Title: It's A Relationship Thing / Topic: Walk With God

Today’s Reading: Joshua 1; Joshua 2; Psalm 37; 1 Corinthians 3

Scripture: Joshua 1:9 Have I not commanded you?...

Observation: The Lord is reminding Joshua that he must carefully follow his instructions, now that Moses is dead. It's about intentionality and diligence. This line caught my eye. Depending on where you put the emphasis, there are interesting nuances in the meaning:
#1 Have I not commanded you? -- Hey, it's me, your God who has taken care of you and who brought you out of Egypt. Because you know me and my love for you and my power, you should automatically follow my word. It's a relationship thing.
#2 Have I not commanded you? -- Let me make this clear, this isn't my suggestion, it's my command. So no playing around. My commands must be handled with great respect and care!
#3 Have I not commanded you? -- Joshua, it's not just Moses that I spoke to, this word is to you. Receive it personally as Moses did because I am giving the same weight of responsibility for carrying out these words to you as I did to Moses or anyone else.

Application: I like the first one best and it seems to me to make the greatest impact. God appeals to Joshua (and to you and me) on the basis of relationship. If you've walked with God and you know him, it should be of great importance to please him and follow him closely. God is my father and friend. I want to love him because I know he loves me and I have be greatly blessed by his love for me. It's a relationship thing.

Prayer: Dear Father, I am so glad that I know you and that you know me. I am so blessed to be your son. Help me to always relate to you in love and obedience and give me strength to resist temptations of the world and the devil and the evil impulses of my own sin nature. I want to walk with you as my Father and my friend. Thank you for being a Father and a friend to me.
This I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.