March 30, 2015 WHEREVER YOU GO
Joshua 1:9: “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
What a confidence booster for Joshua! Surely these were comforting, reassuring words for Joshua to hear for the challenge he was about to face. Joshua had been commissioned by God to lead the Israelites into the promised- land; a beautiful land full of “milk and honey”, but also full of the enemies of the children of Israel. As you read the book of Joshua, you will find that Joshua had a heart to fully follow and obey whatever God commanded and as a result, God gave Joshua great success. The good news is that we can have the same assurance that our God is with us wherever we go! In the New Covenant that God has inaugurated, we are blessed to have the Holy Spirit living in us. No matter where we go, God is present! Because God is with us wherever we go, we can be “strong and courageous” just as Joshua was when he went to battle. In the day in which we live, we stand in great need of those who will “be strong and courageous” – those who will go out to fight the battles that God puts before us. Because Joshua’s heart was turned to the Lord and because Joshua trusted the Lord fully, God gave him victory. Actually, God fought the battles, and He will fight the battles for us-our part is to go out to face the enemy, ready to fight. It is God who gives us the victory. In the natural, the idea of going in and taking the promised land was a daunting task to say the least. According to the spy’s report, there were giants in the land and it would be impossible for a group of unarmed desert wonderers to defeat the giants. However, two of the spies knew that God would give them the land just as He said He would do-in spite of the giants. We will face “giants” just as Joshua did, but we must remember that it is our part to go out and face the giants, and it is God’s part to give us victory. We are not to be inactive and there will be steps or actions that we take in the battle as the Lord leads.
I am sure that we all want to know that the Lord is with us wherever we go. As I stated above, we have the Holy Spirit living in us and He does not come and go-He is always in us. However, it is possible for us to grieve the Holy Spirit and it is possible for us to walk according to our own ways, not obeying the Spirit. If and when we disregard the Holy Spirit, we are not aware of His being with us “wherever we go” and we cannot be assured of victory. It is God’s desire that we be strong and courageous because our trust is in Him and not in ourselves. If there is but one thing to know in life; it is that God goes with us wherever we go! So, let us have a heart to follow God fully by hearing and obeying everything He says to us. The plans God has for us far exceed any plans we may have apart from Him. God is looking for those individuals whose heart is turned to Him-and He will show Himself strong on their behalf.
2 Chronicles 16:9: “For the eyes of the Lord move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His.”
2 Corinthians 10:3-4: “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses.”
John 14:16-17: “And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; that is, the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not behold Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you, and will be in you.”
Blessings,
Buddy
Joshua 1:9: “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
What a confidence booster for Joshua! Surely these were comforting, reassuring words for Joshua to hear for the challenge he was about to face. Joshua had been commissioned by God to lead the Israelites into the promised- land; a beautiful land full of “milk and honey”, but also full of the enemies of the children of Israel. As you read the book of Joshua, you will find that Joshua had a heart to fully follow and obey whatever God commanded and as a result, God gave Joshua great success. The good news is that we can have the same assurance that our God is with us wherever we go! In the New Covenant that God has inaugurated, we are blessed to have the Holy Spirit living in us. No matter where we go, God is present! Because God is with us wherever we go, we can be “strong and courageous” just as Joshua was when he went to battle. In the day in which we live, we stand in great need of those who will “be strong and courageous” – those who will go out to fight the battles that God puts before us. Because Joshua’s heart was turned to the Lord and because Joshua trusted the Lord fully, God gave him victory. Actually, God fought the battles, and He will fight the battles for us-our part is to go out to face the enemy, ready to fight. It is God who gives us the victory. In the natural, the idea of going in and taking the promised land was a daunting task to say the least. According to the spy’s report, there were giants in the land and it would be impossible for a group of unarmed desert wonderers to defeat the giants. However, two of the spies knew that God would give them the land just as He said He would do-in spite of the giants. We will face “giants” just as Joshua did, but we must remember that it is our part to go out and face the giants, and it is God’s part to give us victory. We are not to be inactive and there will be steps or actions that we take in the battle as the Lord leads.
I am sure that we all want to know that the Lord is with us wherever we go. As I stated above, we have the Holy Spirit living in us and He does not come and go-He is always in us. However, it is possible for us to grieve the Holy Spirit and it is possible for us to walk according to our own ways, not obeying the Spirit. If and when we disregard the Holy Spirit, we are not aware of His being with us “wherever we go” and we cannot be assured of victory. It is God’s desire that we be strong and courageous because our trust is in Him and not in ourselves. If there is but one thing to know in life; it is that God goes with us wherever we go! So, let us have a heart to follow God fully by hearing and obeying everything He says to us. The plans God has for us far exceed any plans we may have apart from Him. God is looking for those individuals whose heart is turned to Him-and He will show Himself strong on their behalf.
2 Chronicles 16:9: “For the eyes of the Lord move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His.”
2 Corinthians 10:3-4: “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses.”
John 14:16-17: “And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; that is, the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not behold Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you, and will be in you.”
Blessings,
Buddy
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