We live out our Christian lives in a place between Egypt and the Promised Land. We have been justified but not yet glorified—we have been delivered safely through the Red Sea but have not yet forded the Jordan and arrived on its far bank. We may not physically wander as did the Israelites of old and we may not actually follow pillars of fire and cloud, but we no less make a pilgrimage and we are no less dependent upon the goodness, the grace, and the guidance of our God. We are no less reliant upon his promises to sustain us when the path is uncertain, when our enemies rise up, when the way before us seems to stretch on interminably.

The Israelites were prone to doubt God—to doubt his strength, his power, his intentions. They were prone to doubt that he would prove true to his promises and lead them to the land that flowed with milk and honey, the land that would be their home and their rest.
In so many ways the story of the Pentateuch is the story of God proving his faithfulness over against his people’s faithlessness. It is for good reason that so few who saw God parting the sea between Egypt and the wilderness were permitted to see God parting the river between the wilderness and Promised Land. There were consequences for their doubt and for its many manifestations in grumbling, rebellion, and idolatry.
But then, as promise gives way to fulfillment and winter gives way to spring, the Pentateuch gives way to Joshua. And now we see the mighty warrior at the head of a great army. He leads the people across the Jordan where, fighting in the strength of the Lord, they experience victory after victory. Bit by bit and battle by battle they stretch the boundaries and expand the borders until war at last fades to peace. By chapter 21 we read a stirring summary of their success and, even more so, an inspiring summary of God’s faithfulness. Here is what we find in its many superlatives:

Thus the LORD gave to Israel all the land that he swore to give to their fathers. And they took possession of it, and they settled there. And the LORD gave them rest on every side just as he had sworn to their fathers. Not one of all their enemies had withstood them, for the LORD had given all their enemies into their hands. Not one word of all the good promises that the LORD had made to the house of Israel had failed; all came to pass. (Joshua 21:43–45)

God drove out the inhabitants, he protected his people, he gave them a home and a land of their very own. In short, he did all he said he would do. He proved true to his every promise. Not one word was broken, not one was left unfulfilled. He showed himself to be truly, perfectly, sublimely reliable.
As God made many promises to his people, he makes many promises to you and me. Just as he promised to lead his people to the safety of the Promised Land, he has promised to lead us safely to heaven. Just as their clothes did not get full of holes and their shoes did not wear out, so the Spirit will preserve us with joy intact, character intact, godliness intact.
The day will come when the history of our lives will be summarized with just such superlatives. One day it will be said of me that the Lord gave to me all that he had said he would give and that he delivered me to the sweetest and fullest rest. One day it will be said of you that not one of the good promises God made to you in his Word failed, but that each and every one came to pass. One day it will be said of all those who are his that God was faithful to his every word and true to his every promise. And together we will praise the name of the Lord our God.

Good morning from beautiful Villarrica, Chile, where I’ve settled in to record the next episode of Worship Round the World.

I’m quite sure you’ll want to grab this month’s free book from Logos. Several of the nearly-free books are excellent picks as well. This month they are also featuring Eerdmans which means lots of good commentaries are on sale.
There are a few new Kindle deals to look at.
(Yesterday on the blog: Coming Soon: Understanding and Trusting Our Great God)
The Symbolism of the Rainbow
What is the rainbow all about according to the Bible? Here’s a good answer.
The Worthy Work of the Stay-at-Home Mom
“‘What about you? What do you do for work?’ I’m just a stay-at-home mom. Have you ever found yourself in this situation? Struggling with shame over this title, even though you chose it so long ago with such joy and purpose?”
The Evil That Haunts Us
This is a brief but powerful reflection on the fiftieth anniversary of The Gulag Archipelago.
What Is the Unpardonable Sin?
This is such a common question. So you may as well read R.C. Sproul’s answer!
Why Do We Pray for Our President?
John Piper: “Paul’s foremost thought is not that these prayers are prayers for Christian advocacy. I think this is crucial. He’s not telling us to pray that civil authorities would become a conscious weapon of explicitly Christian promotion of the faith. He’s thinking about pagan rulers who remain pagan but still are influenced by the providence of God to bring about, in their limited godless framework, some measure of justice and peace and freedom.”
Social Media Is Causing Our Children to Suffer
Joe Carter covers a recent story. “The U.S. surgeon general, Vivek Murthy, has issued a warning about the potential risks of social media on children’s mental health. Here’s why Christian parents should be concerned—and what we can do to protect our kids.”
Flashback: On Caring for the Property of Others
Sin obscures the truth, it blinds us to our own flaws, it persuades us that vice is virtue and virtue vice. There is some of the hypocrite in each of us, some degree of blindness, some measure of unwillingness to see and know the truth.

God uses sinners so that he will get the glory and so that he will get the glory in the vivid, repeating imagery of turning ashes to beauty. —Jared C. Wilson

This week the giveaway is sponsored by Zondervan Reflective.

Will technology change what it means to be human?

You don’t have to be a computer scientist to have discerning conversations about artificial intelligence and technology. We all wonder where we’re headed. Even now, technological innovations and machine learning have a daily impact on our lives, and many of us see good reasons to dread the future. Are we doomed to the surveillance society imagined in George Orwell’s 1984?

Mathematician and philosopher John Lennox believes that there are credible responses to the daunting questions that AI poses, and he shows that Christianity has some very serious, sensible, evidence-based things to say about the nature of our quest for superintelligence.

This newly updated and expanded edition of 2084 will introduce you to a kaleidoscope of ideas:

Key recent developments in technological enhancement, bioengineering, and, in particular, artificial intelligence.

Consideration of the nature of AI systems with insights from neuroscience

The way AI is changing how we communicate, implications for medicine, manufacturing and the military, its use in advertising and automobiles, and education and the future of work

How data is used today for surveillance and thought control

The rise of virtual reality and the metaverse

The transhumanist agenda and longtermism

The agreements and disagreements that scientists and experts have about the future of AI

The urgent need for regulation and control in light of the development of large language transformers like CHATGPT.

Key insights from Scripture about the nature of human beings, the soul, our moral sense, our future, and what separates us from machines.

In straight-forward, accessible language, you will get a better understanding of the current capacity of AI, its potential benefits and dangers, the facts and the fiction, as well as possible future implications.

Since the questions posed by AI, daunting as they might be, affect most of us, they demand answers. 2084 and the AI Revolution, Updated and Expanded Edition has been written to challenge and ignite the curiosity of all readers. Whatever your worldview, Lennox provides clear information and credible answers that will bring you real hope for the future of humanity.

Enter for a chance to win a copy! Ten copies are available to win. Must enter by 11:59pm on Monday, 11/25.