Hi Everyone!
The faithful few who check every week for each new post will have noticed that, contrary to the best laid plans, I wasn't able to post anything for a while now. It seemed my focus had to be on the life at hand as we dealt with the craziness God saw fit to bring into our lives.
First we had a car fire, which in just a few moments' time rendered our car totaled. Thankfully we have Duane's pickup, which still allows us to get around, but there have still been challenges associated therewith. When Duane has had to work, there has either been someone else to ride with TO work (about 45 minutes away), or I have been able to take the bus, since I didn't have to drive for work that day. God is so faithful! I hope one day I can just take his faithfulness for granted (then my struggle might be to remember to praise Him for it!), but in the mean-time, we've been so grateful on a day-by-day basis for his faithful provision.
Meanwhile, we've had a couple major events with CEF ministry that I've had heavy involvement with, we welcomed two new staff-members to the CEF team, we've been surprised and blessed by an amazing opportunity and have moved the CEF office to a new building, more central to the area we serve, and I've been traveling across three counties to meet with prospective students and to train them for summer ministry. All of these things have come with great joy, but also with no small amount of stress. Many of you know that my health quickly drains with any amount of stress, so that's left me with very little energy left over to invest in Duane and our home, much less this blog. I'm still not back to full strength (even for me), but thought I'd take a few minutes to check in and at least share a bit of what I've been meditating on lately.
"Be strong and of a good courage: be not afraid! For the Lord thy God is with thee, whithersoever thou goest. Joshua 1:9" I can still distinctly remember belting out the words of that verse in a tune I had learned at Good News Club as a child. Though I was only 8 or 9 years old at the time, I can actually remember at least three different times I was quoting that during that season of life. Sometimes for the fun of it, sometimes for the challenge of it, but sometimes because I was afraid and enjoyed the comfort it brought as I faced a path through a "scary" dark wooded area.
(It would help to read Joshua 1:1-9 - you can read it at this link)
It's always important to consider the context of a promise before seeking to apply it to yourself, so consider this: Joshua was likely in his late 80's when he got this message from God, had been born in slavery, had personally seen the amazing miracles and leading of God for his people, Israel, and had been one of the brave spies who had stood up to the fear of the other spies to encourage the population to go boldly into the promised land. Now, 40 years later, he stood at the cusp of actually going into the promised land, but HE was now the leader. For some reason, though, God knew that this courageous man would need his enCOURAGEment to face what was before him. Four times in the first chapter of Joshua, God told him specifically to "be strong and courageous" or to "be strong and VERY courageous" (emphasis mine). That phrase itself isn't so much the promise. The promise comes in where God gives the REASONS to be courageous. He told Joshua to be strong and courageous for two reasons, both of them spectacular ones at that.
First, he tells Joshua to be brave because "you shall cause this people to inherit the land that I swore to their fathers to give them." He had promised his people he would get them into this land, so Joshua had no reason to cower in fear. No matter how scary the future looked – giants, rivers, walls, soldiers, or, worse, whiney travelers, he would end up in the promised land. The result was certain. No need to waste energy worrying or figuring out how to shrewdly maneuver ahead – God's got this covered (yes, planning is wise – I'm just referring to the human worry that often goes WITH that planning). God was telling him that since He had promised he would get there, he could be strong and courageous. Hmmm… I wonder if that would somehow apply to us today?
God has promised us so many things – wisdom when we ask for it (James 1:5), that when we seek him, we will find him (Jeremiah 29:13), that we will have everlasting life when we believe on Him (John 3:16), the list goes on. Can WE be brave and courageous when we have those promises? Knowing that he gives me wisdom when I ask for it, I can courageously act on the wisdom that he DOES give me. Knowing that I have everlasting life allows me to face even death (or the fear thereof) with confidence and do things that I might otherwise shrink from.
Keep going, though, because there's a promise right here in that verse that's for us. Even in the New Testament, Hebrews 13:5 references this: "…for he has said, 'I will never leave you nor forsake you.' So we can confidently say, 'The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?'" In Joshua, he says "Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go." If God is with me, what do I have to fear? This word "with" has a connotation of more than just a physical "standing next to you" idea. Rather, it is an "I am standing beside you in this battle, when you're in battle, I'm there with you, when you need encouragement I'm right here" kind of an idea. Not that he just sits at our beck and call to be our servant, but that we are not alone going through these challenges. We are not separate from the almighty God of the Universe who knows all and loves us just the same. Can you imagine being Joshua hearing these words as he faces the uncertainty of his duties? Are YOU hearing these words for yourself?
There are two REASONS to be courageous in this passage, but there are also two COMMANDS from God of what Joshua's role is (and our job too). Job number 1 was for Joshua to meditate on God's Word day and night. Job number 2 was to obey it. These are our jobs too. In his times, all he had was the books of the law, and obedience to that law was part of a life of faith: a requirement for "salvation". For us, we have all of God's Word on which to meditate and obey – our salvation doesn't come from obeying the "Law", but from believing on Him as our only Savior from sin. However, if I DO believe, I want to honor God, and that happens as I do what He tells me through his word.
The last few weeks I've been struggling with some different decisions or habits to change, and I was seeking God on how to handle these. What seemed so complicated at first came down to these same instructions: Prioritize spending time in His Word, and then obey it. As we do, we are all the more in tune with the Holy Spirit, and we get to follow His leading through the day as well. But if I can just follow those two steps, look at the confidence I can have – the strength and courage as I face the craziness life throws at me. I don't know how to explain it, but it works. I'm freaking out about stressful events? Put down the electronics (or insert favorite time-wasting idol here), spend time in the Word this morning, then obey it. My health is collapsing and I don't know what to do? Put the electronics down, spend time in the Word, then obey it. I don't know how to handle a difficult conversation? Put down the electronics, spend time in the Word, then obey it. I'm in the midst of a spiritual battle? Put down the electronics, spend time in the Word, then obey it. Just because I have problem "X" when I go to His Word doesn't mean I'll find a "Thus sayeth the Lord, here's how to solve problem X" reply. I may not actually find any of the answers I thought I was looking for. BUT. I obey what I DO find, and with that, I have done my job. I can trust that God is right beside me, keeping His promises. And with that knowledge, I can be strong and courageous.
And here's a freebie "side thought": God allows the struggles in life so we WON'T take his faithfulness for granted, lest we forget to praise Him.
