Encouragement (Part 1): Week 2, Day 1

Welcome back for our second week of studying about encouragement.  Today's reading is going to piggy-back off of what we read last week.  If you'll remember, we read about Moses and Joshua, and the command of Israel being passed from one to the other.  Joshua was told to, "be strong and courageous".

Today we are going to read through Joshua 1:1-9.  The first step in studying the Bible inductively is to OBSERVE the text, and that is what we are going to do today.  Read through this passage of Scripture slowly.

1 Now it came about after the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, that the Lord spoke to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ servant, saying, 

2 “Moses My servant is dead; now therefore arise, cross this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them, to the sons of Israel. 

3 Every place on which the sole of your foot treads, I have given it to you, just as I spoke to Moses. 

4 From the wilderness and this Lebanon, even as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and as far as the Great Sea toward the setting of the sun will be your territory. 

5 No man will be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I have been with Moses, I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you. 

6 Be strong and courageous, for you shall give this people possession of the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. 

7 Only be strong and very courageous; be careful to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may have success wherever you go. 

8 This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success. 

9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

"Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1960,1962,1963,1968,1971,1972,1973,1975,1977,1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission." 

Read through the text again, and use the following markings:

• Mark all time phrases with a green clock
• Mark "for" and "so that" with a red circle (these words answer the question "Why?")
• Mark Lord and God with a purple triangle colored yellow, and color all pronouns of God yellow
• Mark "law" with a black book/tablet drawing

Re-read the text slowly, taking time to absorb what it says.  Write a thought in your notebook from today's time with the Lord.

You are done for today.  Aren't you already encouraged?  I sure am!

Our next post will be on INTERPRETING what we observed today.

To read the previous posts on Encouragement, click these links:

Week 1: Day 1, Day 2, Day 3