According to the LORD’s instructions to Joshua,

he gave Caleb son of Jephunneh an allotment among the Judahites,

namely the City of Arba, the father of Anak, which is now Hebron.

JOSHUA 15:13 MLB

I am your Sovereign—allow Me to choose your lot in life and accompany you as you traverse its emotional topography. I perfectly understand you and I powerfully stand under you. You can trust Me to constantly take care of you. Because I care for you, you can be carefree. Do not complain and bellyache about your circumstances; learn to be content in your inner-stances, whatever lot I assign you. Be satisfied and you will be truly rich. Whether you have little or much, rest assured in the confident awareness that I am leading you to paradise. Celebrate every mile of the journey.

I may give you difficult mountainous terrain, as I did My servant Caleb. Do not pray to live on easy street; pray for strength of character. There may be giants in your territory you will need to expel—drive them out by My authority. I do not give you an attitude of cowardice and shyness—I bless you with a bold spirit, a caring heart, and disciplined good sense. Visigoths of discouragement, loneliness, and weariness may attack—conquer them in My Name.

Whatever your address, I am your Home. I made your heart My residence, and I will in no case move away. My Presence permeating your personality will be evidenced by your affectionate heart, exuberant outlook, serene disposition, patient stick-to-itiveness, kind manner, generous compassion, loyal consistency, gentle interaction, and self-controlled appetites.

Empowered by My Almighty Spirit, you can do “the impossible.”

Charmed by My Selfless Spirit, you can minister in a Christlike fashion.

Guided by My Tranquil Spirit, you can stay sane in the eye of the storm.

Shaped by My Creative Spirit, you can bloom wherever you are planted.

Reinforced by My Invincible Spirit, you can vanquish giants in your territory.

Inspired by My Hopeful Spirit, you can dance heaven’s dance on earth.

Feel like grumbling about your lot in life? Build a service station on it.

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Johnny R. Almond

Pastor, Hull’s Memorial Baptist Church - Friends on a Journey of Faith

Author, Gentle Whispers from Eternity—book available on Amazon

http://GentleWhispersFromEternity--ScripturePersonalized.com/

Devotional based on day 116 of Gentle Whispers from Eternity

The following is a list of the kings Joshua and the Israelite armies defeated on the west side of the Jordan, from Baal-gad in the valley of Lebanon to Mount Halak, which leads up to Seir.

JOSHUA 12:7 NLT

Israel had many kings to conquer, but with the King of kings fighting on their side, they celebrated one victory after another. You, too, have many enemies, but when I reign in your heart you can beat the Devil. He is the god of the world, but he has no claim on Me and mine. My chosen people had many territories to vanquish, and so do you—the hill country of pride, foothills of discouragement, lonely valleys, plateaus of dull routine, wilderness of confusion, and the Negev of desolation.

Fragmentation is conquered in the light of faith. Satan would love to ruin your life by tearing your wholehearted allegiance away from Me. But I have given My word never to desert you, guaranteeing it by My Holy Spirit signature. Your heart is My home—rest assured I will never move away. I reign as Sovereign of your will, holding you together.

Pessimism is conquered in the light of My promises. Though Satan is your greatest foe, he is already defeated by My grand victory over death, hell, and the grave. I will have the last word. I have great plans for tomorrow. Listen for My future melody and dance My faith dance each step of the way. Count on Me, and finish My confidence course.

Selfishness is conquered in the light of sacrifice. The master of evil would love to ruin your relationships, but My love is greater than his disruptive hate. Imitate My loving lifestyle, and find fulfillment.

The Devil is conquered in the Light of the Divine. Do not get overconfident, napping in your castle of pride. Be on the alert for attacks from the evil one. Satan is a roaring lion constantly on the prowl, searching for a victim to shred. Deal decisively with the adversary of your soul, and stay strong in your faith. Remember to hold My hand as you make your way through the jungle. Cage the lion by yielding control of your impulses and emotions to Me. Let the Lion of Judah’s tribe reign as undisputed King of your heart—be a victor, not a victim!

I am Lord of the whole earth, and I give My warriors courage and strength to endure hardship and combat evil. Because I am fighting with you on the front lines, there is no need to be afraid. Whatever foe you may face, I am stronger. Ultimate triumph is Mine—linked to Me by faith, it is yours. Counteract battle fatigue in the energy of My Spirit—march on in heaven’s victory parade!

Johnny R. Almond

Pastor, Hull’s Memorial Baptist Church - Friends on a Journey of Faith

Author, Gentle Whispers from Eternity—book available on Amazon

http://GentleWhispersFromEternity--ScripturePersonalized.com/

Devotional based on day 114 of Gentle Whispers from Eternity

S-i-n spells Trouble

They piled a great heap of stones over Achan, which remains to this day.

That is why the place has been called the Valley of Trouble ever since.

Joshua 7:26 NLT

Covetousness always results in calamity. A Babylonian robe is no match for the robe of My righteousness. Silver and gold rusts away, unlike heavenly treasures. Sin is never worth the price you have to pay—it brings disaster, defeat, destruction, disease, and death.

How beautiful is the other side of the coin! When people seek Me, I transform the valley of trouble into a gateway of hope. I strengthen all who humbly turn from their sinful nature’s urging to follow My perfect lead.

Joshua’s advice to Achan is My advice to you—honor Me by telling the truth; own up to sin against Me and quit hiding from My love. I solemnly charge you to be honest with Me. This is no flippant matter. It is painful business.

If you are truthful, you must admit you are guilty of many sins—particularly greed. Achan-like, you often want things you do not need. You have allowed materialism to get the upper hand in your life. Trivial pursuit is a game you play—a game with no real winners.

Sin always spells trouble. On the other hand, coming clean with Me spells triumph. Confession is good for your soul. Be open and honest with Me, and I will forgive and cleanse you of all impurity. Toss your transgression on the garbage pile; follow My perfect plan—only then will you experience sweet victory.

Sin invariably gets you in trouble. You are fooling yourself if you think you can ignore Me and get away with it. You cannot break My law—it breaks you. The rule of the harvest is universal, without exception—you always reap what you sow. Every thought, word, and deed is a boomerang with great accuracy. You can avoid distress if you resist dabbling in sin. You can live triumphantly relying on My sanctifying power.

You decide how you will live—with predictable results.

Rebel and experience ruin. Repent and rejoice. Follow a siren song of selfishness and sing the blues. Live in tune with My Spirit and dance the jig of joy. The choice is yours.

Gentle Whispers from Eternity © 2013 by Johnny R. Almond

Book available on Amazon