We ended chapter 8 with a high. The people paused to read the law. Joshua wrote the law out. The Israelites were standing on the promises of God. Chapter nine takes us to a spiritual low: Joshua and the leaders fail to inquire of God and make a poor decision because of it. 

Takeaways: Tell them! How will anyone know you are a Christian if you don't tell them. Make talk about God, prayer, what he has done a normal part of your conversation. 

2) Don't assume you understand unless you do. If you haven't been through it, you don't understand. You can empathize, but you just don't know. 

3) Pray. And then pray some more. And wait on the Lord until you get your answer. 

4) Your word is your bond. Do not make flippant promises. Do what you say and say what you mean. If you said it, do it, even if you realize you got duped. 

God encourages Joshua and gives him the plan of attack. Once Joshua and his men carry it out, they bring the people together to read the law, to remember who they serve. 

Setbacks are not meant to paralyze us or take us out. They are simply a hurdle. Some are bigger than others. Some have longer lasting issues than others. 

Satan and his army may want nothing more than to take us out. If they can't steal our faith, they can certainly try to keep us from living it out and using it in the kingdom of God. 

Takeaways include: 
1. Don't let setbacks permanently take you out of the kingdom or keep you from kingdom work.  
2. Obey: Do whatever you have to do with a heart set on pleasing God, not on personal gain, or with a chip on your shoulder. Take God's commands seriously. 
3. Remember to give thanks and set apart time in your schedule to get back into God's Word. 

Commission: Get up by the power and strength God provides. Go in the grace God provides and work for the Lord and men and be a blessing to both!
 

God wasn't messing around. When Achan took some of the sacred things dedicated to God, God brought the campaign to conquer Canaan to a halt and told Joshua to deal with it. 

Generational sins would be non-existent If only we would learn to do the same. 

When sins arise, stop. Acknowledge it. Get to the bottom of it. Then you are prepared to move on.  

And sometimes the biggest challenge is stepping away from it all and waiting on the Lord to show you what is next.

Sometimes the hardest part is obeying God when it doesn't make sense. Why stay in a marriage that is subpar? Why not throw caution to the wind and seek pleasure when obedience feels like drudgery? God blesses obedience. He sees the effort you put in. 

Jericho was the first place Israel conquered and it was to be set apart for God. They could take the plunder from the rest of the land, but Jericho was God's. God's kingdom works as his children support kingdom efforts. Are you setting aside some of what God has given you for the work of the church? God tells us to test him. Give to him and he assures us he will bless us. In all the years we've given, I've never missed what we've given to God. I think you'll find the same. 

Hear the second part of this two part series about this remarkable woman, what she's been through and how God continued to show up through the whole ordeal and even now. (If you missed the first episode go back and listen to part 1). In this episode I get a chance to go a little deeper into what happened and how she's still processing and healing from what she went through. 

Please join me in prayer for Rachel as she navigates life after this experience. She's an amazing woman of God. I have no doubt he has big plans for her. 

The Get Moving Series is all about courageously moving forward, and sometimes that means just surviving another day. Listen in as I get to know Rachel, her story and her courageous faith. 

We, too would do well to pause before embarking on important life changes, to rededicate ourselves and our lives to the Lord. 

It's easy to put off reading the Bible; or to get distracted during the Christmas or Easter season and go through the motions, rather than taking the time to remember why we set aside time to remember what God has done for us. 

The Israelites that crossed the Jordan were not the same as their forefathers. This generation was obedient. Joshua, too, held fast to the directions Moses gave him. They remembered the error of the former generation, learned the lessons and did it different. 

And he did. When the feet of the priests hit the water, the water parted. The people would learn once again that God was with them, and he would open ways where there weren't ways. 

Her courage saved her and her entire family. And she would go on to marry an Israelite and become part of the genealogy of Christ. Imagine that! She might have shrunk back or got stuck in who she had been. But courage and unyielding faith that God was a God worthy of her trust motivated her to shoot her shot. 

What's been holding you back? If God forgives you, and he does, why have you let shame keep you from doing the kingdom work he would have you do?

In this episode Amber dives into the book of Joshua to explore what it looks like to trust God and "get moving!" Just as god told Joshua after the death of Moses, He is telling us today: it is time to face the facts, recognize what we cannot change, and move forward into the future He has planned for us. Discover how to trade your fear for courage and embrace the abundance that comes from total surrender to God. 

Welcome to There's More to the Story. Life rarely plays out exactly how we expect, but when we look closely, we find God is always working behind the scenes Hosted by author and speaker Amber Albee Swenson, this podcast is a space for women to find spiritual depth, practical truth and the encouragement needed to take the next step in their faith journey. 

You don't think you want to go back? You'd rather stay far, far from the pain? Those people who came alongside you when you were in the madness were your lifeline. You get to be that for someone else who is trying to get through each day. 

You get to kneel beside wounded warriors and help them to their feet so they can get back in the battle. 

And while life in this sinful world guarantees we will get hurt, we can minimize the damage, and utilize the tools we have to heal quicker next time. We can also get smarter about recognizing the devil's schemes. He's out to hurt us and to steal our faith. But warriors use the weapons they have to defend against the attacks of the enemy. We can do the same.  

Then, using the apostle Paul's words in Philippians 4:8, we'll come up with a new plan; to only let in what is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and praiseworthy. 

Although most of us would love to get rid of our scars, the truth is, they aren't going anywhere. Even Jesus had scars when he rose from the dead. The scars show where we've been, and that we've come out victorious. 

And then, once we've worked through the wreckage, repented and forgiven, we need to learn to let a lot of stuff go. You probably won't ever get the apology or explanation. You won't get the friendship back. But you'll get peace, and at the end of the day, that's better.