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Ending Well

Words of Faith Final

Ending Well

Words of Faith 10-22-2020

Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy © 2020

Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com

Faith Fellowship Church - Melbourne, FL

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Joshua 24

    [29] After these things, Joshua son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died at the age of a hundred and ten. [30] And they buried him in the land of his inheritance, at Timnath Serah in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash.

    [31] Israel served the Lord throughout the lifetime of Joshua and of the elders who outlived him and who had experienced everything the Lord had done for Israel.

    [32] And Joseph's bones, which the Israelites had brought up from Egypt, were buried at Shechem in the tract of land that Jacob bought for a hundred pieces of silver from the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem. This became the inheritance of Joseph's descendants.

    [33] And Eleazar son of Aaron died and was buried at Gibeah, which had been allotted to his son Phinehas in the hill country of Ephraim.

 

        It is a well-known truth in sports that the way one begins a contest is irrelevant. A quick start, fast lap, or great first mile doesn't mean anything.  It is all about ending well. 

        We come to the end of Joshua without much fanfare.  Joshua dies at the ripe old age of 110.  The legacy of his leadership was remarkable in that the people he had led served the Lord faithfully for many years to come.  The things he feared for the people did not come to pass in that generation. 

         The people stayed true to the Lord during his lifetime and during the lives of those who outlived him.  It was only after all this generation died off that the people strayed from their covenant with God and "did what was right in their own eyes" (Judges 17:6, 21:25).

        Joshua ended well.  No greater tribute could be paid to him than the fact that he was called simply the "servant of the Lord." Though many have called him a great general, mighty warrior, and a holy leader, Joshua aspired to no greater rank than this one-- servant of the Lord.

       Recording three burials is a strange way to end a book.  But these three peaceful graves testify to the possibility of ending well in the faithfulness of God.  Joshua, Joseph, and Eleazar had all once lived in a foreign nation where they received God's promise to take His people back to Canaan. Now all three were at rest within the Promised Land. God kept His word to Joshua, Joseph, and Eleazar-- and to all Israel. We can be encouraged by knowing that we can count on God's unfailing faithfulness.

         There are a few thoughts that come out of this peaceful ending.        

         First, what are your ambitions in life?  Why are you here?  Sometimes we get awfully caught up in our own ambitions and whether we are recognized for our achievements and heralded for our accomplishments. Joshua was one of the greatest leaders in history, yet, his epitaph was simply that he was a servant of the Lord.  There is no better goal for us in life.

         Secondly, have you found peace in the Lord?  Tombstones often are engraved "Rest in Peace."  But we do not have to move into a cemetery to find that peace.  There is a peace that is found only in God through the Lord Jesus.  It is a peace that surpasses our understanding and guards our hearts and minds (Philippians 4:7).  We need not wait until our earthly departure to find that.

         Finally, how are you going to end?  How you started this journey is not nearly as significant as how you will end.  The exuberance of your conversion is not nearly as significant as the faithfulness of your conclusion.  Have you found the peace that Joshua, Joseph, and Eleazar found?  It is found in total surrender to the Lord and living that to the end. Only walking in His faithfulness gives us that peace.

 

         Father God, may I be totally surrendered to You this day.  Show me the battles that are important to You.  Show me the paths that are after You.  Show me the direction that is found in You.  Give me Your goals and ambitions that I may be Your servant.  Most of all, give me Your peace. I pray that I may be found faithful in You.  In Jesus' Name.

 

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© Jeffrey D. Hoy 2005, 2020

Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy - Faith Fellowship Church (EFCA)       

2820 Business Center Blvd.

Melbourne, Florida 32940 (321)-259-7200

Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com

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The Words of Faith devotion is published five days a week by E-mail excluding Federal holidays. Please feel free to forward this devotion to a friend who might be blessed by this devotion. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is quoted from the New International Version (R) of The Holy Bible. Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Words of Faith (c) 1997, 2010 Jeffrey D. Hoy. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to forward this copyrighted material or use portions of it with appropriate notation of the source for non-profit purposes.