~Encouraged

This is a devotion that was sent to me and thought I would like to share it with you. I think it has some good points and it fits in our world today. We are so caught up in what "me, myself, and I" want that we tend to forget about others.
Read it-
Joshua 23:1-5 (NKJV)
1 Now it came to pass, a long time after the Lord had given rest to Israel from all their enemies round about, that Joshua was old, advanced in age. 2 And Joshua called for all Israel, for their elders, for their heads, for their judges, and for their officers, and said to them: "I am old, advanced in age. 3 You have seen all that the Lord your God has done to all these nations because of you, for the Lord your God is He who has fought for you. 4 See, I have divided to you by lot these nations that remain, to be an inheritance for your tribes, from the Jordan, with all the nations that I have cut off, as far as the Great Sea westward. 5 And the Lord your God will expel them from before you and drive them out of your sight. So you shall possess their land, as the Lord your God promised you.
Apply it-
Joshua the son of Nun is now around 110 years old! His long life started in Egyptian bondage and ended in a worship service in the Promised Land. In between those events God had used him to lead Israel in defeating the enemy, conquering the land, and claiming the promised inheritance. We commonly think of Joshua as a great soldier, and he was; but here we see him as a great shepherd with a loving concern for his people. Joshua was about to go "the way of all the earth" but at the end of a long and full life, Joshua's greatest concern wasn't himself. His greatest concern was his people and their relationship to the Lord. He didn't want to leave until he had challenged them once again to love the Lord and keep His commandments. His life's work would be in vain if they failed to keep the covenant and enjoy the blessings of the Promised Land.
What a testimony is Joshua's life! I not only want to live well but I want to die well! I wanted to start well and I want to finish well! Joshua did that. Two things that made Joshua finish well. The first one is that Joshua even to the very end of His life was focused on the calling that God had placed on his life. There was a lot of things that Joshua could have done with his life but the ONE thing Joshua was completely focused on was "God's" agenda for his life. Joshua never got sidetracked! Joshua never lost focus! Joshua all the way to the very end never lost focus on God's call on his life! The second thing is that Joshua's life was about serving others! Joshua was not concerned with himself or his accomplishments but he cared for others. Joshua lived his life first for God and then for others! Joshua was not self centered or only concerned with himself!
These two truths are a great challenge for us today. We must examine our lives and ask ourselves "are we committed to God's agenda?" In my life I have found that at every stage of my life there is another challenge for me to overcome to stay focused on God's agenda. It is very easy to lose focus! One of the biggest contributors is the busyness of life! Sometimes I get so busy that I lose focus on the main thing! We have to remember to put God first in all that we do and let Him set our agenda!Today spend some time in prayer and evaluate your life to see if you are focused on the main thing!
The other challenge to consider is "am I self centered?" Am I living my life for myself? Is it all about me, myself and I? If I want to finish well like Joshua I must remember that my life should be about serving others! It is very easy to get wrapped up into yourself and live your life for your own good but we must step back and remember that we should live our lives for "others"! William Boothe who founded Salvation Army had just one word on his tombstone and it was "others". Evaluate your life today and make sure you are not all wrapped up into yourself! Someone once said, "that a person who is all wrapped up into them self makes a mighty small package!"
Have a blessed day!
Pastor Ted
(and me, Marjorie)