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. 

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

Daily Lesson for Monday 29th of September 2025

The first chapter of Joshua serves as an introduction to the whole book. It comprises four speeches that correspond to the four main sections of the book: crossing (Joshua 1:2-9); conquering (Joshua 1:10-11); dividing the land (Joshua 1:12-15); and serving by obedience to the law (Joshua 1:16-18).

Image © Review & Herald Publishing at Goodsalt.com

The book of Joshua can be seen as a series of divine initiatives. In each initiative, God gives a specific task to Joshua related to the conquest of Canaan, and each one is acknowledged later in the book after its successful completion.

In the end, the promises of God concerning the occupation of the land would be fulfilled. From then on, the responsibility of keeping the land lay in the hands of the Israelites and could be accomplished only by true faith and by the obedience that such faith always engenders.

God’s initiatives, expressed by the three verbs—“cross,” “take,” and “divide”—receive a proper answer in the people’s obedience, which derives from the final initiative: service.

Again, the book of Joshua has four major sections, each characterized by a specific concept expressed through the dominating presence of a Hebrew word:

1. Cross (Joshua 1:1-18; Joshua 2:1-24; Joshua 3:1-17; Joshua 4:1-24; Joshua 5:1-12)

2. Take (Joshua 5:13-15; Joshua 6:1-27; Joshua 7:1-26; Joshua 8:1-35; Joshua 9:1-27; Joshua 10:1-43; Joshua 11:1-23; Joshua 12:1-24)

3. Divide (Joshua 13:1-33; Joshua 14:1-15; Joshua 15:1-63; Joshua 16:1-10; Joshua 17:1-18; Joshua 18:1-28; Joshua 19:1-51; Joshua 20:1-9; Joshua 21:1-45)

4. Service (Joshua 22:1-34; Joshua 23:1-16; Joshua 24:1-33)

Thus, the structure of the book itself conveys its main message: God’s initiatives are not accomplished automatically. Instead, they require the faithful response of His people. That is, with all that God has done for us—including all that He has done for us that we cannot do for ourselves—we are then called to do what we can do for ourselves, which is to obey what God commands us to do. This is how it has always been in all of sacred history, and it remains so today. For example, the depiction of God’s end-time people in Revelation 14:12 conveys the same idea: faith in what God has done for us, which leads to obedience.

<–Sunday Tuesday–>

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Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/25d-01-cross-take-divide-serve/

As we work our way through the book of Joshua this quarter, we will see that he is ready to 
Fight The Good Fight – Hymn 613 and to move forward into the Promised Land. We may still use last quarter’s theme hymn as this will pop up throughout this quarter as well:
Hymn 620 – On Jordan’s Stormy Banks I Stand. These two hymns will resound throughout the quarter.

 Sabbath afternoon’s introduction to the book of Joshua shows that the new generation with Joshua and Caleb are “willing to obey God”: 
Hymn 590 – Trust And Obey. This also happens during Thursday’s lesson time.

 Monday shows us we can be like Joshua and say 
I’ll Go Where You Want Me To Go – Hymn 573 and be found 
Standing On The Promises – Hymn 518. The latter of these two hymns is seen in Tuesday’s study, as well. Just as God gave so much to the people with Joshua, so today 
Lord, Who Dost Give To Thy Church – Hymn 346.

“Be Strong!” says the title on Wednesday, all because
God Is My Strong Salvation – Hymn 339. We are to be strong and courageous, as “the challenge for us is to know the Lord well enough to trust in Him and His promises to us”: 
Hymn 279 – Only Trust Him.

 Please continue to search the scriptures this week to be blessed, and to bless others.

To learn unknown hymns, you will find the accompaniment music for each one at: https://sdahymnals.com/Hymnal/

Another great resource is for when there is a hymn you wish to sing but can’t find it in your hymnal. Go to https://www.sdahymnal.org/Search and in the search bar type a special word in that is in the hymn. I am sure you will be amazed at the help you will be given.

 2 Timothy 2:15 KJV – “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”

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Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/1-recipe-for-success-singing-with-inspiration/

Daily Lesson for Sunday 28th of September 2025

Image © Lifeway Collection at Goodsalt.com

Though Moses had died and a new leader, Joshua, had been appointed by God, there are parallels between them. Both men had been told by God that they would lead their people into the land promised to their fathers. As the Lord said to Joshua: “ ‘Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given you, as I said to Moses’ ” (Joshua 1:3, NKJV). Joshua would finish the work that had originally been given to Moses. He was, really, a new Moses.

At this stage, the promise that God would “raise up” a prophet similar to Moses (Deuteronomy 18:15) is only a possibility rather than an accomplished reality. The opening words of the book of Joshua remind the reader of this promise and, at the same time, create an expectation to see it fulfilled.

Though dead, Moses still dominates the first chapter. His name is mentioned ten times, Joshua’s only four. Moses is called “the servant of the Lord” while Joshua is referred to as “Moses’ assistant” (Joshua 1:1, NKJV). It will take a lifetime of faithful service and obedience for Joshua to receive the title “servant of the Lord” (Joshua 24:29, NKJV).

Even if the first chapter of Joshua captures a transition between two great leaders of Israel, the most important character is the Lord Himself, whose words open the book and whose guidance dominates it. There are no questions as to who is the real leader of Israel.

<–Sabbath Monday–>

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Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/25d-01-a-new-moses/

Daily Lesson for Sabbath 27th of September 2025

Image © Pacific Press

Read for This Week’s Study Deuteronomy 18:15-22; Joshua 1:1-18; Hebrews 6:17-18; Ephesians 6:10-18; Psalms 1:1-3; Romans 3:31.

Memory Text: “ ‘Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go’ ” (Joshua 1:7, NKJV).

Benjamin Zander, musical director of the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra, taught a music interpretation class. He observed the students’ anxiety as they faced the evaluation of their performance. In order to put the students at ease and to open them up to their full potential, he announced on the first day of the class that everybody would get an “A.” This “A” was not an expectation to live up to “but a possibility to live into.” The only requirement was for the students to write a letter within the first two weeks of the semester but dated at the end of the class. The letter explained why they deserved the high grade.

The book of Joshua is about new possibilities. Moses, who had dominated 40 years of Israel’s history, belonged in the past. The Exodus from Egypt and the wanderings in the wilderness, tragically marked by rebellion and stubbornness, had ended. A new generation, willing to obey God, was ready to enter the Promised Land, not as an expectation to live up to but as a possibility to live into.

Let’s study the way God opened up a new chapter in Israel’s life and how He can do the same in ours, as well.

Sunday–>

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Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/25d-01-recipe-for-success/