Key Verses – Joshua 18:1, 3
The whole congregation of the children of Israel assembled together at Shiloh, and set up the tabernacle of meeting there…Then Joshua said to the children of Israel: “How long will you neglect to go and possess the land which the Lord God of your fathers has given you?”

Just imagine the excitement in the air as all the tribes came together. Think about thousands of animated conversations. Perhaps some said, “If only our parents were here to see this, but they refused to believe that this could happen. They refused to follow the leadership of Moses, Joshua and Caleb. We could’ve been born here in the Promised Land, instead of in the wilderness. Instead of just getting our borders settled, we would’ve been well established for 45 years already. Here we are, gathered around the Tabernacle as we did when we were children on the other side of the Jordan. But listen, Joshua is going to bring us a message from God. It sounds the same as we remember Moses saying to us before we crossed the Jordan. What’s wrong with us? Can we not learn to obey God fully?”

We may want to read, Hebrews 2:1-4 where the word “neglect” shows up again relating to our salvation. Also, “let us not neglect” is found in Hebrews 10:23-25. To neglect the ministry which happens when we assemble together is to court spiritual decline and to miss the essential message God wants us to hear from those He has called into leadership.

PRAYER FOR TODAY:
Lord God, God of our fathers, I believe that I need to possess all that You have given me. Grant me the grace, the determination to go forward, not stopping short of all You have for me. Give me a greater fervency of spirit, because I know that You respond directly in proportion to the level of my fervency. In Jesus’ strong Name I pray. Amen!

100 PERSONAL WORDS:
Thank you to all who read God’s Word with me each day. I have a question for you. Do you know anyone who started well on January 1st in a one year through-the-Bible reading program, but may have already missed some days, or has reverted to opening their Bible anywhere to read in a hit-and-miss fashion? Ask around amongst your friends. You may be surprised at the numbers to whom this happens. Let’s try to do this in a non-judgmental way. Now….I have a suggestion. Invite those who have struggled with the one year commitment to check out 100words.ca and see the difference it makes when the readings are shorter (more time for meditation and prayer) and when we move back and forth between the New and the Old Testaments over 730 days. The two-year program works! Crossroads has proven this in magazines and books since the 1970s and now in this daily blog. Readers could join us today and in 104 weeks complete God’s Book with joy, much fresh understanding, and growth in spiritual maturity!

Yours for God’s work in us to continue without neglect,

David