1. In his book, With Christ in the School of Prayer, Andrew Murray devoted a chapter to George Muller and his dependence upon the promises of God.   This chapter is entitled, "George Muller, and the Secret of His Power in Prayer."
2. Andrew Murray wrote, "It is the lesson of firm and unwavering trust in God’s promise as the secret of persevering prayer.  If once we have, in submission to the teaching of the Spirit in the Word, taken hold of God’s promise, and believed that the Father has heard us, we must not allow ourselves by any delay or unfavorable appearances be shaken in our faith."
3. Andrew Murray then quotes from George Muller's journal: "The full answer to my daily prayers was far from being realized; yet there was abundant encouragement granted by the Lord, to continue in prayer.  But suppose, even, that far less had come in than was received, still, after having come to the conclusion, upon scriptural grounds, after much prayer and self-examination, I ought to have gone on without wavering, in the exercise of faith and patience concerning this object; and thus all the children of God, when once satisfied that anything which they bring before God in prayer, is according to His will, ought to continue in believing, expecting, persevering prayer until the blessing is granted."
4. George Muller believed the promises of God, and God blessed his faith in a marvelous way.
5. The Bible has much to say about the promises of God.   It has been said that there are over 5,000 promises of God in the Bible!
6. Second Peter 1:4 says, "Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises."
7. We will not have time to look at all of these exceeding precious promises this morning!  But let me emphasize that God will certainly keep each and every one of them.

I. THE PROMISES OF GOD ARE CONDITIONAL (23:1-8, 15, 16).

1. Some of the promises of God are unconditional.  For example, the Lord Jesus said, "I will come again" (John 14:3).  That is an unconditional promise.
2. By the way, I read on line that followers of Harold Camping are traveling around the country in a convoy of caravans, proclaiming that the world is coming to an end on May 21.
3. That is foolishness.  These people do not understand the Bible, and probably are not even saved.
4. One of them was interviewed by a reporter and told the reporter, "If I'm here on May 22, it simply means I wasn't one of the elect."
5. Our Lord said in Matthew 24:36, "But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only."
6. While some of God's promises are unconditional, most of them are conditional. God promises to bless us, but there are certain conditions (23:5-16).
7. God promised the children of Israel that He would drive out the Hivites, and the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Jebusites, and the Amorites, all the other heathen nations (Joshua 23:1-5, 9).
8. However, there were certain conditions.
9. First of all, Israel had to obey the Word of God (23:6).
10. Unfortunately, some Christians expect the blessings of God, but they disregard the Word of God.
11. The children of Israel were not to intermarry with the heathen.  Marriage alliances would inevitably lead to backsliding and idolatrous religious worship (23:7, 12).
12. This is still a big problem today (cf. II Cor. 6:14-18).
13. Joshua 23:8 says, "But cleave unto the LORD your God, as ye have done unto this day."
14. That same Hebrew word translated "cleave" is used in Genesis 2:24, where it says, "Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh."
15. The word means to cling, stick, stay close, and to be joined together.
16. Joshua 23:8 and 11 are the sum and total of Joshua's message, and it is the sum and total of all Scripture.
17. Deuteronomy 6:4, 5 says, "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might."
18. This is repeated again in Deuteronomy 11, 13, 19, 30; and then in Joshua 22:5.
19. Then when we come to the New Testament, in Matthew 22, we see a lawyer coming to ask Jesus a question, "tempting him," and he says, "Master, which is the great commandment in the law?" (Matt. 22:36).
20. And our Lord replied, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.  This is the first and great commandment.  And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.  On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets" (Matt. 22:37-40).
21. Therefore, we must understand, God has given us many precious promises, and God wants to bless us, but we have to love Him, and cleave to Him (Josh. 23:8, 11).
22. Jesus said in John 14:15, "If ye love me, keep my commandments."
23. These are God's conditions. Over and over again, we see in the Bible that God promises to answer our prayers.
24. "And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.  For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened" (Luke 11:9, 10).
25. However, there are conditions.  First John 3:22 says, "And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight."
26. And there are other conditions as well. First of all, we must ask, "Is this according to the will of God?"  (Cf. I John 5:14, 15).
27. Secondly, are we doing anything that might hinder our prayers from being answered?  God could be holding back from answering our prayers because He is trying to correct us (cf. I Peter 3:7).
28. Thirdly, are we surrendered to the will of God in all things?  Psalm 37:4 says, "Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart."  But some Christians are not delighting themselves in the LORD.  They are delighting themselves in the things of the world.
29. Fourthly, are we praying in faith?  Matthew 21:22 says, "And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive."
30. James 1:6 says, "But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed."
31. Wavering is not trusting.

II. GOD'S PROMISES ARE TO ENCOURAGE US

1. Joshua 23:6 says, "Be ye therefore very courageous..." (cf. 1:6, 7, 9, 18; 10:25).
2. Sometimes we are impatient because God does not move as fast as we'd like.  The Word of God encourages us by reminding us that God has a purpose for everything (cf. Deut. 7:21-23).
3. Wait for Him
        God’s delays are not denials
        He has heard your prayers
        He knows all about your trials;
        Knows your every care,
   
        God’s delays are not denials;
        Help is on the way
        He is watching o’er life’s dials,
        Bringing forth the day
   
        God’s delays are not denials;
        You will find Him true
        Working through the darkest trials
        What is best for you. (Grace E. Troy)
4. As we study God's Word, we are greatly encouraged as we understand that just as the LORD directed Israel, He is directing us.
5. Just as the LORD fought for Israel, He fights for us.
6. Just as the LORD answered their prayers, He answers our prayers.
7. Malachi 3:6 says, "For I am the LORD, I change not."
8. Hebrews 13:8 says, "Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever."
9. Joshua 23:10 says, "One man of you shall chase a thousand: for the LORD your God, he it is that fighteth for you, as he hath promised you."

III. NOT ONE THING HATH FAILED (23:14).

1. In Romans 4:21, the apostle Paul said that Abraham was "fully persuaded" that what God had promised, He was able also to perform.
2. And Moses was fully persuaded as well.   Hebrews 11:27 says, "By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible."
3. By faith, Moses forsook Egypt, and he endured, "as seeing him who is invisible."
4. And the LORD buried Moses "in a valley in the land of Moab, over against Bethpeor" (Deut. 34:6).
5. And then God chose Joshua to lead the children of Israel into the Promised Land (cf. Deut. 31:1-8).
6. The same message the LORD gave Moses was passed on to Joshua.  "And the LORD, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed" (Deut. 31:8).
7. And here in Joshua 23, we see Joshua is now "old and stricken in age" (cf. 23:1, 2).
8. And Joshua reminded the children of Israel that God was indeed faithful.  Joshua said, "And, behold, this day I am going the way of all the earth: and ye know in all your hearts and in all your souls, that not one thing hath failed of all the good things which the LORD your God spake concerning you; all are come to pass unto you, and not one thing hath failed thereof" (23:14).
9. Not one thing hath failed.
10. God is faithful.
11. Hebrews 10:23 says, "Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised)."
12. Jeremiah said, "It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.  They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness" (Lamentations 3:22, 23).
13. David said, "Thy mercy, O LORD, is in the heavens; and thy faithfulness reacheth unto the clouds" (Psalm 36:5).
14. And King David's son Solomon said, "Blessed be the LORD, that hath given rest unto his people Israel, according to all that he promised: there hath not failed one word of all his good promise, which he promised by the hand of Moses his servant" (I Kings 8:56).

CONCLUSION:

1. Not long before he died and went to heaven, Joshua told the children of Israel, "Ye know in all your hearts and in all your souls, that not one thing hath failed of all the good things which the LORD your God spake concerning you" (23:14).
2. We know this too!  We are standing on the promises of God!
3. On June 25, 1865, Hudson Taylor prayed and asked the Lord to send 24 new workers to China.
4. Hudson Taylor believed the promises of God, and said, "If we are obeying the Lord, the responsibility rests with Him, not with us."
5. Straightway he wrote in his Bible: "At Brighton, June 25, 1865, prayed for twenty-four willing, skillful laborers for China."
6. That date marks the beginning of the China Inland Mission, and the Lord answered his prayer and sent the laborers into His harvest.
7. Furthermore, the Lord moved various Christians to supply the necessary funds for their travel expenses and financial support.
8. Later on, when the mission funds were nearly depleted, Hudson Taylor wrote to a friend, "We have twenty-seven cents and all the promises of God."
9. Two months later a letter arrived from an unknown friend in England, saying she was contributing eight hundred pounds ($4,000.00) for extension of the China Inland Mission into new, untouched provinces.
10. How was Hudson Taylor able to accomplish so much for God?
11. How was William Carey, the Baptist missionary to India, able to accomplish so much for God?
12. William Carey said, "The future is as bright as the promises of God."
13. George Muller and Hudson Taylor and William Carey and David Livingstone and many others through the years were able to accomplish much for God the same way Moses and Joshua were able to accomplish much for God (Joshua 23:6, 8).
14. The same way Elijah and the apostle Paul were able to accomplish great things for God.
15. God has not changed.
16. Let us claim the promises of God!