Christian Devotional – August 21, 2025

Begin Again, Day 23

No shortcuts. Read Joshua chapter 11.

Yesterday, we read about the people of Israel conquering the lands in the southern part of what is Israel. Today, we read about them going through and conquering the lands in the northern part of the country. The Bible explains how the people continued to do what God had told them to do so they would be successful and experience the victory that God desired to bring about in their lives.

But, verse 18 gives us a hint to something even more important to remember. These victories, when we read about them, seem to happen quickly. Yet, verse 18 reminds us that this actually took a long time. The people of Israel didn’t just conquer everyone overnight. They had to continue to be focused on their obedience. They had to continue to follow through on everything that God had for them.

We can never lose sight of the fact that in our quick results society, true obedience is never quick. It takes time and it takes focus and we have to be committed to being steadfast and staying on course. Were we obedient to the Lord yesterday? Great! Are we being obedient to the Lord today? Will we continue to be obedient to the Lord tomorrow? Those are the questions that we have to continue to answer every single day.

Experiencing the benefits of the obedient Christian life comes through consistent, day-by-day, decisions and choices. Are we following through and being obedient today, so that we can do the same thing again tomorrow?