‘Now Joshua son of Nun was filled with the spirit of wisdom because Moses had laid his hands on him. So the Israelites listened to him and did what the LORD had commanded Moses.’ (v9) Deuteronomy 34
Thresholds are liminal spaces: a boundary between two points in time, space, or both. All thresholds offer both a risk and an opportunity. Joshua, anointed through the laying on of Moses’ hands, is appointed as God’s man to lead Israel across the Jordan into the Promised Land, a threshold of momentous proportions.
We live in a world we might describe as ‘drowning in words’. Social media platforms multiply and news sources are birthed daily. How can we discern what is true from what isn’t?
Whilst the first known use of the phrase, ‘fake news’, occurred in the 1890s, it was only in 2016 that Buzzfeed’s media editor, Craig Silverman, noticed a funny stream of completely made-up stories apparently originating from one small Eastern European town.
I say this simply to establish that it’s essential we learn to choose carefully who and what we believe. We need to discern truth from error. One guiding principle Jesus has given us is the fruit of a person’s life. Does this fruit reveal Christ-like values (Matt. 5:15–20)?
The importance of accurate information and remaining Christ-centred cannot be overemphasised. Rumours spread like wildfire, creating panic and confusion, as Moses discovered.
RELATED SCRIPTURE TO CONSIDER: Exod. 15:22–27; 32:1–8; 1 Tim. 3:1–12; Titus 1:5–16.
AN ACTION TO TAKE: How do you decide what and who you can trust from across the many media platforms you might consult today?
A PRAYER TO MAKE: ‘Lord, please speak to me through Your Word so that I might follow You faithfully. Amen.’
Photo by dole777 on Unsplash
