Silver Sneakers

Series on “I am Joe’s Favorite Verses” – Joshua 1:9
(Click on the link below to read the verses.)
Joshua 1:1-9 

[Many years ago, there used to be articles in the Reader’s Digest titled “I am Joe’s ___” with the blank being filled with a body part or organ. Over the years, I’ve written down verses that are meaningful to me on 3x5 cards. In this series we’ll be looking at some of my favorite verses. In other words, “I am Joe’s Favorite Verses”.]

  

Shortly after retiring, I discovered that my health insurance offered exercise classes called Silver Sneakers. They were live and on Zoom. It was perfect – you could see the instructor, but nobody could see you. After a few months of Zooming, I learned that a Silver Sneakers class was offered in person at a nearby gym.

 

The first time that I attended was very scary. I didn’t know anyone when I walked into the room, but immediately I was made to feel welcome. Since then, I’ve made many good friends. We’ve gone out for dinner and lunch. One couple even invited us to their cottage at Put-In-Bay on South Bass Island in Lake Erie.

 

Israel was camped east of the Jordan River and poised to finally enter the Promised Land. All that remained was for them to cross the river and take control of the land that their ancestor Abraham had been promised over 400 years earlier. However, obstacles were always a part of Israel’s journey.

 

First, they were enslaved by Egypt for 400 years. Once they were free, they worshipped an idol that they had made. As a result, the Lord didn’t allow that generation to enter the Promised Land. And now that everything seemed ready for Israel to claim their covenant… Moses died.

 

This meant there was a leadership change. Joshua was to lead them across the Jordan, take control of the fortified cities in the Promised Land of Canaan and divide the land between the twelve tribes of Isreal. What could go wrong?

 

In order to encourage Joshua, the Lord made many promises to him.

 

³ I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses. ⁵ No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.     NIV

 

Although Joshua had been Moses’ trusted aide for forty years, you get the feeling that he still wasn’t totally confident in his new responsibilities. After all, he was going to be leading a nation estimated at over two million people.

 

In addition, he would be forcibly taking land from people who already lived there. It was their home, so they wouldn’t just hand it over. Therefore, the Lord told Joshua to “be strong and courageous”. This command also had a promise.

 

⁹ This is my command – be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”       NLT

 

There was also a condition attached to the Lord’s promise to Joshua.

 

⁷ “Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go.           NIV

 

“Be strong and courageous” – it sounds so simple. But the Lord repeated it three times to Joshua as he faced the greatest challenge of his life.

 

We all face circumstances that are scary or fearful. Sometimes they’re as minor as going to Silver Sneakers. But often they’re much more significant, even life changing.

 

Thankfully, just as the Lord promised Joshua that he would always be with him, that same promise is still true for us today. Therefore, “be strong and courageous” … for “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me”.

 

Copyright 2026 Joseph B Williams

Feel free to share this blog with others.

www.lifelinebasketball.blogspot.com

 

Gung – ho for God

A series on God’s calling: Joshua
 (Click on the link below to read the verses.)
Joshua 1:1-18 

[Traditionally we think of someone who has received “God’s call on their life” as being a missionary or pastor or some other paid ministry position. But God has called all of us into ministry. And there’s not just one way that He does it. In this series, we will look at how God called people in the bible to ministry, and what that means to us.]

  

As a little boy, I loved to explore the area around our house. To the east, was a gently sloping hill, covered with brushes and trees. It went down to the Pine River which was about 100 yards from our house. I especially enjoyed exploring along the riverbank where I would catch turtles.

 

To the north, was a deep field of weeds and sumac. But if you walked far enough, you’d find a deserted salt mine with small mounds of dirt, which must have been tailings from the mine. One time while exploring there, I found an arrowhead.

 

As a young man, Joshua had an enthusiastic faith in the God of Israel. And why not? He had personally witnessed the miracles of God including parting the waters of the Red Sea. Joshua was gung – ho for God!

 

Therefore, it’s not surprising that when Israel was about to possess the Promised Land, that Joshua was chosen by Moses as one of the twelve men to explore the land. Like me, Joshua was an explorer.

 

After forty days, the explorers returned. Ten of them fearfully described the inhabitants as being powerful and the cities fortified. But Joshua, with the enthusiasm of his youthful faith, countered their negative report. He confidently proclaimed that the Lord “will give the land to us” and “we will devour the people”.

 

But the damage was done, and the people of Israel rebelled. Because of this, the Israelites wandered in the wilderness for forty years never to enter the Promised Land. By the time the next generation had grown up, Joshua had experienced some significant changes.

 

First, he was forty years older. In addition, he’d been wandering in the wilderness with people who had rebelled against the Lord. Finally, the Lord had chosen Joshua, in place of Moses who was very old, to lead the people into Canaan.

 

It’s hard to say how all of these life circumstances might have affected Joshua’s faith. Be that as it may, as Israel prepared to cross the Jordan River, the Lord spoke to Joshua giving him these final instructions.

 

⁵ No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.          NIV

 

⁶ Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their ancestors to give them.   NIV (This was repeated three times.)

 

⁸ Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.     NIV

 

These instructions still apply to us today. The Lord promises to always be with us. He encourages us to be strong and courageous in the face of obstacles. He reminds us that we need to meditate on his Word and to obey him.

 

If we follow these instructions, then like Joshua, we will be gung – ho for God!

 

Copyright 2025 Joseph B Williams

Feel free to share this blog with others.

www.lifelinebasketball.blogspot.com

 

“Hey kid, catch”

A series on the story of redemption
The story of Joshua.
(Click on the link below to read the verses.)
Deuteronomy 31:1-8; Joshua 1:1-9 

[Everybody has a story. Even God has one. His is a story about love and redemption and faithfulness. In this series we are going to take a closer look at God’s story through the lives of the people that He touched. How their story became His story of redemption. And how your story is also a part of it.]

  

Athletes are frequently paid to endorse products. My favorite endorsement featured a football player with the nickname of “Mean Joe Greene”. He was a big, burly defensive lineman for the Pittsburgh Steelers back in the 70’s.

 

He did a commercial for Coca Cola where a little boy passed Mean Joe in the stadium tunnel after a game and gave him his bottle of Coke. Mean Joe gulped it down and as the little boy started to walk away he said, “Hey kid, catch”. Then he tossed his jersey to the boy, whose life was changed forever.

 

Not all endorsements are for products. Israel was about to enter the Promised Land, but Moses was old and would not lead them across the Jordan River. He passed the baton of his leadership to Joshua by endorsing him.

 

First, Moses spoke “to all the people of Israel”, telling them that the Lord would “cross over ahead of you”. Like a general going into battle, he would defeat their enemies and take the land.

 

Then, Moses introduced Joshua as the leader who “will lead you across the river” and gave this endorsement in Deuteronomy.

 

⁷ Then Moses called for Joshua, and as all Israel watched, he said to him, “Be strong and courageous! For you will lead these people into the land that the Lord swore to their ancestors he would give them. You are the one who will divide it among them as their grants of land.          NLT

 

After Moses died, the Lord spoke directly to Joshua. He promised Joshua that He would give Israel the land; that no one would be able to stand against him; that the Lord would never leave him nor forsake him. Then the Lord instructed Joshua to study his Law; meditate on it; and “do everything written in it”.

 

Finally, as if that wasn’t enough, the Lord gave this promise to Joshua.

 

⁹ Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”     NIV

 

If Joshua had any insecurities or doubts about his ability to lead or the Lord’s faithfulness, the Lord’s words would certainly give him the faith and courage to persevere through the adversity that was ahead of him.

 

Despite our lack of faith or courage at times, the Lord’s plan of redemption moves forward. His promise to love, forgive and never leave us is still true today. And because of that, like Joshua, we can be strong and courageous.

 

It’s kind of like having Mean Joe Greene say, “Hey kid, catch”, and throwing us his jersey. Our life will be changed forever.

 

Copyright 2023 Joseph B Williams

www.lifelinebasketball.blogspot.com

 

The link below will show you the Mean Joe Greene commercial.

 Mean Joe Greene commercial