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The story of Joshua is one we should all learn from. As a young man he watched and learned from Moses, whose story is equally amazing. Born with a golden spoon in his mouth, he blew it all in a fit of rage. Then he ran for his life only to be called into service by God to lead a rebellious, stubborn people to a land he would never enter himself because of … a fit of rage.
Enter Joshua. He’d stood with Moses through much of the wilderness wandering In the midst of seeing Moses’ failures, he saw a God of power, strength, provision, holiness, and most of all, grace!
Chapter one of the book that bears his name is, in a sense, God’s motivational speech in the locker room before the big game.
He reminded Joshua that he should be strong and courageous. Not because of Joshua’s strength but because he was chosen by God for this task. ““Be strong and courageous, for you are the one who will lead these people to possess all the land I swore to their ancestors I would give them. Joshua 1:6
He was reminded Joshua that his power would come through his obedience to God’s directives, not because of any knowledge or wisdom he had within himself. Be strong and very courageous. Success in God’s kingdoms comes from obedience. Be careful to obey all the instructions Moses gave you. Do not deviate from them turning either to the right or to the left. Then you will be successful in everything you do. Joshua 1:7
He reminded Joshua that no matter how bad it gets on the field, God is by his side reminding him of the game plan that would never fail. No matter how hopeless the situation, Joshua was God’s man and was never alone. 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.” Joshua 1:9
God reassured Joshua that there would be those who would rise up against him. Whenever you are doing God’s work, there will be those who oppose you. The closer you grow to God, the more his power will be evident and the more his power is evident, the more people will try to pull you down. But don’t spend your time defending yourself. God’s got your back. Just do what you do. Anyone who rebels against your orders and does not obey your words and everything you command will be put to death. So be strong and courageous!”” Joshua 1:18
Are you up against a struggle? Does the future hold lots of questions and possibilities? Are you being oppressed by fear?
Be Strong. Be Courageous. With God on your side, failure isn’t an option.
One of the things I learned in my education classes was the importance of being on the level of students. Especially younger students. By doing something simple like sitting on small chairs with the kids, or sitting on the floor with them or kneeling down to talk to them when serious conversation was needed worked wonders. Physical presence bridged the age/size gap.
I like to think the verse in Proverbs is God’s way of kneeling down to our level to reveal himself to us.
“Ears to hear and eyes to see— both are gifts from the Lord.” Proverbs 20:12
Listening and seeing are the two senses that speak the loudest to us. Many religions offer gods that we seek after but are impossible to relate to. But not Jehovah God. He has shown himself in the beauty and wonder of creation; he has shown his power in the storm and his gentleness in the rose petal; and most importantly he has shown his character and love through his son Jesus.
He promises that he will reveal himself to those who seek him, The more you search for him, through his love letter, the Holy Bible; the more you get to know him through his son, Jesus Christ, the more you will sense his presence.
This promise is especially comforting during those times when life is a mystery and the future is cloudy because we know who is ultimately in control. His peace is most evident in the storm!
Uncertainty is a great crippler of change.
How much easier would it be to choose a new career if we knew it would bring us total fulfillment? How much more confident would we be in choosing a mate, raising a family and planning for retirement if God gave us a white sheet detailing every aspect of our future.
In our human finiteness we can’t possibly know what the future holds. It’s as though we walk through a wilderness with no path to follow, no landmarks to guarantee we aren’t simply walking in circles. It’s like pushing through the underbrush of the forest, being scratched and confused along the way.
Here’s the good news. When you put your faith in God and follow his lead, you can be assured of reaching the promised land. That doesn’t mean there won’t be times of doubt or times of confusion, but even in those times you can be assured he is walking through life with you.
He’s ready to do something new in your life. He’s blazed the trail. He’s provided rivers of provision. The question isn’t if his way is best, the question is, are you ready to make that first step. Books written begin by picking up the pen. Journey’s start with the first step. Seeing God work in mighty ways won’t happen until you step out of the boat.
Are you ready to follow his path out of the wilderness in faith?
When calamity comes we often ask, “Why did you do this God?” But maybe we should really ask, “Why did you do this God?” Yep. You read it right. The question is the same, it’s the attitude of heart that’s different. In the first instance the tone and intent is accusatory. In the second instance it’s reflective. King Hezekiah was a Godly man greatly used for God’s Kingdom. God “left him to see what his heart (his character) was like.” This wasn’t so his character was revealed to God, he knew. Rather it was to reveal Hezekiah’s true character to himself. God is sometimes silent so we can see ourselves as we truly are. His goal isn’t to harm or frustrate us, but to draw us closer or make us stronger.
It’s easier to blame others than to accept responsibility for our actions; to dwell on the mistakes made in the past than to build towards the future. Some look on the social, political and physical problems of today and blame God or others. Yet the evil of today isn’t because of divine action but due to the natural consequences of greed, lust, hatred and anger. Fire can’t be fought with fire. More darkness won’t defeat darkness. The smallest amount of light will penetrate the deepest darkness
Mike Fisk & Built with Grace 