“I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” –Paul to his apprentice, Timothy. Philippians 1:3-6

I spent many years mentoring and encouraging young leaders with this particular verse.  I used these words as final remarks to many communications with them.  But today, as I read Joshua 13, I am realizing this “good work” in us from a new, deeper perspective.  “The Work” is telling others of the work of Jesus who came to save us by taking the punishment for our sins that we deserve; paying our debt in full.  The Work in us is to trust that He did what God told him to do with assurance that his work reconciled us to God in a new intimate, loving relationship with God.  “No one goes to the Father except through Me,” says Jesus.  (John 14:6) But the work of telling, baptizing, discipling will not be complete until Jesus comes back again. (Matthew 28:20) We might lead some to Jesus’ saving grace in our lifetime; but there will still be souls that need saving.

Remember: We tell; Jesus saves. God doesn’t need us to do this work but delights in inviting us to His work!  We are not responsible for saving souls; but we are responsible and commanded to go and tell. It is Jesus who transforms lives by the power of His Holy Spirit living in all who believe.  We must tell all who are weary from carrying a load of sin of this Good News!  This is the work.

The work in us is made complete by Jesus Christ.  But the work of Christ still goes on through those who will come after us.  Jesus mentored his disciples with;

“Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.” –Jesus, John 14:12-14

Some say that Jesus’ last words on the cross, “It is finished,” really means He was just getting started as the work continues through all who believe and follow Him in the work of God with the love of God.  As Moses mentored Joshua; Jesus mentored his disciples to carry on what Jesus began—but only Jesus saves.  All scripture—from Genesis to Revelation—points to the love of God who sent His Son to save us so we could be reconciled (reconnected) back to God.  God wants us to love Him back with all our hearts, minds, and souls.  When we do; “the work” is just getting started as God does His work in us and through us.

Joshua did the work God gave him to do, “leaving nothing undone” in the assignment given to him; but there were still more lands to be conquered by those who would come after him. We can almost hear the words of God to Joshua, “Well done, thy good and faithful servant.”  These are words we all want to here when we pass from this life to life forever with God!

Joshua 13

Land Still to Be Taken

13 When Joshua had grown old, the Lord said to him, “You are now very old, and there are still very large areas of land to be taken over.

² “This is the land that remains: all the regions of the Philistines and Geshurites, ³ from the Shihor River on the east of Egypt to the territory of Ekron on the north, all of it counted as Canaanite though held by the five Philistine rulers in Gaza, Ashdod, Ashkelon, Gath and Ekron; the territory of the Avvites ⁴ on the south; all the land of the Canaanites, from Arah of the Sidonians as far as Aphek and the border of the Amorites; ⁵ the area of Byblos; and all Lebanon to the east, from Baal Gad below Mount Hermon to Lebo Hamath.

⁶ “As for all the inhabitants of the mountain regions from Lebanon to Misrephoth Maim, that is, all the Sidonians, I myself will drive them out before the Israelites. Be sure to allocate this land to Israel for an inheritance, as I have instructed you, ⁷ and divide it as an inheritance among the nine tribes and half of the tribe of Manasseh.”

Division of the Land East of the Jordan

⁸ The other half of Manasseh, the Reubenites and the Gadites had received the inheritance that Moses had given them east of the Jordan, as he, the servant of the Lord, had assigned it to them.

⁹ It extended from Aroer on the rim of the Arnon Gorge, and from the town in the middle of the gorge, and included the whole plateau of Medeba as far as Dibon, ¹⁰ and all the towns of Sihon king of the Amorites, who ruled in Heshbon, out to the border of the Ammonites. ¹¹ It also included Gilead, the territory of the people of Geshur and Maakah, all of Mount Hermon and all Bashan as far as Salekah— ¹² that is, the whole kingdom of Og in Bashan, who had reigned in Ashtaroth and Edrei. (He was the last of the Rephaites.) Moses had defeated them and taken over their land. ¹³ But the Israelites did not drive out the people of Geshur and Maakah, so they continue to live among the Israelites to this day.

¹⁴ But to the tribe of Levi he gave no inheritance, since the food offerings presented to the Lord, the God of Israel, are their inheritance, as he promised them.

¹⁵ This is what Moses had given to the tribe of Reuben, according to its clans:

¹⁶ The territory from Aroer on the rim of the Arnon Gorge, and from the town in the middle of the gorge, and the whole plateau past Medeba ¹⁷ to Heshbon and all its towns on the plateau, including Dibon, Bamoth Baal, Beth Baal Meon, ¹⁸ Jahaz, Kedemoth, Mephaath, ¹⁹ Kiriathaim, Sibmah, Zereth Shahar on the hill in the valley, ²⁰ Beth Peor, the slopes of Pisgah, and Beth Jeshimoth— ²¹ all the towns on the plateau and the entire realm of Sihon king of the Amorites, who ruled at Heshbon. Moses had defeated him and the Midianite chiefs, Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur and Reba—princes allied with Sihon—who lived in that country. ²² In addition to those slain in battle, the Israelites had put to the sword Balaam son of Beor, who practiced divination. ²³ The boundary of the Reubenites was the bank of the Jordan. These towns and their villages were the inheritance of the Reubenites, according to their clans.

²⁴ This is what Moses had given to the tribe of Gad, according to its clans:

²⁵ The territory of Jazer, all the towns of Gilead and half the Ammonite country as far as Aroer, near Rabbah; ²⁶ and from Heshbon to Ramath Mizpah and Betonim, and from Mahanaim to the territory of Debir; ²⁷ and in the valley, Beth Haram, Beth Nimrah, Sukkoth and Zaphon with the rest of the realm of Sihon king of Heshbon (the east side of the Jordan, the territory up to the end of the Sea of Galilee). ²⁸ These towns and their villages were the inheritance of the Gadites, according to their clans.

²⁹ This is what Moses had given to the half-tribe of Manasseh, that is, to half the family of the descendants of Manasseh, according to its clans:

³⁰ The territory extending from Mahanaim and including all of Bashan, the entire realm of Og king of Bashan—all the settlements of Jair in Bashan, sixty towns, ³¹ half of Gilead, and Ashtaroth and Edrei (the royal cities of Og in Bashan). This was for the descendants of Makir son of Manasseh—for half of the sons of Makir, according to their clans.

³² This is the inheritance Moses had given when he was in the plains of Moab across the Jordan east of Jericho. ³³ But to the tribe of Levi, Moses had given no inheritance; the Lord, the God of Israel, is their inheritance, as he promised them.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

Moses demonstrated his love, faith, trust and obedience to God.  God knows our days are numbered but His work must go on.  So, God bought up Joshua as the next leader to Moses.  Moses mentored Joshua in all the ways God had mentored him on that mountain top all those years ago on the wilderness journey.  Who’s after Joshua? Stay tuned!

Pause to ponder:  Who is mentoring me?  Who am I mentoring?  This is part of THE WORK from God as a member of God’s Kingdom. 

“You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others.” –Paul to Timothy, 2 Timothy 2:1-2

There are many people God will send to pour what they have learned from God into us.  Pause to remember them and give God thanks for them!  Ask God to lead you to someone who needs what God has taught you.  He loves to answer prayers like this one! 

One last thought—The word disciple in our language is translated from the original Greek with this meaning: “One who learns.”  The work of God in us, as disciples of Jesus, is to be people who never stop learning, growing, and maturing in our relationship with God—continually developing the love of God in us.

• God created us in his own image. Genesis 1:27
• Jesus, God’s Son, was sent to reconcile us back to God who created us. 2 Corinthians 5:18-19.
• God’s Holy Spirit lives in all who believe God and are reconciled to God through Jesus.  His Spirit leads us as a Helper/Counselor and guides us to all Truth.  John 16:13-15

Believe and be saved.  Do the work God calls each one of us to do, leaving nothing undone that He directed. Begin with the top two commands; Love God.  Love each other.  Then, go and tell the story of God/Jesus/Holy Spirit to those walking in darkness who are in need the Light of Salvation.  God will tell us exactly what to say and when to say it.  Jesus’ work is now our work until He comes back again to claim his own.  Jesus, Himself reveals this to John who writes it all down to encourage us in the work:

“And he (Jesus) said to me, “These words are trustworthy and true. And the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, has sent his angel to show his servants what must soon take place.” “And behold, I am coming soon. Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.” Revelation 22:6-7

Ah, yes, come, Lord Jesus.  I’m Yours.  I’m listening.

Lord,

I stand in awe of you this morning and I am humbled by your teaching for today.  I think of all the people you sent to nurture me in my past years and I am grateful. I ask that you bless those who are still encouraging and teaching me your ways.  I pray for your guidance as I mentor those who you now have sent for me to tell of your great works in all who believe while point the Way to Jesus who reconciles us to you.  I offer my life to you again today, seeking your will in all the details of my life. I trust you with all my life for you are Life to me.

In Jesus Name, Amen