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PINIMAGEWe are not promised an easy road as we walk in fellowship with the Lord. But we are promised His presence, power and love. No matter what we face, we can KNOW that He will be our all-in-all. That sounds really nice and it’s completely true. But it can be hard to remember when things become difficult.
When a person is surrendered to the Lord, when they’ve abandoned their plan for His, they begin to walk in His way. ALL that they experience comes from His hand and becomes part of His purpose.
Psalm 32:7-8 says,You are my hiding place; You preserve me from trouble; You surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah. (God speaking) I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go; I will counsel you with My eye upon you. *emphasis mine
We are promised a victorious end. We are promised abundant life now. In each season and situation we find ourselves, if it has come to us by the hand of God we can count on a victorious outcome.
I’ve been reading in the Old Testament over the past few months and I came upon the story of Joshua. God gave me some things to think about and encouraged my heart as I read.
Let me set this up. Moses had just died and God ORDAINED that Joshua would lead the Israelites into the Canaan, the Promised Land. Canaan was called the “Promised Land” because God promised He would give it to His people. So, it was a done deal. If God said it, it would be so. What encouraged me about the passage of scripture in Joshua 1 is that He speaks very personally to Joshua – His appointed leader. I love that God is a personal God.
What has God promised you?
What path has He invited you to walk with Him?
Notice as you read, His message to Joshua:
1. After the death of Moses the Lord’s servant, the Lord spoke to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ assistant. He said, 2 “Moses my servant is dead. Therefore, the time has come for you to lead these people, the Israelites, across the Jordan River into the land I am giving them. 3 I promise you what I promised Moses: ‘Wherever you set foot, you will be on land I have given you— 4 from the Negev wilderness in the south to the Lebanon mountains in the north, from the Euphrates River in the east to the Mediterranean Sea in the west, including all the land of the Hittites.’ 5 No one will be able to stand against you as long as you live. For I will be with you as I was with Moses. I will not fail you or abandon you.
6 “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. 7 Be strong and very courageous. 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. 8 Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do. 9 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.”
Let’s break the passage down into some encouraging insights for us today as we walk on God’s appointed path for us…
- God wants you to be strong & courageous – Because He will do what He promised.
- God ordained the plan & chose Joshua – God chose you for this purpose.
- God told Joshua to stick to the plan. When the battle gets hard, don’t look for plan “B”.
- God then promised success to Joshua in EVERYTHING he does. If God ordained your path…He promises a victorious end.
- God instructed Joshua – stay in the Word. Spend time in His Word and find your strength…
- Study it
- Meditate on it day and night
- Obey it
- God points out the result of staying in His Word – You will prosper and succeed in all you do.
- God promised He wouldn’t fail Joshua or leave him. God won’t fail you or leave you either.
PINIMAGEYou know what struck me most about this passage? As a little girl, I used to sing songs about Canaan Land where milk and honey flowed and the grapes were grown in great heavy clusters. The ground was good for planting and the land was more than they could hope for. The Promised Land – the land given to the Israelites by the Lord Himself. Remember God freed the Israelites from slavery in Egypt and led them to the Promised Land. I always thought, as a child, that the story ended with them frolicking into their new land and setting up their homes. I never really thought about the fact that a battle preceded the promise.
a battle preceded the promise
Although the victory was promised, God still expected them to fight.
Why did God want them to fight the inhabitants of the land when He had already told them the land would be theirs? He’s big enough. He could have driven the people out without any involvement of the Israelites. But He allowed them to fight the battle because in it He demonstrated His strength.
In the battle, they saw His deliverance.
In the battle, they saw His faithful hand.
In the battle, they saw His power.
Are you in a battle right now? Has your battle stolen from you hopes of a victorious end? Be strong and courageous. Though the battle may rage on,
God is with you.
He will not fail you or abandon you.
Victory is promised.
Be strong and courageous.
God walks with you and He keeps His promises.
