Daily Lesson for Wednesday 1st of October 2025

The task set before Joshua seemed to involve overwhelming challenges. The walls of the Canaanite cities appeared unassailable, and the population of the land was trained for battle. In contrast, the Israelites, simple nomads, did not possess even the most primitive war machines to take on the fortified walls. History tells us that not even Egypt, the superpower of those times, was able to gain a steady foothold in Canaan.

Image © Lars Justinen at Goodsalt.com

Yet, the summons to be strong and courageous is not related here only to battle morale or to war strategies. Courage and strength are needed to stay faithful to the Torah and its specific requirements, which defined Israel’s covenant with Yahweh.

Today, in fulfilling the mission entrusted to them by Christ, Christians face similar challenges to those of Joshua; that is, they are required to wage war against their own sinful tendencies, against the principalities, powers, and rulers of the darkness of this age, and against the hosts of wickedness. Like Joshua, they also have the assuring promise of Christ’s presence: “ ‘I am with you always, even to the end of the age’ ” (Matthew 28:20, NKJV). As the supporting presence of the Lord was enough to expel the fears of Joshua, so it should be sufficient to banish our doubts and anxieties today.

The challenge for us is to know the Lord well enough to trust in Him and His promises to us. And that is why, more than anything else, we need that personal relationship with Him.

<–Tuesday Thursday–>

(0)

Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/25d-01-be-strong/

Join It Is Written Sabbath School host Eric Flickinger and this quarter’s author, Dr. Barna Magyarosi, as they provide additional insights into this week’s Sabbath School lesson, “Recipe for Success.”

(0)

Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/1-recipe-for-success-it-is-written-discussions-with-the-author/

View an in-depth discussion of Recipe for Success in the Hope Sabbath School class led by Pastor Derek Morris.
Click on the image below to view the video:

With thanks to Hope Channel – Television that will change your life.

(0)

Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/1-recipe-for-success-hope-sabbath-school-video-discussion/

Daily Lesson for Tuesday 30th of September 2025

In Joshua 1:2-3, the Lord tells Joshua that He is giving the land to them. On the other hand, He said that He has already given it. What does that mean?

The land was a gift from the Lord, who was the real Owner. In Joshua 1:2-3, two different forms of the verb “to give” are used, reflecting two significant aspects of inheriting the land. The first form expresses the process of giving the land. Only the Transjordan territories had been occupied by Israel. Most of the Promised Land had yet to be taken.

Image © Review & Herald Publishing at Goodsalt.com

In Joshua 1:3 the verb is used in its perfect form, giving the impression that the land had already been given to them. When God is the subject of such actions, the form is called “the prophetic perfect.” And that’s because what He promises in His Word is an assured fact that can be trusted as present reality.

The pronouns in verse 3, “you” and “your,” are plurals, so the promise is given not only to Joshua but to the entire people of Israel. The reference to the promise given to Moses conveys the continuity of God’s cause.

Also, the word kol, “all,” “every,” is repeated numerous times in the first chapter. The pervasive presence of this noun expresses the totality and integrity that is crucial to attaining the objective set before Joshua. There has to be a perfect alignment between God, Joshua, and the people of Israel in order to assure success in the forthcoming conquest of the Promised Land.

Read Joshua 1:4-6 and Hebrews 6:17-18. At that moment, the Promised Land was exactly that, a promise. Yet, God calls it an inheritance. What does it mean to be the heirs of God’s promises?

There is nothing magical about the promises of God. They don’t have the power in and of themselves to secure their own fulfillment. The guarantee that they will come true lies in the presence of God, who says: “ ‘I will be with you.’ ” Indeed, the presence of the Lord was crucial for the survival of the Israelites. Without it, they would be only one among many nations, with no special call, identity, or mission (Exodus 33:12-16). The presence of the Lord was everything Joshua needed to succeed.

<–Monday Wednesday–>

(1)

Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/25d-01-heirs-of-promises/

God never affirms a proud and arrogant attitude, but, as in the case of Joshua, He does tell meek and humble people to be strong and courageous. See Joshua 1:7-9. 

In His message to the seven churches in Revelation, Jesus tells the church of Smyrna that, although they may appear poor, they were actually rich. See Revelation 2:9. Later, He tells the church of Laodicea that, although they appear rich, they are actually destitute. See Revelation 3:17. It was because of Laodicea’s pride that Jesus could not call them rich, while He could call the humble people of Smyrna rich. The question is, who do we believe when Jesus contradicts our perception of reality? Do we believe in Jesus or do we believe what we see, hear, and feel? Let’s be cautious, as pride and arrogance can blur our perception of reality. 

Satan well knows how perception affects our picture of reality. So he likes to play little mind games. A while back, during a Bible study, I mentioned that I sometimes feel tempted to think that I care more about people than they care about me. My Bible student quickly responded, “Me too!” Then he paused, scratched his head, and added, “I bet Satan tries to make everyone feel that way.” I agreed with my Bible student.

Image © Rolf Jansson from GoodSalt.com

Let’s look at how Satan played mind games with the Israelites. Look at how they perceived themselves after spying out the Promised Land, which had already been … well, promised to them!

“All the people we saw were huge. We even saw giants there, the descendants of Anak. Next to them we felt like grasshoppers, and that’s what they thought, too!” Numbers 13:32-33 NLT.

Wait a minute? First of all, historians suggest that the Canaanites may have been a few inches taller than the Israelites, but not significantly taller so as to be considered giants. The grasshopper comparison was a drastic exaggeration. Furthermore, how did they know the Canaanites thought they were like grasshoppers? How would they know what they were thinking at all? They didn’t! They projected their perception on the Canaanites and thought their perception was reality. But it was all in their minds. Satan was playing mind games with them.

Later, in Joshua 2:9, Rahab, an actual Canaanite who could speak for the residents of Canaan, told the Hebrew spies exactly how they felt towards them, and they definitely did not see them as grasshoppers.

“I know that the Lord has given you the land, that the terror of you has fallen on us, and that all the inhabitants of the land are fainthearted because of you.” Hebrews 2:9 NKJV

So the grasshopper comparison was just a little mind game of Satan that the first spies bought into. It was not reality. Sure, God wants us to be humble, but that does not mean he wants us to think we are grasshoppers while everyone else is a giant. Those who walk humbly with God are a terror to those who stand in their own pride and arrogance. If you walk humbly with God, you do not need to be intimidated by anyone, regardless of their title or the letters behind their name.

Humble men, armed with the word of truth alone, withstood the attacks of men of learning, who, with surprise and anger, found their eloquent sophistry powerless against the simple, straightforward reasoning of men who were versed in the Scriptures rather than in the subtleties of the schools. –Ellen White, Great Controversy, Page 455.

So it is today, as in every age. The same can be said for you today, which was said of John the Baptist.

He could stand erect and fearless in the presence of earthly monarchs, because he had bowed low before the King of kings. –Ellen White, Desire of Ages, page 103.

Wisdom and humility go beautifully together, while the typical combination of arrogance and ignorance seems to lack comeliness. While we do not want to be arrogant and ignorant, it is possible to be humble and confident. Our confidence should be in God and not in ourselves.

Are you facing a giant today? First, humble yourself before God. Put your confidence in His love and power. Walk forward in humble faith and obedience, and your giants will turn into grasshoppers. The humble of the land can also be the confident of the land, not cowards. 

(0)

Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/perception-and-reality-2/