Circumstances in life, invisible forces lead me to fear. Things like lust, job loss, anger can overwhelm me with a sense of defeat. Joy flows away from me like water draining from a sink. Mike used this text today to make his point:
Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged.
~Joshua 1:9
~Joshua 1:9
The Israelites have been lead by Joshua through the Jordan river into the Promised Land only to be met by a menacing force of five kings all united in their opposition. The people of God are a little rag-tag band of ex-slaves coming out of forty years of desolate desert dwelling. They must have felt terribly frightened in the face of so great a force but God rained down huge hailstones upon their them and they were defeated. After, Joshua brought these five kings to lie prostrate before all Israel. He summoned his commanders to come and place their feet upon the necks of these once fearsome enemies while Joshua killed them.
To us moderns this sounds brutal but in God's economy, a lesson was being taught that his people desperately needed to see. Not only them but me also. They needed to know that God himself was going before them. Therefore, they should not fear the fearsome only trust in God's ability to save.
Fast forward to today. My heart is given to fear in the same way as the Israelites. Fear robs me of my joy. I meditated and thought of the things I fear seeing them as men lying prostrate on the ground in front of me. It wasn't Joshua who summoned me to place my foot upon their necks but it was Jesus. Jesus invited me to feel his victory as I placed my bare foot upon the necks of these that mean to do me in. While I stood there in this position, Jesus, utterly destroyed them before my eyes! Instead of joy trickling away, I felt the comfort of increasing joy.
To us moderns this sounds brutal but in God's economy, a lesson was being taught that his people desperately needed to see. Not only them but me also. They needed to know that God himself was going before them. Therefore, they should not fear the fearsome only trust in God's ability to save.
Fast forward to today. My heart is given to fear in the same way as the Israelites. Fear robs me of my joy. I meditated and thought of the things I fear seeing them as men lying prostrate on the ground in front of me. It wasn't Joshua who summoned me to place my foot upon their necks but it was Jesus. Jesus invited me to feel his victory as I placed my bare foot upon the necks of these that mean to do me in. While I stood there in this position, Jesus, utterly destroyed them before my eyes! Instead of joy trickling away, I felt the comfort of increasing joy.
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