HORNETS, A STONE, AND BONES
Suggested Reading: JOSHUA 24
(click scripture link to read online)
Ad Deir (Arabic for "The Monastery") is a monumental building carved out of rock in the ancient city of Petra. Built by the Nabataeans in the 1st century, it measures 50 metres wide by approximately 45 metres high.
GOOGLE MAPS – To see where the photo was taken, click HERE.
Key Verse: Joshua 24:15
And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve….But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.
Three points we might consider – First, human free will. There’s an old spiritual song taken from verse 12 – “God did not force them to go ‘gainst their will.’ He just made them willing to go.” The hornets caused them of their own free will to change their minds.
Second, the choice, again by free will, to serve the Lord. Surely the threat of judgement should’ve been as effective as the hornets. Joshua led by example in choosing to serve the Lord.
Third, the visual message of the stone of witness and the bones of Joseph which were brought from Egypt (Genesis 50:24-26). We may decide to have our own visual aids for our children and grandchildren. Our witness could be our personal testimony of faith written by the lawyer in the document known as our Last Will and Testament. It may be a beautiful wall hanging which they will treasure. There is great potential in using our imaginations here.
PRAYER FOR TODAY:
[Personalize this prayer for your own family, as I have]
Lord God, grant that I may be very deliberate in planning my spiritual legacy for my 4 children, my 16 grandchildren and my 7 great-grandchildren. I ask for a gift of creativity so that I will communicate effectively for time and eternity. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen!
100 PERSONAL WORDS:
I was just 12 when my mother died of cancer. She was only 50 years old. I have powerful memories of her. She cared for me and my two sisters, Willa Hodgins and Elaine Boudinot, while my Dad was away during the Second World War. She was loving and strict, a good combination. The last time I heard her speak out at a prayer meeting she quoted Joshua saying, “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” That statement is true for our family. When she was about to take her last breath, I thought I heard her say my name. I went to her bedside, kissed her and said, “Mother, I’ll meet you in Heaven.” My Dad claimed I added the words, “I will, I will!” Perhaps it was my imagination but I thought I saw a smile beginning on her lips as she give a last sigh and was gone to be in the immediate presence of Jesus in Heaven. I have an unmovable stone of witness from my mother. In case you read my blog up there, Mother, I’ll see you soon!
Yours for an unmistakable witness to our faith,
David
Reynold inside the Ad Deir "Monastery" in Petra.
The spectacular rock patterns in Petra are a feast for the eyes.
To come to terms with the finiteness of our lives in this world, is in itself, life. As we do not know the day or the hour, I am grateful for knowing our Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and the immeasurable peace of those whom I loved, passing into life beyond. Your life and passion for our Lord will be a legacy stronger than stone. You have helped and shown us the way, David. We are grateful, beyond words!
So well said, David. So well said. Amen, amen, and amen!
AMEN!!
Good morning:
I pray that God would strengthen you physically, mentally and spiritually as you take this journey regarding your health. You are a very gifted man of God.
Christy
Your blog is always a blessing, but especially Joshua!! ” Be strong and of good courage… as for me and my house we will serve the Lord” Thanks David!!!
Today brings similar memories of my father’s passing, David. It would have been his 86th birthday. May the love of our Lord, warm your heart, today.
“He giveth quietness.” O Elder Brother,
Whose homeless feet have pressed our path of pain,
Whose hands have borne the burden of our sorrow,
That in our losses we might find our gain.
Of all Thy gifts and infinite consolings,
I ask but this: in every troubled hour
To hear Thy voice through all the tumults stealing,
And rest serene beneath its tranquil power.
Cares cannot fret me if my soul be dwelling
In the still air of faith’s untroubled day;
Grief cannot shake me if I walk beside thee,
My hand in Thine along the darkening way.
Content to know there comes a radiant morning
When from all shadows I shall find release;
Serene to wait the rapture of its dawning–
Who can make trouble when Thou sendest peace?”
Streams in the Desert, Mrs. Charles E. Cowman,
Zondervan Publishing House, 1965, p. 43
God is with you David and Norma- Jean. He will carry you and give you His peacel Praise God!
Hi David
Amen and Amen Love ,prayers peace and HIS blessings to you daily by
HIS AMAZING GRACE
MISS YOU DAVID& NORMA -JEAN AND YOUR beautifull genuine SMILE hope to see you soon
ZELJKO
Thank you again for very uplifting Chapel message Tueday etc.
My parents are both in a long term care home with dementia. My Dad is 97 and Mom 93. Oh yes, they’ve been blessed with very long lives but they haven’t been lives in service to our Lord. My parents, albeit good people, tried their best to raise their children well but never accepted Jesus Christ as their personal Saviour. I haven’t the assurance of their eternal destination. The most important thing I’ve learned today from Joshua 24 is that actions have consequences. When we follow the Lord in thought, word, deed and prayer we are reinforcing that we are His. I’m stating this to say to parents and grand-parents, you can make a difference in the lives of the next generation by how you act, what you say, and what you do. It all comes back to … what would Jesus do. Please don’t miss this opportunity.
Thank you thank you Thankyou You in your great faith give me continual hope for all of us !!!!!!! Thank you Jesus for this great man and His awesome wife !!!!!!
Dear David, thank you so much for your ministry. You are in my prayers. God is pleased with what you are doing in your life.
Amen !!
Lianne Hogg
We see each day OUR GOD glorified through your blog David. Thank you for your faithfulness in bringing it to us each day, even when I am sure there are days you struggle. I too am battling, but my Psalm is 18 and I find strength in this that HE is my strength and shield and my deliverer. I aim every day to share with our 8 grandchildren the love of Jesus and pray they will find him early in life to serve Him. They are being taught THE WORD and the oldest three (10, 9, and 8) already have Jesus in their hearts, while the others are much younger. Thank you fellow bloggers for your words of encouragement. Bless your day and week ahead.
That face should be an 8,
You know when I think of going to heaven I feel so good. I can only imagine how busy it is there. With all the Co motion going on in this world today,concerning the end times ,our Lord and his angels must be equally busy preparing for the return of the Lord. Maybe our Lord needs our help. Maybe he will need people who haveexperience living in this generation. If he chose me I would be ohnerd to heed his call, I just don’t know if my resume would qualify me for the job.
Lol 🙂
M.
Hi I am M. My comment was ment to bring out a few smiles. This is a serious discution ,were having here.I to have an ageing father. He ,God willing ,will turn 98 this March 4th. Like Scott’s parents my father is a good man. He did accept
Christ a few yeas ago but sadly I don’t see the evidence that it stuck.I pray I’m
Wrong.I pray God will have mercy on our loved ones.I pray he will open their hearts to him . Remember as long as they have the breath of life , there is still time. So… go for it…! At this point you have souls to save, so you have nothing to lose. Amen
M.
We can not know the quiet times others have spent with our Lord in personal prayer, regardless of sinful behaviour, as all have sinned. 1Cor.13:13 “But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love.” As it has been said, “God does not judge others before they have passed; neither should we.” We can intercede, we can pray, we can love.
Amen!
I have no knowledge of my father or mother accepting the Lord. My father died when I was 14 years old in a logging accident.
My mother died in 2006 but I did share with her the love of the Lord.
My dtrs. are all saved but my youngest is struggling
2 of my sister’s are and my other sister and brother are listening.
I keep praying fervently
The scripture of capturing/rescuing those from the fire compels me to keep praying so the enemy does not win in my family and create more torment than he has already.
I fully know that the enemy is defeated and that the battle is the Lord so I keep on praying and loving.
I cannot share all of the situations but I know God is moving.
Doesn’t is say somewhere in the bible that Love covers a multitude of sins.
I have repented, others in my family have repented of their sins and I am believing for all. Extended family, step-family and my immediate family.
God is good.
I have determined in my heart and to my last breath that I am going to pray for my family.
For my province, for my country.
I am going to ignore what I see in the flesh.
Believe what Father God is showing in the spirit and I am going to pray.
I am going to pray, worship, shout thanksgiving, fast, believe, hold onto scriptures when I am standing in my kitchen and in my prayer closet and I am going to believe that in these last days Father God is going to rain down blessings
Showers of blessings.
Filling every heart in my family, filling every heart that reads this blog, filling every heart in this community province and country of mine.
I am going to commit to living in the spirit and not the flesh.
I will boast in the Lord and nothing else.
On solid rock I stand.
All other ground is sinking sand.
It is my most fervent prayer.
Father God has given me this opportunity to pray and I am going to pray and believe for miracles.
I am not perfect nor am I boasting of perfection
Just in the Lord I boast.
Trusting and obeying as He is teaching me to pray.
Your eternal sister
Mellany
Awesome blog, David and I say “Amen” to all my fellowbloggers. Thank you David and all your family and staff for giving so much to us for which we will be eternally grateful. Truly you are one of the Lord’s faithful servants. I enjoy hearing about you dear parents.
Thank you for this wonderful blog, such an amazing learning tool. Prayers to you Mr. Mainse and your family.
What a wonderful God we serve! As a gift we are given, we receive, we serve and in service. “God’s faithful Love abides forever.”
Thank you for this blog in which we can feed upon God’s Truth. Thank you also fellow bloggers for your candidness. I remember hearing the saying” you may be the only bible a person sees” . It tells me that what I say must align with how I live my life, this of course can only be done in the power of the Holy Spirit. God’s Blessings be upon you all!
David, your Mother must be very pleased with you!!
Amen!! Amen!! & Amen!!
Re Your commentary of Feb. 11/13: “We should encourage the best leaders, people of integrity and wisdom, to step up for leadership in the church, the government, and in every field of human endeavour.”
I am concerned that not enough Christians take up positions of leadership in the running of our governmental affairs at the national, provincial and local levels.
I have been struggling with this recently and it is amazing that the devotions on this subject matter come up at this time when I am facing some major decisions in this area of stepping up to the plate.