighting instructions to be able to get into Jericho.

God did this to make it totally clear they would have to depend on God. It all sounded a bit much, but He was going to use it to illustrate that their strength wasn’t in their weapons and expertise, but in God. This is why priests carrying the ark, not soldiers, led the Israelites into battle. The residents of Jericho were already terrified because they had heard of God’s faithfulness to the Israelites and the miracles He was doing on their behalf. This further accentuated their terror. This strange military maneuver was a test of the Israelites’ willingness to follow God completely. The trumpets they were instructed to blow were the trumpets used in religious festivals to remind them that their victory would come from God, not their own military might. They had to blow their trumpets in faith first, and victory would follow.

Application:

1. Verse two holds the key. God tells Joshua He has already given them Jericho. The walls could have simply fallen then. But God wanted Israel’s heart and wanted them to demonstrate obedience. What area of your life feels like a fortified wall that keeps you defeated? Ask God to show you explicit steps of obedience to lead you to freedom.

2. Notice the order of victory. Obedience ALWAYS preceded victory. Most of us are keenly aware of areas of our lives that harbor disobedience. Imagine the elation when Israel blew their trumpets, and huge fortified walls crumbled before their eyes. God wants, longs, desires to do that for you. Allow Him to, by obeying Him. It takes a huge amount of courage to obey, but the only way God can fight for us is if we follow His instructions first.

3. The seven days meant they had to wait on God’s timing, but they waited with expectancy. They didn’t go against God’s timing. What are you waiting on God for? Wait with expectation!

4. Instruments of worship, not warfare, were used in this battle. Obedience is a form of worship, and God’s heart is touched by our worship. What tools of your old life need to be replaced by obedience?

Prayer Prompt:

These are the words to an old hymn that succinctly captures what we must pray to lay hold of all God wants for us…for all the walls that hinder us to fall. If you have time today, let Israel Houghton sing it to you on Spotify.

All to Jesus I surrender

All to Him I freely give

I will ever love and trust Him

In His presence daily live

All to Jesus I surrender

Humbly at His feet I bow

Worldly pleasures all forsaken

Take me Jesus take me now

I surrender all

I surrender all

All to Thee my blessed Savior

I surrender all

All to Jesus I surrender

Make me Savior wholly Thine

Let me feel the Holy Spirit

Truly know that Thou art mine!

Devo Plus:

But this is what I commanded them, saying, 'Obey My voice, and I will be your God, and you will be My people; and you will walk in all the way which I command you, that it may be well with you.' (Jeremiah 7:23, NASB)

Ephesians 4:1-7, 11-16 (ESV)

I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call—one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ's gift.

And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

Explanation:

Today’s scripture is an excerpt of a letter that the apostle Paul wrote while he was in prison. Paul calls himself a prisoner for the Lord, meaning he was thrown in jail because of his faith. He tells us that we should follow God in a manner worthy of our calling—each of us was given the incredible gift of salvation, and once we truly understand that gift, we will want to serve and obey Him out of gratitude. We “walk worthy” because of His love for us, and we are to conduct ourselves as children of the Most High God, who want to reflect His image.

He tells us to be kind, forgiving, and generous to our fellow believers, so misunderstandings and wrong doings don’t destroy God’s purpose of bringing all things together in Jesus. By doing so, we fulfill the gift of unity in the Holy Spirit. In Jesus, we all are one family, one unified body, serving one God. That common thread is greater than any differences we may have.

Jesus works through the Holy Spirit to equip leaders and teachers to serve and to build up the body. These leaders equip the rest of us to serve according to how God leads. Once we are equipped with the appropriate tools, we are all then tasked to do our share, working together as one body.

Application:

1. What does it mean to you to be “worthy of your calling?”

2. How does the body of Christ compare to the human body?

Prayer Prompt:

In your prayers today, ask God to show you how you can help the body function as one unified organ. Ask Him to point out areas of opportunity in your life where you can improve in your walk with Him.

Devo Plus:

Read the above scripture in the New Living Translation to dive deeper in the understanding of today’s passage.

Ephesians 2:19-22 (NLT)

So now you Gentiles are no longer strangers and foreigners. You are citizens along with all of God’s holy people. You are members of God’s family. Together, we are his house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself. We are carefully joined together in him, becoming a holy temple for the Lord. Through him you Gentiles are also being made part of this dwelling where God lives by his Spirit.

Explanation:

Gentiles were anyone who wasn’t a Jew. Gentiles lived among the Jews, but did not have the spiritual rights of the Jews in the Old Testament. Paul is letting the Gentiles know that now, through Jesus, they have all the spiritual benefits the Jews had as God’s chosen people. They are no longer wandering exiles. This kingdom of faith is now theirs. They are no longer strangers or outsiders. They belong. They have as much right to the name Christian as anyone, and salvation belongs to them, too.

God is building a home. He’s using us all in what He is building. He used the apostles and prophets for the foundation. Now He’s using us, fitting us in brick by brick, stone by stone, with Christ Jesus as the cornerstone that holds all the parts together.

Application:

1. We see it taking shape day after day—a holy temple built by God, all of us built into it, a temple in which God is quite at home. How do you see God making Himself at home in your life?

2. A cornerstone is the first stone set in construction of a masonry foundation. All other stones will be set in reference to this stone, thus determining the position of the entire structure. Verse 20 tells us that once we accept Christ as our Savior, our spiritual foundation is formed on Him, and He determines our formation. Verse 21 says we are carefully joined together in Him, becoming a holy temple for the Lord. Do you see how vital it is to surrender to His work in our lives, so He can dwell in us? Ponder God dwelling in you. It is a powerful reality, isn’t it?

Prayer Prompt:

I believe that I cannot by my own understanding or effort believe in Jesus Christ my Lord, but the Holy Spirit has called me through the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, and sanctified and kept me in true faith. In the same way, He calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies the whole Christian church on earth and keeps it united with Jesus Christ in the one true faith. In this Christian Church, day after day, He fully forgives my sins and the sins of all believers. On the last day, He will raise me and all the dead, and give me and all believers in Christ eternal life.

(Explanation to the third article of the Apostles Creed by Martin Luther)

Devo Plus:

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great

Romans 15:5-7 (NLT)

“May God, who gives this patience and encouragement, help you live in complete harmony with each other, as is fitting for followers of Christ Jesus. Then all of you can join together with one voice, giving praise and glory to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, accept each other just as Christ has accepted you so that God will be given glory.”

Explanation:

This describes the Christian life and how God wants us to live and interact with one another. The apostle Paul wrote this almost as a prayer for the early church in Rome. God wants us to live in such unity and harmony that we are one body.

Our God is a God of patience who accomplishes His will in His perfect timing. We are able to partner with Him in this, by His Holy Spirit in our lives. “With one voice” is referencing an agreement with what is being taught, and not promoting an atmosphere of gossip. Every member of the church should have a similar mind and voice that the message of salvation does not change from one person to another. This message is that Jesus is God’s Son and has the ability to bring us into relationship with God. Then, as a like-minded body, we give God the honor and glory that only He deserves through our worship and praise. Paul concludes that the church should be a safe and welcoming place for all people, accepting just like Jesus accepts us.

Application:

1. Do you approach church as “one voice,” and are you willing to submit to biblical teaching?

2. Have you experienced God’s patience and encouragement in your life?

3. Are you able to encourage other people and provide for their needs, if a situation presents itself that you are able to help? If not, what steps can you make to change this?

4. Do you help by making church a place of acceptance and understanding, no matter the person, or does God need to soften your heart in this area?

Prayer Prompt:

Holy Father in heaven, thank You for the church body and the differences that make us unique. Help us have a similar mind and voice that encourages us to seek You more, and welcomes others to experience Jesus as their savior.

Devo Plus:

For further study, read 1 Corinthians 12.

I love the New Year. I love fresh starts, setting goals, and thinking about things that can be achieved. I love thinking about how life can physically, emotionally, spiritually, and mentally look different next year at this time than it does right now. The New Year is a perfect time to reflect on things in your life that you want to change, and then set goals to make that happen.

A friend and coworker recommended a series of podcasts last year that were excellent, and the speaker talked about the idea of setting small goals to achieve big changes. It’s overwhelming and usually unattainable to think that you are going to take radical and huge steps all at once to achieve your goal(s). It’s much more realistic to think about making a few small changes over time that will produce the results you are looking for. This really stuck out to me and made me re-evaluate how I set goals. Little changes over time produce big results. That’s my approach for my resolutions and goals this year.

Why should we set goals and make changes in our lives? I think doing this lines up with how God calls us to live. As Christians, we should be constantly trying to live a life that models Jesus. We should be evaluating how we live, and if it reflects God and His love. As we pursue God, He opens our eyes to see areas in our lives that He desires to change and mold. It’s a lifelong process of being refined. In Philippians 3:13-14 (ESV), Paul says, “Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”

What are you pursuing this year? What goals are you setting so you become more like Jesus this year? Do you want to be a kinder, more forgiving person? If so, what small steps can you take to look more like that at the end of this year? Are you wanting to be more patient with people this year? What small steps can you set up in your life to help you achieve this? I encourage you to take some time soon to think and pray about what changes you desire to make in your life this year, and then put some small steps in place to help you achieve those goals. Remember that we are all a work in progress as we press on to be more like Jesus. He can give us the strength and mercy we need as we walk in pursuit of Him. Happy New Year!

1 Peter 2:9-10 (ESV)

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

Explanation:

When each person makes a decision to believe in and follow Jesus, they become a part of God’s people. A people who walk in relationship with God. There was a time when we were walking around in darkness, before we knew Christ. But now we are God’s people, walking in the light, shining His brightness. No longer held by the grip of our sin, we are forgiven and shown mercy.

What a wonderful gift it is to receive this gift and be called one of God’s chosen. To be known as His child, His people. May we never lose sight of this gift. May this stir our hearts and cause us to live out the calling that has been placed on our lives. We are His, and the way we conduct our lives should show that to the world.

Application:

1. How does this verse speak to you when you first read it?

2. What does it mean to know that you are one of God’s chosen people?

3. How does your life look different now, compared to when you were not walking with God?

Prayer Prompt:

God, we are so thankful for the fact that You chose us, and called us into the light and out of the darkness. Thank You for bringing us into Your family, Your people, so we can not only walk with You, but also receive Your incredible gifts of mercy, freedom, and forgiveness. Help us to live as a forgiven people who are reflecting Your light.

Devo Plus:

Take time to read 1 Peter 2:1-11 to dive in a little deeper.

1 Corinthians 12:7, 12-27 (ESV)

To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.

For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.

For the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, yet one body.

The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.

Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.

Explanation:

Every part of the body matters. Our human bodies have numerous parts, each with a different purpose and function. All of the parts of our body must function in the manner they were designed in order for us to function properly. But as we all know, if one part of our body is injured, ill, or struggling, the rest of the body compensates for it.

The same is true with the church, the body of believers. If one person is struggling, we all struggle. If one person is not carrying their weight, we all compensate for it. Each of us has a purpose. We were designed and created to function within the body. We all have different gifts and abilities with the purpose to function in the body. We were not designed that way on accident, but on purpose, so we could play out our role in the body. And if we don’t do the part we were created and designed to do, the whole body suffers and has to pick up the slack. When we become a part of the body, we are no longer living for our selfish desires and wants. We get the privilege of being a bigger part of what God is doing. May we each play our part to lift up the body, so Christ may be glorified in and through us.

Application:

1. What do you feel is your role in the body of believers?

2. How can you become a better functioning part of the body?

3. What are some practical steps you will take this week to be a healthier functioning part of the body of Christ?

Prayer Prompt:

Take some time to seek God. Ask Him to reveal to you the part you play. If you are doing your part, ask Him to show you any ways you can improve. If you are not doing your part, ask God to give you wisdom and show you exactly what your role looks like in the larger body, and how you can function in the body and do your part.

Devo Plus:

To learn more about what it means to be a part of the body of Christ, check out Romans 12:4-5.

John 17:20-23 (ESV)

“I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.”

Explanation:

If you were ever curious about what Jesus came to accomplish through His life, death, and resurrection, you can pinpoint that through today’s reading. Jesus came to restore unity, specifically the unity with God originally designed in the garden. This is what God wanted all along, and Jesus came to restore that again, since sin had damaged that harmonious relationship. As you can see, Jesus operated out of His oneness with His Father. His security, His contentedness, His protection, His conviction, His identity, His hope, His peace, His everything came out of this beautiful “we are one” relationship with the Father. Jesus did not wrestle with who He was, or where His provision would come from. And Jesus so wanted everyone in the world to experience this that He literally became man and died for it. He gave His life for this cause.

My friends, don’t miss this. The opportunity to connect with the Father, like Jesus did, is available to you. Jesus died so you can live with the Father. This was Jesus’s prayer and plea to the Father through these words you read today. The glory of this is now at hand, and this relationship starts by believing the words Jesus spoke and are written to you today.

Application:

1. How would a oneness with the Father impact your life?

2. How do you need to start walking in this oneness today?

3. How would you like to share this truth with others in your life?

Prayer Prompt:

Jesus, I desire the oneness that You have with the Father. I desire to find everything I need through this relationship, both now and forevermore. Thank You for Your amazing sacrifice that restored me and made this possible again. Help me to share this good news with others in my life.

Devo Plus:

Make a list of people you can share this truth with, and then share it with at least one person from your list this week.

Hebrews 4:1-11 (ESV)

Therefore, while the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us fear lest any of you should seem to have failed to reach it. For good news came to us just as to them, but the message they heard did not benefit them, because they were not united by faith with those who listened. For we who have believed enter that rest, as he has said, “As I swore in my wrath, ‘They shall not enter my rest,’” although his works were finished from the foundation of the world. For he has somewhere spoken of the seventh day in this way: “And God rested on the seventh day from all his works.” And again in this passage he said,

“They shall not enter my rest.”

Since therefore it remains for some to enter it, and those who formerly received the good news failed to enter because of disobedience, again he appoints a certain day, “Today,” saying through David so long afterward, in the words already quoted, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.”

For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken of another day later on. So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, for whoever has entered God's rest has also rested from his works as God did from his.

Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience.

Explanation:

The main goal of the book of Hebrews is to show how Jesus fulfilled the themes of the Jewish scriptures. Not to eradicate them, but to demonstrate what they meant in light of Jesus and how they are meant to be fulfilled. Sabbath and rest are major themes of the Jewish writings. Failing to trust God and practice a Sabbath were some of the main reasons why the Israelites were exiled to other lands.

So, the writer of Hebrews wants his Jewish readers to understand what it means to find true Sabbath rest. He wants them to know how to find the real “promised land” that all of them desired. And for the writer of Hebrews, true rest is found in trusting Jesus…that Jesus’s once and for all sacrifice is enough to set things right between God and man, and to give the Sabbath rest God always intended for His people. Where they trust Him to provide, and can find the peace and prosperity they all desired.

But the writer of Hebrews warns his readers to make sure they don’t do what the ancient Israelites did by being disobedient. He warns them to grab hold tight to Jesus, and find rest in a relationship with Him.

Application:

1. What is one thing that stands out to you in today’s passage?

2. Is there something in your life right now that is causing unrest?

3. Is there something you need to do that would put the situation into God’s hands, where you had to trust and depend on Him?

4. How do you think trusting Jesus will bring you peace in this situation?

Prayer Prompt:

Ask God to show you in what ways He wants you to trust Him.

Ask God to give you peace and rest as you lay your life in His hands.

Devo Plus:

Instead of working to study, take some time today and just think about all the ways Jesus has brought rest into your life. Thank Him for that rest, and let that inform the tough situations you will face tomorrow.

Matthew 12:9-14 (ESV)

He went on from there and entered their synagogue. And a man was there with a withered hand. And they asked him, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”—so that they might accuse him. He said to them, “Which one of you who has a sheep, if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not take hold of it and lift it out? Of how much more value is a man than a sheep! So it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.” Then he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And the man stretched it out, and it was restored, healthy like the other. But the Pharisees went out and conspired against him, how to destroy him.

Explanation:

The Pharisees were constantly trying to trap Jesus. They would continually ask questions or try to catch Jesus doing something they thought went against what the Law said. They did not believe He was the Messiah and tried to do everything in their power to prove it. In this case, they were trying to see if Jesus would do something unlawful by doing “work” on the Sabbath. The Sabbath was a day set aside to rest, reflect, and spend with God.

Jesus is in the synagogue on the Sabbath and finds a man in need of healing. The Pharisees think they finally have Jesus in a trap, and will have a case against Him. Jesus declares to them that doing good is not the same as work. There is always room to do good for others. Although the Sabbath is a day of rest, it doesn’t mean you can’t do good. You are not to stop living out your faith simply because it is a day of rest, if given a wonderful opportunity to do good and encourage others.

Jesus is in the people business. In this story, He shows that people are what matter, and doing good is not work. It is something that should be a natural part of who we are. We are called to rest, but our job to show mercy and to love others should be a part of our everyday. We have an opportunity every single day to do good and be Jesus to others.

Application:

1. What are the Pharisees missing out on by constantly trying to accuse Jesus?

2. Why do you think Jesus prevails every single time?

3. What does this passage tell you about a Sabbath?

4. What is one good deed you will try to do for someone else this week?

Prayer Prompt:

God, we thank You that You have created us to need rest. But our prayer is that we will also look for opportunities to do good...to reach out to others, to be kind, to show mercy, to be gracious, and to shower our world with love. Whether it is a Monday or a Sabbath, may we be people who are a light, and show this world Your love.

Devo Plus:

Read Mark 3:1-6 and Luke 6:6-11 to read other accounts of this story.