No, not the characters from Mad Magazine that I read when I was a kid. I’m thinking of two sets of spies: the twelve that Moses sent out in Numbers 13 and the two that Joshua sent out in Joshua 2.

Moses’ 12 brought back a physical report:

And they told him, “We came to the land to which you sent us. It flows with milk and honey, and this is its fruit. However, the people who dwell in the land are strong, and the cities are fortified and very large. And besides, we saw the descendants of Anak there. (Numbers 13.27 – 28, ESV)

A physical report: big fruit, big enemies. The result was that the people “elected” not to go into the land.

Joshua sent out just two spies:

And Joshua the son of Nun sent two men secretly from Shittim as spies, saying, “Go, view the land, especially Jericho.” And they went and came into the house of a prostitute whose name was Rahab and lodged there. (Joshua 2.1, ESV)

Unlike Moses’ 12 spies who brought back a physical report, these two actually talked to Rahab and brought back a psychological report:

Before the spies were down for the night, the woman came up to them on the roof and said, “I know that GOD has given you the land. We’re all afraid. Everyone in the country feels hopeless. We heard how GOD dried up the waters of the Red Sea before you when you left Egypt, and what he did to the two Amorite kings east of the Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom you put under a holy curse and destroyed. We heard it and our hearts sank. We all had the wind knocked out of us. And all because of you, you and GOD, your God, God of the heavens above and God of the earth below. (Joshua 2.8 – 11, MSG)

And that’s the report the men brought back;

The men headed back. They came down out of the hills, crossed the river, and returned to Joshua son of Nun and reported all their experiences. They told Joshua, “Yes! GOD has given the whole country to us. Everybody there is in a state of panic because of us.” (Joshua 2.23 – 24, MSG)

Looks can be deceiving. Moses’ spies saw only the outside of the “giants.” They didn’t see the inside – that the giants were afraid.

Back to our story of Richard Kagel, the atheist our pastor encouraged to pray. I would have seen an atheist. Why bother to talk to him? Pastor Dave saw a man in great need and encouraged him to pray to the God Richard didn’t believe existed. (If you missed that story, please check it out.)

[Abraham] did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform. (Romans 4.20 – 21, NKJV)

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen…By an act of faith, Rahab, the Jericho harlot, welcomed the spies and escaped the destruction that came on those who refused to trust God. (Hebrews 11.1, NKJV…31, MSG)

Earlier this week, we looked at God’s challenge to Joshua which opens with:

Moses my servant is dead. Get going. Cross this Jordan River, you and all the people. (Joshua 1.2, MSG)

Continuing through verse 9, God challenges Joshua twice to be strong and courageous. And in between, he gives the secret to being strong and courageous, which I don’t want to gloss over:

And don’t for a minute let this Book of The Revelation be out of mind. Ponder and meditate on it day and night, making sure you practice everything written in it. Then you’ll get where you’re going; then you’ll succeed. (Joshua 1.8, MSG)

Joshua 1.8 is in practically every scripture memory plan I know of such, as The Navigators’ Topical Memory System, Every Man a Warrior, or the 2:7 Series (which includes the Topical Memory System). Most of us learned it like this:

This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. (Joshua 1.8, NKJV)

It should be obvious that we can’t meditate on the scripture “day and night” unless we’ve memorized it! Here’s a good word about scripture memory and how to make it happen that I wrote back in 2019.

It wouldn’t hurt any of us to add scripture memory to our list of challenges for 2024. I need to be more regular and systematic myself. Last year’s (or last decade’s!) scripture memory is good – after all, verses properly memorized stay with us – but I need to stay with it. From my 2019 blog:

Whenever I’m around the old Navigators, they all say the same thing when asked something like, “Why are you still following Jesus and making disciples in your old age?” They always say, “Quiet time and scripture memory.” In my book Live the Adventure, I tell about Navigators (the late) Skip and Buzzie Gray, then in their late 80s, and Jerry White, then in his late 70s, saying that very thing. Well-known author Dallas Willard wrote that if he were limited to one discipline, it would be scripture memory.

It’s not limited to high-powered people. I was talking with a friend a few weeks ago, by all measures “an ordinary guy” who hasn’t had an easy life. Through God’s help he not only gets through it, he thrives. In the middle of our conversation, he said, quoting Psalm 17.15:

“As for me, I will see Your face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness.” That’s what keeps me going.

King David knew the secret too:

Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You! (Psalm 119.11, NKJV)

As did Jesus:

But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’ ” (Matthew 4.4, NKJV)

Good morning! It’s January 6th, the 12th day of Christmas, the commemoration of the visit of the wise men, and I’m reprising what I wrote last year…

Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” …[after Herod told them to go to Bethlehem as prophesied by Micah], they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. And going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. (Matthew 2.1, 2, 9 – 11, ESV)

Here’s a brief summary of what we know and don’t know:

• We don’t know there were three. The text mentions three kinds of gifts. The gifts, by the way, could have been used to fund Mary, Joseph, and Jesus’ trip to Egypt.
• We do know the wise men were NOT at the manger. Jesus is referred to as a “child,” and the place they visited him was a “house.”
• We don’t know exactly what the star was: a comet, a conjunction of planets, or some other phenomenon.
• We can presume that these “wise men” were descendants of men who were contemporaries of Daniel in Babylon. (See, for example, Daniel 2.17, 18)

So many lessons!

• Jesus was visited by shepherds (the uneducated poor) and wise men (the educated wealthy)
• We can say that…
  • The wise men at the beginning of the story were inspired (by the star) but not informed (by scripture)
  • The Jerusalem religious leaders and scholars were informed but not inspired. I have written about this before.
  • Finally, the wise men were informed AND inspired, and they worshiped.

I leave you with the song that nicely captures this beautiful verse – well worth the three minutes. (Update: you may have to poke around to find the song. The link goes to some long ads first.)

When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. (Matthew 2.10, NKJV)

P.S. We live in Monument, Colorado, and a smaller town just to our northwest is Palmer Lake. In 1935, the town laid out the Palmer Lake Star on a small mountain as a symbol of hope in the middle of the depression. One can see it from I-25 driving north from Colorado Springs and from many other places, too. Every year it’s on from Saturday after Thanksgiving through December. On Christmas Evening, 2022, we had a glorious sunset. Loralyn Kokes posted this picture on NextDoor:

Today’s post marks the end of five years of daily posting since January 6, 2019. 1,832 blogs in 1,826 days. And the Lord hasn’t yet told me to stop, so I will continue. Thanks for being with me on the journey.

Right after I wrote the blog about my friend whose race is nearly over, I celebrated my 77th birthday. Someone asked what I was most grateful for, and, thinking of my friend, I replied:

I am grateful that I am still here and able to make a contribution.

Write what you see…and send it to the…churches… (Revelation 1.11, ESV)

Yesterday we noticed that God called for Joshua to be strong and courageous as he led the people in a very real military campaign to claim the Promised Land.

It’s one thing for us to think about Strength! Courage! as we fight our metaphorical battles. It’s quite another to think about it as Joshua did OR if you’re a Christ-follower in a war zone.

Christianity Today looked at the top ten verses most “read, shared, and bookmarked” in the YouVersion Bible app in Ukraine:

And look what’s in position #4: our verse! Joshua 1.9

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.

Or, as it reads in The Message:

Haven’t I commanded you? Strength! Courage! Don’t be timid; don’t get discouraged. GOD, your God, is with you every step you take.

One of the four Ukrainian leaders interviewed by Christianity Today offered this observation on the list:

I see three themes in this list of verses. The first is God’s comforting presence in 1 Peter, Romans, Philippians, and especially Isaiah 41:10: “I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

Another set provides the remedy against the fear and weakness brought upon us by Russian aggression. Be strong and courageous, we read in Joshua. Timothy contrasts God’s love with timidity. And in Philippians we are reminded that God will give us the strength we need.

But the third group calls us to the church’s role in a broken world. We are to express God’s love (John 3:16), seek his kingdom (Matt. 6:33), and, in the process, guard our hearts (Prov. 4:23)—and by extension the hearts of those around us as well. Our perspective on the world has shifted, and as the church inquires about the theology of mission, it is no longer the dualism of church and state—it now crucially includes society as well. – Valentin Siniy, president of Tavriski Christian Institute, Kherson, emphasis his

“Be strong and courageous” is “the remedy against the fear and weakness brought upon us by Russian aggression.” How’s that for a practical, real-world application of scripture to the challenge of life as it is?

Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the LORD your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you. (Deuteronomy 31.6, NKJV)

I wrote yesterday that the Bible’s History section is a continued record of God’s dealing with his people, and Joshua opens matter-of-factly with

After the death of Moses the servant of GOD, GOD spoke to Joshua, Moses’ assistant… (Joshua 1.1, MSG)

And here’s what God said, parsed out for clarity:

Moses my servant is dead.

• Get going.
• Cross this Jordan River, you and all the people.
• Cross to the country I’m giving to the People of Israel. I’m giving you every square inch of the land you set your foot on—just as I promised Moses. From the wilderness and this Lebanon east to the Great River, the Euphrates River—all the Hittite country—and then west to the Great Sea.
• It’s all yours.

All your life, no one will be able to hold out against you.

• In the same way I was with Moses, I’ll be with you.
• I won’t give up on you; I won’t leave you.

Strength! Courage!

• You are going to lead this people to inherit the land that I promised to give their ancestors.
• Give it everything you have, heart and soul.
• Make sure you carry out The Revelation that Moses commanded you, every bit of it. Don’t get off track, either left or right, so as to make sure you get to where you’re going.
• And don’t for a minute let this Book of The Revelation be out of mind. Ponder and meditate on it day and night, making sure you practice everything written in it. Then you’ll get where you’re going; then you’ll succeed. Haven’t I commanded you?

Strength! Courage!

• Don’t be timid;
• don’t get discouraged.
• GOD, your God, is with you every step you take. (Joshua 1.2 – 9, MSG)

Some good words as we go into a New Year:

• Don’t live in the past. Carry out the mission God has for you. If you don’t know what that is, ask Him!

• God is with you…especially when you’re on mission!

• “Be strong and courageous” (is how it reads in the standard versions). You will succeed. Live by the Word. Meditate on the Word.

• “Be strong and courageous” – don’t be timid or discouraged.

Paul echoes…

Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain. (1 Corinthians 15.58, ESV)

God is strong, and he wants you strong. So take everything the Master has set out for you, well-made weapons of the best materials. And put them to use so you will be able to stand up to everything the Devil throws your way. This is no afternoon athletic contest that we’ll walk away from and forget about in a couple of hours. This is for keeps, a life-or-death fight to the finish against the Devil and all his angels. Be prepared. You’re up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it’s all over but the shouting you’ll still be on your feet. (Ephesians 6.10 – 13, MSG)

As we ease into our reading of the History Section of the Old Testament, I want to share part of Eugene Peterson’s introduction as it appears in The Message Bible:

The twelve biblical books stretching from Joshua to Esther are conventionally designated “the history books.” But the word “history” doesn’t tell the whole story, for this is history attentive to the conditions in which people have encountered and experienced God.

…

For biblical people, God is not an idea for philosophers to discuss or a force for priests to manipulate. God is not a part of creation that can be studied and observed and managed. God is a person—a person to be worshiped or defied, believed or rejected, loved or hated, in time and place. That is why these books immerse us in dates and events, in persons and circumstances—in history. God meets us in the ordinary and extraordinary occurrences that make up the stuff of our daily lives. – from The Message, Introduction to The History Books

“God meets us in the ordinary and extraordinary occurrences that make up the stuff of our daily lives.” And that’s the way the book of Joshua starts, very matter-of-factly:

After the death of Moses the servant of GOD, GOD spoke to Joshua, Moses’ assistant… (Joshua 1.1, MSG)

And what God said goes through verse 9. We’ll take a look at it tomorrow.

Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets… (Hebrews. 1.1, ESV)

The word of God is a living Word, and each time I turn to it with an open heart, I find there the living truth. I find there a human being who was born and grew up surrounded by other men and women, who worked and played, and who always did what the Father wanted done. Followers of Christ have discerned him—found him waiting—in the Scriptures for nearly two millennia. – Excerpted from Always Discerning by Joseph A. Tetlow, SJ, quoted in The Ewellogy, April 23, 2022.

If you’re joining us in the Joshua – Esther reading plan, you’ll see that Joshua starts with a bang:

Moses my servant is dead. (Joshua 1.2, ESV)

How encouraging is that!? Oh wait, there’s more:

Moses my servant is dead. Now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, into the land that I am giving to them, to the people of Israel. (Joshua 1.2, ESV)

Moses my servant is dead. Now therefore arise, go…

I don’t know what your last year was like. Whether you experienced a devastating loss or not. But God’s word is clear. Arise. Go.

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. Philippians 3.13, 14, ESV)

Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? (Isaiah 43.18, 19, ESV)

Wow! Tomorrow we’re into 2024. Time to start our Bible reading plan for the year, a continuation of what we started last year.

For a couple of years now, we’ve used The Navigators’ 5x5x5 reading plan for the New Testament: 1 chapter/day, 5 days/week. We liked the leisurely pace so much, with time to meditate on what we were reading, that June said, “Why don’t we broaden that concept to include the Old Testament?” So we did, and last year we read the Pentateuch. So this year, we’re moving into the History section:

As always, I recommend you use your time in the Word to connect with the God who wrote it: The Time with God Weekly Journal is a tool to help you do that.

The only other thing I would add is that sometimes, when we’re reading the Old Testament, there may be chapters where it’s hard to find any applicable thoughts to meditate on. (1 Chronicles 1 comes to mind!) Therefore, I keep a finger in one of the gospels and just read the next story. Others supplement with a psalm.

(If you want to read the Bible through in one year, the Discipleship Journal Bible Reading Plan is among the most doable: 25 readings each month, each from four different places in the Bible.)

I’ll be following our plan through the History section, and some of the blogs will come from there. Join me! We’ll come across this encouragement right away:

And don’t for a minute let this Book of The Revelation be out of mind. Ponder and meditate on it day and night, making sure you practice everything written in it. Then you’ll get where you’re going; then you’ll succeed. (Joshua 1.8, MSG)

I’ve written before about “An Act of War,” written by Tim Lewis, the son of longtime friends Bruce and Elena Lewis. This year, I took the time to transcribe the lyrics so you can read them with or without Tim’s excellent recording. The lyrics line up perfectly with yesterday’s excerpts of Eugene Peterson’s meditations on Revelation. I present Tim’s song without further comment:

Stanza 1

We sing about a silent night, When everything was calm and bright, And the Holy Child Was lying in the manger.

The shepherds share the angel’s joy, And come to see the baby boy And in this happy glow, We miss the danger.

For fallen priests and wrathful kings Are threatened by the light He brings Ruthless men Who claim to be divine.

For centuries they’ve killed His prophets, But now in keeping with His promise The Son of God Has stepped across the line.

Refrain

And it was an act of war, A beachhead in the night Upon earth’s darkened shores, A glimmer of the light.

As the drums of Heaven pound With the heart of the Father, That the lost ones shall be found And restored as sons and daughters.

And the kings, they draw their swords, As the ancient dragon roars, And the battle begins on a stable floor. In Bethlehem – It was an act of war!

Stanza 2

And this is how love fought to save us, Not to conquer and re-enslave us, He reaches for the hearts And not the crowns of earth.

For swords and soldiers cannot mend us, His light must kindle deep within us, So God’s own Son Lies in the arms of a peasant girl.

And who are we that He should love rebels in the graves we’ve dug? In shame we’ve turned away from Him And closed the door.

But now the very God whom we’ve defied Has sent His Son to testify That ruined hearts Are still worth fighting for!

Refrain

And it was an act of war, A beachhead in the night Upon earth’s darkened shores, A glimmer of the light.

As the drums of Heaven pound With the heart of the Father, That the lost ones shall be found And restored as sons and daughters.

And the kings, they draw their swords, As the ancient dragon roars, And the battle begins on a stable floor. In Bethlehem – It was an act of war!

Stanza 3

And as He grew, He fought the lies, Exposed the hypocrite’s disguise, And showed the mercy of the Father To the poor He taught.

Many saw His light, but they loved the darkness, His words exposing where their heart was, Yet He gave His life, a sacrifice To win the lost.

And the battle fought on Christmas Day Still rages in our world today, The light still shines –  The darkness shall not overcome.

So light your lamp, and do not fear To spread His light to captives here; We follow His example ‘Till the battle’s done!

Final Refrain

And it was an act of war, A beachhead in the night Upon earth’s darkened shores, A glimmer of the light.

As the drums of Heaven pound With the heart of the Father, That the lost ones shall be found And restored as sons and daughters.

Amazing love, how can it be That You would go to war for me, And give Your life to set me free In spite of my hostility.

Now my heart is sworn To the Savior born In Bethlehem – It was an act of war!

“Act of War” lyrics and music are copyright© 2019 by Tim Lewis. Please share this song and video, but don’t remove the copyright info.

And a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. She was pregnant and was crying out in birth pains and the agony of giving birth. And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads seven diadems. His tail swept down a third of the stars of heaven and cast them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she bore her child he might devour it. She gave birth to a male child, one who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron… (Revelation 12.1 – 5, ESV)