“Only be very careful to observe the commandment and the law which Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, to love the Lord your God and walk in all His ways and keep His commandments and hold fast to Him and serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul.”
Joshua 22:5 NASB
Grace Perspective:
In this passage, Joshua reminds the people of Israel of God’s commandment to love Him, walk in His ways, and serve Him with a whole heart and soul. Moses first relayed this command to the Israelites as they were coming out of bondage from Egypt (Deuteronomy 6:5). He repeats it four more times in the book of Deuteronomy, emphasizing that God wants us to love Him, so it must be important.
Joshua gives us practical insight into how we can love and serve the Lord with all our hearts and souls. How? By holding fast to the Lord. Holding fast, in this context, means to cling to, stay close to, or follow closely. It’s about maintaining a close, intimate relationship with God, not letting go even in the face of challenges. God wants us to hold fast to Him, to love Him because of His steadfast love for us. What will you hold fast to today?
A Touch of Grace:
What do you hold fast to when life is hard?
What must you let go of to hold on more firmly to God?
Grace Application:
Loving God, there’s a lot wrapped up in those two words. Joshua tells us to heed the commandment to love the Lord diligently. We do this by holding fast to Him – seeking Him instead of something else. As we cling to the Lord, we can hear Him more clearly through His word and prayer.
Holding fast to God means we trust Him. We trust His word, His promises, and His love for us. Loving God is a choice. He wants us to love Him with all our heart and soul – to cling to Him so we fully know His love. I pray this for each of you reading this today:
“I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.”
Ephesians 1:18-23 NASB
Remember, loving and serving God is a lifelong journey, and it’s a choice we make every day. Let us strive to hold fast to Him, to follow His ways, and to love Him with all our heart and soul.
In His Grace,
Dawn
Prayer:
Gracious Father, I come to You in the precious name of Jesus Christ, thankful that You want me to hold fast to You. Forgive me for the times I’ve turned to idols instead of You. Lord, help me to love you with all my heart and soul! My heart is willing, but my flesh is weak. As I cling to You, strengthen me to hold fast to all that is true, knowing that Your love is steadfast and Your grace is sufficient for whatever life may bring. Amen.
Today, as you read this, I pray you will know you are in Christ Jesus. If you have any doubts, please call out to God so that all doubts can be erased. Today is a good day to be assured of Salvation in Christ Jesus. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact me at graceisdawning@gmail.com.