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Day 62 or March the 3rd. Keep your word, no matter what.

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Our thought today is rooted in Joshua chapter 9 verse 19. All the leaders answered, We have

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given them our oath by the LORD, the God of Israel, and we cannot touch them now.

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First the big picture surrounding this verse. Having entered the Promised Land with varying

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success, the Israelites now turned to conquer every city. Initially they conquered Jericho

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and defeated the southern cities, and then next turned north to tackle the northern towns

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and cities. Despite his people making mistakes, God kept his word, and in no time at all the

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whole land had been subdued. But there were still several pockets of resistance. These

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unconquered areas would have to be tackled before the land was really in the hands of

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the Israelites, as God had promised their ancestors. Nevertheless, they were in the

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Promised Land at last, and the task of dividing the land and settling the people was about

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to begin.

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Now today's action step. Sometimes keeping a word is costly. It's easier to break it

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and apologize. I'm glad God doesn't act like that. I'm glad he told us in Isaiah

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chapter 55 verse 8, My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts, says the LORD. It's as

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easy as that. Breaking his word is not an option for God. He wouldn't think of it.

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Sadly, this is an ungodly option that we believers still use, and we must stop.

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When the Israelites were lied to by the Gibeonites, and this trickery resulted in them giving

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their word, they stuck by it because it was the godly thing to do. Can you imagine how

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different the world would be if everyone kept their word? In those old films, based in the

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1940s and 1950s, when a baddie is caught, he immediately says, fair cop-gov, I did it.

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On the other hand, modern films reflect the approach of many in the 21st century society,

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when transgressors say, you can't prove anything, I want to see my lawyer. If God's people

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don't keep their word, how can we expect unbelievers to? It's up to you, and me.