6 Be very strong. Carefully obey everything written in the Instruction scroll from Moses. Don’t deviate a bit from it either to the right or to the left….8 Hold on to the Lord your God instead, exactly as you’ve done right up to today.
Reflection
As Joshua prepared to leave the people of Israel, he didn’t just celebrate their victories—he issued a warning. Now that they had entered a time of peace, the real challenge would begin: would they remember the journey that shaped them, or would they slowly drift toward comfort, forgetting who they were and who God called them to be?
Sometimes, we forget too. We settle into our routines and close our eyes to the quiet suffering around us. We see people pushed to the edges, families burdened under systems they can’t navigate, and children stuck in places they were never meant to be. We tell ourselves it’s not our concern. But something inside us knows better. We feel it in our stomach, in our spirit, a holy discomfort.
Jesus never looked away. He sat with those others passed by—the sinners, the strangers, the outsiders, the poor. If we had eyes to see his table today, we’d find it filled with wanderers, immigrants, and those who’ve been told they don’t belong. He didn’t fear being seen with them. He called them family. He still does.
God does not call us to lives of numbness or detachment. Holding on to the Lord means holding fast to mercy, empathy, and truth. It means choosing compassion over convenience. It means remembering our story, the one where we, too, have been lost, wandering, or in need and living in a way that honors the grace we’ve been given. Just as Joshua urged the Israelites not to forget their roots, we’re invited to remember ours: we are people formed by God’s mercy and sent into the world to reflect that same love. Strength isn’t found in building barriers or turning away—it’s found in reaching out, especially when it’s uncomfortable.
by Ali Clark
For Pondering and Prayer
Ask yourself today: What would it look like for me to hold on to God by standing with someone who feels forgotten?
Prayer: God of mercy and truth, awaken my heart to the things that matter most. Help me remember who I am and where you’ve brought me from. Give me courage to reflect your love, especially when it’s hard or inconvenient. Amen.
