But take careful heed to do the commandment and the law which Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, to love the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways, to keep His commandments, to hold fast to Him, and to serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul.” (Joshua 22:5)

Take Careful Heed

Following seven years of conquest in the land of Canaan, Joshua sends the tribes of the Reubenites, Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh to the eastern side of the Jordan, where they will settle as part of the nation of Israel. The language Joshua uses is an important outline of how God has desired the faithful among His people to serve Him. Five elements of obedience are outlined by the son of Nun. Joshua reminds the people to take careful heed to follow the word of the Lord. He does not suggest only they should take heed, but they should take careful heed to the commandments of God. This draws a fine line of distinction to watch closely how a man walks before the word of the Lord. When a surgeon is performing a delicate and life-saving operation, they not only take heed to their work, they take careful heed to what they are doing with great intent. So must the word of God be viewed.

Taking careful heed of the word of God demands the heart to love the Lord. Love is not a casual emotion but a deep and abiding feeling of dependence and willingness to listen to the word of the Lord. Many will say they love God but never do His will. Love demands taking careful heed to all the commandments and laws of God. If a man refuses to obey the Lord, he does not love the Lord. Love and obedience go hand in hand. There is an open heart that does not question the word of God. A willing heart immediately seeks to please the Lord in all things.

Love motivates the soul to show love by walking in all the ways of the Lord. It is easy to say one loves another, but love is best defined by action. What kind of man loves his wife and never shows it? How can a man say he loves God and never walk according to the word of the Lord? Love and action are mutually dependent on one another. A man loves God because he walks in the will of the Lord, and he walks in the will of the Lord because he loves God. Walking in the ways of the Lord is giving the heart over to whatever is needed for obedience. When a man spends more time arguing about what he needs to do or not do, he is showing how little he loves God. The immediate response of love is a willingness to walk as far and long as the word of God demands with no complaints. Taking careful heed to do the commandments is walking in the light of the Lord.

Commandments are given to be kept. People of God are commandment keepers. The religious world frowns on salvation by works contrary to everything God has expected from the beginning. Joshua told the people to be commandment keepers after he told them to love the Lord and walk in his ways. Commandment keeping alone does not save, but failing to keep the commandments will jeopardize the soul. Taking careful heed to do the commandments of the Lord is to keep those commandments. The Ten Commandments were not ten suggestions. God does not give His law as a recommendation for good living. Sin is a transgression of the law of God, and failing to keep the law of God results in condemnation. Taking careful heed recognizes the need to keep the law.

Holding fast is what a man does when he clasps onto the word. Keeping is the beginning; holding fast is what endures. Serving the Lord is a lifetime of love. There is no ‘one and done’ kind of obedience in the kingdom of God. Endurance is holding fast to the word of God with love, obedience (walking), keeping (perseverance), and holding tightly to the commandments of the Lord. A man of God should never let go of the word. God’s word should be a permanent part of the heart of the faithful. Taking careful heed is to grab the word and hold on with all one’s might.

Finally, taking careful heed is to serve the Lord God with all the heart and soul a man possesses. The road will be long and difficult. Satan will often try to discourage the heart, but the man who takes careful heed of the way of the Lord will put all his heart and soul into the promises of God. Joshua reminded the people of God’s faithfulness fifty years before when He delivered the Hebrews from Egypt. They must show their faithfulness to God by pouring all of their heart and soul into the will of the Lord. Sadly, Israel left the word of the Lord because they could never serve Him with all their heart and souls. When a child of God loses their love for the Lord, they will lose their heart to the wiles of the devil. Taking careful heed requires loving, walking, keeping, holding, and serving. Will you take careful heed?