PERSISTING IN THE PRESENCE OF GOD

Check it out. The picture. Do you see what I see? What do I see, you ask? I see Jesus on the cross on my deck. I know what you’re thinking. She’s lost it. Would you expect anything less from me? Some might look at this picture and see just a stick or a twig blown in by the wind. But, if people can see Mary in a grilled cheese on a plate, I can most certainly see Jesus in a stick on my deck. They say, Jesus is where you look for Him, right?

Have we seen Him? Who, you say? Jesus. Hasn’t this Advent Season been about anticipation, preparation, expectation? Remember, the Baby? Did we miss the Reason for the Season? Have we been looking for the Baby? Well, He’s here! Glory to God!

Eight days after birth, Mary and Joseph took their baby to the Temple for the ceremonial circumcision and naming. They named Him Jesus. While at the Temple, they met up with a man named Simeon. You see, Simeon was a righteous and devout man who lived in Jerusalem. The Spirit lived in him, and he was anxiously anticipating, preparing, expecting the Messiah to come and rescue Israel. In fact, the Spirit had revealed to Simeon that he would not die until he had actually seen the Messiah. Simeon was on the lookout. On that eighth day, the Spirit led Simeon to the Temple . There he met Mary and Joseph. He took the Baby into his arms, held Him close and softly spoke:

“Lord, now I can die in peace!
As you promised me,
I have seen the Savior
you have given to all people.
He is a light to reveal God to the nations,
And he is the glory of your people Israel!”
Luke 2:29-32

Simeon was looking for the light that would reveal God to the nations. The One that would come to console, comfort, help, rescue not just Israel, but all mankind. The Spirit had revealed to Simeon that he would not die until he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. The One John had foretold. Upon picking up that baby, he exclaimed: “Lord, now I can die in peace! As you promised me, I have seen the Savior you have given to all people.” Can we say the same? Have we seen Him? Can we die in peace?

When we think about it, it’s so hard to fathom. A Baby is such a strange way to save the World. Isn’t it? Simeon didn’t think that though. He instantly recognized the Savior because he had been looking for the Savior. You see, he had been waiting, expecting, preparing for Him, the Savior, the Messiah, the Promised One. Simeon followed the nudge of the Holy Spirit and saw Jesus. Do we? Have we followed the nudge? Have we stepped forward when stirred to pick up the Baby, hold Him close, speak in awe – I have seen the Savior?

Moreover, do we tell others we have seen the Savior?

Anna the prophetess was also there, a daughter of Phanuel from the tribe of Asher. She was by now a very old woman. She had been married seven years and a widow for eighty-four. She never left the Temple area, she worshiped night and day with her fastings and prayers. At the very time that Simeon was praying, she showed up, and broke into an anthem of praise to God, and talked about the child to all who were waiting expectantly for the freeing of Jerusalem.
Luke 2:36-38

Upon hearing Simeon’s words, Anna recognized Jesus. Upon recognizing Jesus, she broke into praise. Anna then told everyone who had been waiting for the promised King – I have seen Jesus! Anna told everyone who needed help, rescued, saved – to everyone who needed Jesus – the Savior has come!

Just like the night wind said to the little lamb – Do you see what I see? A star.
Just like the little lamb said to the shepherd boy – Do you hear what I hear? A song.
Just like the shepherd boy said to the mighty king – Do you know what I know? A child.
Just like the king said to the people everywhere – Listen to what I say! The Light.

Simeon and Anna were looking for Jesus. They found Him. We need only look too. We will find Him.

Come though long expected Jesus born to set Thy people free; From our fears and sins release us, let us find our rest in Thee. Israel’s hope and consolation, Hope of all the earth Thou art; Dear desire of every nation, Joy of every longing heart.

Born Thy people to deliver, Born a child and yet a King, Born to reign in us forever, Now They gracious kingdom bring. By Thine own eternal Spirit Rule in all our hearts alone; By Thine all sufficient merit Raise us to Thy glorious throne.

So the Word became human and lived here on earth among us.
John 1:14

Today in the world about 14,708 babies will be born each hour. Now in the early days birth was not quite happening at that rate, but it was happening. Afterall, God told Adam and Eve to be fruitful and multiply. He told Noah and his sons to be fruitful and multiple. He told Jacob aka Israel to be fruitful and multiple. So this is what was supposed to happen, right? Babies were to be born. Procreation was on.

Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit.
Matthew 1:18

The Word became human by being born of a woman. Mary. At first glance it looks so ordinary, doesn’t it? A woman has a baby. Happens every day. But if we really think about it, it is quite fantastic. We all pretty much know this story. It’s the Reason for the Season, right? But do we really understand how extraordinary it is? His mother found out she was pregnant by an angel not a doctor. This pregnancy was not unplanned but a planned pregnancy from the beginning of time. His parents were not married but betrothed. His mother was a not a woman but a teenaged girl. His father was not Joseph but the Holy Spirit. He was born in a manger not a hospital. There obviously were some extraordinary happenings surrounding the birth of this baby.

Here’s how Sinclair Ferguson describes it:

Christ came into the womb of a virgin and emerged from it as a new-born infant. He came to share our humanity from its beginning—an embryo cradled in the body of a teenaged virgin.

What a beautiful vision. Cradled from womb to manger. Although important, the most extraordinary part isn’t how He came or the events surrounding the birth, but why He came, that’s the most beautiful vision.

Come, Thou long expected Jesus
Born to set Thy people free;
From our fears and sins release us,
Let us find our rest in Thee.
Israel’s strength and consolation,
Hope of all the earth Thou art;
Dear desire of every nation,
Joy of every longing heart.

The ordinary course of life starts with birth. If we do not see the extraordinary in this ordinary, we will have missed Jesus.

Wednesday
Read John 1:1-18. What does The Word mean? Write out your understanding of it.

Thursday
Read John 1:1-18. What do these scriptures say about Jesus being fully human and fully God?

Friday
Read Genesis 1:1. Who was there in the beginning?
Read Genesis 1:26. Who created people? In whose image were they created? Hint – look for the pronouns.

Saturday
Review your answers to the questions posed on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.

Sunday
Spend time in prayer asking God to reveal to you how extraordinary He is.

Monday
Read Luke 4:14-22. What was Jesus sent to do?

Tuesday
Spend time in prayer today praising God for sending the hope of the earth to release us from our sins and fears. Praise God for sending The Word.

Tis but thy name that is my enemy;
Thou art thyself, though not a Montague.
What’s Montague? it is nor hand, nor foot,
Nor arm, nor face, nor any other part
Belonging to a man. O, be some other name!
What’s in a name? that which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet;
So Romeo would, were he not Romeo call’d,
Retain that dear perfection which he owes
Without that title. Romeo, doff thy name,
And for that name which is no part of thee
Take all myself. (2.2.38-49)

William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet

So what’s in a name? Poor Romeo and Juliet, they had their issues, didn’t they? Romeo had the wrong name. He was born a Montague. He was born an enemy of the Capulets. Remember the feuding families? Kind of like the Hatfields and McCoys, West Virginia-style, right?!?! Juliet blurts out, basically, what’s the big deal, it’s just a name, your name doesn’t make you who you are, you are who you are, regardless of what you’re called. A rose, is a rose, is a rose. But the name Montague meant something to the Capulet family. The name had meaning, it had significance.

About 1500 years before Shakespeare wrote Romeo and Juliet, the most meaningful name was mentioned, before His birth. A name from the House of David.

“You will become pregnant and have a son, and you are to name him Jesus. He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!”
Luke 1:31-33

“For the child within her has been conceived by the Holy Spirit. And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”
Matthew 1:20-21

So, what’s in a name? Do you think Mary and Joseph were wondering that too? Why the name Jesus? Why not Joe, Jr.? Why not after Mary’s dad? Why not after Joseph’s great uncle Earl? Did they know what that name meant? Did they know what that name would represent? Maybe. Maybe not. The Bible tells us and shows us so plainly and comprehensibly what the name Jesus means.

Baby Jesus. Savior. Messiah. Almighty God. Everlasting Father. Prince of Peace. Immanuel. Redeemer. Word of God. Light that Shines in Darkness. The Alpha and Omega. Shepherd. Son of Man. First and Last. Creator. Lion of the Tribe of Judah. Lamb of God. Son of Man. Hope of the World. Bread of Life. Christ Jesus. God. Holy Spirit. Father. Abba. Triumphant. Strength. Amen!

So, what’s in your name? What does your name mean? Not your given name, your newborn name, you know, child of the risen King.

See how very much our heavenly Father loves us, for he allows us to be called his children, and we really are! 1 John 3:1

The Bible tells us and shows us so plainly and comprehensibly what our name means too. Humbled. Christian. Disciple. Heirs. Holy Nation. Lambs. Royal Priesthood. Loved. Forgiven. Redeemed. Righteous. Child of God. Faultless. Sinless. Chosen. Son. Daughter. Gift. Image of God.

Your attitude should be the same that Christ Jesus had. Though he was God, he did not demand and cling to his rights as God. He made himself nothing; he took the humble position of a slave and appeared in human form. And in human form he obediently humbled himself even further by dying a criminal’s death on a cross. Because of this, God raised him up to the heights of the heaven and gave him a name that is above every other name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:5-11

Names really do mean something.

Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, there’s just something about that name. Master, Savior, Jesus, like the fragrance after the rain. Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, let all heaven and earth proclaim. Kings and kingdoms shall all pass away, but there’s just something about that name.

He who receives you receives me, and he who receives me receives the one who sent me. Matthew 10:40

I ran across this verse a while back and chewed on it quite a bit. It’s almost like a tongue twister, isn’t it? This verse has a propensity for pronouns. Jesus talk — He, who, you, Me, he, who, Me, Him, One, Me. Since Jesus lives in us, anyone who accepts us, accepts Jesus, who then, by relationship, accepts Jesus through the One who sent Him. Yikes! It’s like chasing your tail, right? Reminds me of the Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon only it’s the Billionth Degree of Jesus. Those who know Him, are all connected – one body, remember? That’s how it’s supposed to work. Anyway.

Receives. Welcomes. Accepts. Takes in. Gets hold of. Takes possession of. Acquires. Secures. Jesus is saying to the Disciples, we’re all in this together. If someone accepts you, they accept Me. If they accept Me, they accept God My Father. That clears it all up then. But, wait.

Receives. Welcomes. Accepts. We understand those words, don’t we? We’re consumers. We know how to receive gifts. We welcome gifts. We accept gifts. What do we do with gifts? We receive them and then open them, right? We welcome them and then open them, right? We accept them and then open them, right? We don’t open them and then accept them, right? Of course not! That would be crazy. That’s out of order. But that’s exactly what “Christian” is all about. It’s all about opening first.

Celebrating Christ-mas is about receiving and then opening the gift. Celebrating Christ-ian is about opening and then receiving the gift. It’s about opening, letting, allowing, our hearts and minds to receive, to welcome, to accept the gift, the Greatest Gift ever. Being open to receive is difficult though.

To open. To give access. To unlock. To unseal. To unshut. That makes us vulnerable, doesn’t it? Vulnerable to others. “He who receives you…” Vulnerable to Jesus. “…he who receives me receives the one who sent me.” As hard as it may be, when we open, we receive, and look what happens:

And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are all called to live in peace. Colossians 3:15

When we open, we receive. Here, Brother Paul is telling the folks of Colosse, be open to receive the peace that comes from Christ. Peace. We’re all looking for peace this time of year, aren’t we? Is it so easy to just open and receive? It is. When we open, we receive and look what happens:

For no matter how much they used, there was always enough left in the containers, just as the Lord had promised through Elijah. 1 Kings 17:16

When we open, we receive. Elijah and the widow were open to receive God’s provision from a handful of flour and a mite of oil in a jug. Provision. We’re all looking for provisions aren’t we? We’re all looking to be cared for. Is it so easy to just open and receive? It is. When we open, we receive and look what happens:

And he stretched himself out over the child three times and cried out to the Lord, “O Lord my God, please let this child’s life return to him.” The Lord heard Elijah’s prayer, and the life of the child returned, and he came back to life! I Kings 17:21-22

When we open, we receive. Elijah and the widow were open to receive God’s miracle. Miracles. We’re all looking for miracles aren’t we? We’re looking for someone to stretch over us and heal our diseases – mind, body, spirit. We’re all looking for the impossible to be made possible. Is it so easy to just open and receive? It is. When we open, we receive and look what happens:

They asked Ezra the scribe to bring out the Book of the Law of Moses, which the Lord had given for Israel to obey…When they saw him open the book, they all rose to their feet…They read from the Book of the Law of God and clearly explained the meaning of what was being read, helping the people understand each passage…The people went away to celebrate with great joy because they had heard God’s words and understood them. Nehemiah 1:12

When we open, we receive. Ezra, Nehemiah and the people of Jerusalem were open and received understanding. We’re all looking for understanding, aren’t we? Just trying to grasp the meanings. We’re all looking for answers to the questions of life. Is it so easy to just open and receive? It is. When we open, we receive and look what happens:

“I bring you good news of great joy for everyone! The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born tonight in Bethlehem, the city of David!” Luke 2:10

When we open, we receive. We, like the Shepherds, open and received life. We’re all looking for a Savior, aren’t we? Someone to save us from our sins. Someone to save us from ourselves. A Deliverer. Someone to be Lord of our lives, because we can’t. Someone to be true to the promises made. Someone to worship. Is it so easy to just open and receive? It is. When we open, we receive and look what happens.

Why do we celebrate Thanksgiving only on Thanksgiving Day? I mean I know why the Pilgrims and Indians celebrated Thanksgiving, but why do we? Sure, I know it is to commemorate the first Thanksgiving, but when we’re sitting around this stuffed bird on the table gorging ourselves (I’ll speak for myself), are we thinking about the true meaning of Thanksgiving? I can honestly say I’m not thinking of the lean times when God provided. I’m not thinking about the insecure times when God provided. I’m not thinking about the times of sickness when God provided. Frankly, I’m thinking about more mashed potatoes with sauerkraut in the middle and who’s going to take the body shot so I can have that last piece of pie? Wrong, I know.

So, this year, I want to be different. This year I want to celebrate the real meaning of Thanksgiving — God’s provisions for me, for you. Is it too much to ask (I ask myself) to set aside one day for thanksgiving to a God who provides year round? Better yet, what if I carried that thanksgiving a little bit past Thursday, maybe even a little into Friday? I don’t think it would hurt me. You in? Let’s get started.

Wednesday
During your time with the Lord today, read aloud Psalm 100.

Thursday
Give thanks with a grateful heart, give thanks to the Holy One! Today, praise the Holy One. During your Thanksgiving Celebration, look around the table and whisper a prayer of thanksgiving for each.

Friday
Write down two blessings from your Thanksgiving Day celebration.

Saturday
Write out Psalm 100.

Sunday
Give thanks because He’s given Jesus Christ, His Son. Today, praise the Holy One who gave His Son.

Monday
Memorize Psalm 100:4

Tuesday
And now let the weak say I am strong, let the poor say I am rich because of what the Lord has done for us. Praise the Holy One today for His strength and glorious riches. All good things come from Him.

In Sarah Young’s Jesus Calling, I came across a sentence that shot me out of my slippers.

Pause briefly from time to time so you can consult with this Holy One inside you.

What a stunning phrase. It jarred me to my core. I peel back the layers of meaning in this sentence to see the message. I can wrap my brain around the “Pause briefly from time to time so you can consult with” part. Pausing throughout my day to consult with God – prayer. I can shoot dagger prayers all day, most of the time I don’t even need to pause. I can do it on the fly. You too? Zing. Zing. Bullseye. But, the more I think about it, the more I think maybe I don’t get it. Pause. Halt. Standstill. Suspend.

Let’s look at the pause. We’re on our power walk and we have something to consult God about. Erch! Dear Lord… We’re walking down the hall at work, we stop dead in our tracks, utter a few words and then back to the frenzy. Hmmm? You know it may not be practical for us to pause on our powerwalk or in the hallway. But, what about mentally pausing throughout the day? Stopping all mind traffic for just a moment in time to concentrate on this Holy One?

Where I really got weak knees was the rest of the sentence. “this Holy One inside you.” Inside you. Think about that for a minute. “…this Holy One inside you.” Ahhhh! This makes me pull up. I repeat this phrase to myself over and over trying to zero in on why it makes me so weak kneed. Why does this phrase make me uncomfortable? Why is it troubling to me? Even though this phrase should be such a comfort – isn’t that what “they” say? You see, I know that this Holy One is inside of me, but what is so bothersome to me is that I also know what else lives inside of me and it doesn’t square. This Holy One inside of me is chilling, not because of who He is, but because of who I am.

This Holy One living inside us is none other than God the Father and Jesus the Son, His Spirit. I got sin and this Holy One is sinless and cannot look on sin. So, I must continually confess, clean and make room for this Holy One. Because I am a sinner does not mean that this Holy One does not live in me. But it does mean that I’m not giving Him all my heart space. My sin takes up part of that space. Getting rid of our sin makes more room for Him. Close your eyes and visualize that. What takes up more space in our hearts? Is there room enough for this Holy One or is He crowded out by sin?

But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. (And remember that those who do not have the spirit of Christ living in them are not Christians at all.) Since Christ lives within you, even though your body will die because of sin, your spirit is alive because you have been made right with God. The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as he raised Christ from the dead, he will give life to your mortal body by this same Spirit living within you. Romans 8:9-11

That word just had to come up, didn’t it? What we all lack and always want more of…control. We are all controlled by something. What controls me? My sinful nature or the Spirit living in me? The essence of who I was, or the essence of who He made me. Hmmm. I’d like to always say the latter, but that wouldn’t be true. Sometimes my sinful nature squeezes on the Spirit inside me. When I’m shooting off my mouth (I’m still working on that talking thing), this Holy One inside me is not evident to myself or others. I’m not being controlled by the Spirit living inside me.

Live, living, alive. The key to the verse. No less than six times are those words mentioned in those verses. Why is it important? To live means to dwell, to reside, to abide. This Holy One inside me. This Holy One dwelling in me. This Holy One residing in me. This Holy One abiding in me.

Folks who have accepted, confessed, and proclaimed Jesus as their Lord and Savior, Christians, are no longer controlled by the sinful nature. Maybe I should check with this Holy One inside me to be sure He has enough room, that my sin is not taking up His space.

As with most all of us in the west, and many in the world, Tony and I have cells phones.  We have a cell phone plan, you know, the kind.  You pay a lot of money each month for a certain number of phone lines and you get superb service, always.  Well…nearly.

We’ve used the same carrier for the past 15 or so years.  About two years ago, the strangest thing happened.  Out of the blue our phone calls started merging on our cell phones.  My calls would be listed in his Recent and Voice Mail, and vice-versa.  They wouldn’t actually ring phone-to-phone, but they would show up.  And…all of our Passwords merged.  His on mine, mine on his.  So much for security measures, right?  Anyway, because Tony uses his phone for work and because we were told if we separated our phone IDs we may lose all contacts, we’ve just been living with it, because his phone is our paycheck.

Eventually we adjusted to this new norm, it wasn’t too too bad, until Saturday.   I had to update my phone to the latest iOS.  That’s where things got sticky.  Not only were we receiving each other’s call notifications, we now were receiving each other’s text messages!  Every text was a group text.  Aaaah!  Texts and responses were showing up on both our phones at all times.  Well, we just couldn’t have that.  Again, Tony’s phone pays our bills.

So, we began the process of separating our IDs, knowing the risk that our contacts, our passwords, our photos/videos, everything could be lost.  We decided I would be the one to get the new ID so that his information could be preserved.  I could recreate all my things, if needed.  Or at least that’s what I thought.  We got on the horn with the phone company and began the process.  The phone representative, Jamelle, was talking us through this process.  We were at the reset stage.  Just as I had hit reset, he asked me if I had backed up my photos because all would be lost.  When we checked the backup location, my photos weren’t there.  I looked at Tony and started crying.    There are some priceless photos on there, some I have in other locations, some I can retrieve, some that can be sent to me again, but some I can’t possibly replace.  Jamelle heard me and immediately said to hit cancel.

You see there were photos that had not backed up and they were pictures of my mom.  I just couldn’t get those back.  So we immediately stopped the reset process and began the backup process.  I explained to Jamelle that my mom was no longer living here on earth and that I needed those photos.  He assured me we would do nothing until we could secure those photos.  The backup process took much longer than expected (several hours) and at the end, I still didn’t have all my photos backed up.  Now to be fair, I do have about 6,000.  If you’d ever seen the amazing skies the Lord provides on a daily basis and if you’ve ever seen my Grandson Beau, you would be surprised I only had 6,000!  Anyway, after a couple of more calls and consults with the phone company (way into the evening – this was like a whole day thing!), multiple attempts at backups, all unsuccessful, needless to say, I was slightly wrapped around the axel.  I felt like I had wasted my whole day on this stupid phone.  The thing that was “supposed” to make my life easier and more efficient only proved to be difficult and a time-sucker.  But, as God would later reveal, not a time-waster.

Going to bed that night I kept kicking myself because I had spent almost a whole day trying to get my phone worked out.  I hate to waste time – you can never get it back – especially on something as frustrating as a stupid phone.  So I went to bed disheartened and slightly obsessed about my stupid phone. 

The next day was Sunday…

Each morning I walk the sun up with my dog.  You know I love, love, love that time of day.  It’s completely dark and as I walk and pray, the early morning light starts dawning.  As I’m walking along, the Lord revealed to me that I was a nut the day before about my stupid phone.  I confessed to the Lord that I had not thought of Him after the phone process started and that I was so frustrated the day before that I was a scowling, sneering, short-tempered jerk.  I’m ashamed to say that.  I know better.  But you see, I had, for one instance taken my eyes off Jesus, and instantly became this self-absorbed stupid phone lunatic.  I let the world (my stupid phone) take over my thoughts.  I let the world (my stupid phone) control my mind.  Wrong!  Wong! Wrong!  What I couldn’t see Saturday became so clear Sunday.  So I had to confess my sins and ask forgiveness from Jesus and from Tony.  Both were gracious.

I will carry that lesson with me for some time.  Keep perspective, do not let the world intervene and control my thoughts.  The funny thing about it…On that Saturday morning, before all of this happened, this was my study verse:

Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.  Colossians 3:12

I definitely didn’t carry that message throughout Saturday.  I definitely was not dressed for success as they say, I had on the wrong clothes.  What’s wrong with me?  Why couldn’t I carry those verses even for a few hours?  The process of sanctification is painful sometimes.

Another lesson I learned in all of this is even more precious and I pray I will never forget.  After confessing my sin of losing perspective and being a jerk, God spoke a truth right into my heart that literally stopped me in my tracks:  This place and this stuff are only temporary.

For this world is not our home; we are looking forward to our city in heaven, which is yet to come.  Hebrews 13:14

I was living as if this world was my destination, and it’s not.  You see, I wanted those pictures of my mom to keep forever.  Well, this place is not forever.  As much as those photos of my mom matter now, one day they will not because as the saying goes, “you can’t take them with you.”  There’s nothing wrong with me wanting those pictures of my mom, but it came to me that I don’t need to worry about keeping the pictures because I’m afraid I won’t ever see my mom again.  My mom is in Heaven.  How do I know that?  Because she accepted Jesus, confessed her sin, and claimed Him as her One True Savior.  She was a child of God.  That confirmation means that since I too have accepted Jesus, confessed my sin (so many), and claimed Him as my One True Savior, and I am a child of God, I will see her again.  In fact, I will spend all of eternity with her.  I don’t have to have her photo. 

The fact is that I was obsessing over a photo of someone I will see again when actually I should be obsessing over the photos of people — friends, family, acquaintances, and strangers, who don’t know Jesus, because I won’t see them ever again after they leave this earth.  Those are the pictures in life I should be concerned about saving, backing up and downloading.  Those are the ones that I should print and frame and hang on the walls of my mind, so that every time I see them I can seek God’s grace and mercy for them. 

Through confession of my sin for being a jerk and getting caught up in the worldly, the Lord was so gracious to forgive me, but then He also spoke Truth into my heart.  When we confess our sin to Him, He is quick to forgive and quick to comfort.

I will make a reasonable attempt to save my mom’s pictures, but if I can’t, it’s really okay.  He has granted me peace.  He reminded me that this world is not my home – all of this world and every person and photo will fade away.  He has also reminded me of what is really important and that there are photos I really do need to save, to gaze on, to pray on.

Those are the most important lessons I learned this weekend, but there were others I don’t have time to go into here. Eventually, after three days (yes), my phone backed up. Eventually, by resetting our current ID, our phones are fixed. The fix was a simple reboot, a reconnect. Hmmm…wasn’t that the solution all along?

We read last week where the Lord had called Joshua to succeed Moses. Remember, Moses wasn’t allowed to enter Canaan because he had been disobedient to God. God still loved Moses, cared for him, provided for him, had relationship with him, and was always with him and Moses was still devoted (if not more so) to God, trusted God, communicated with God, and followed God; however, there were consequences for his disobedience to God.

The Lord calls Joshua forth and gives him very explicit instructions:

Be strong and courageous…Be strong and very courageous. Obey the laws Moses gave you. Do not turn away from them, and you will be successful in all you do. Study this Book of the Law continually. Meditate on it day and night so that you may be sure to obey all that is written in it. Only then will you succeed. I command you — be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged… Joshua 1:6-9

Sometimes the Bible is just so exceedingly clear. Be strong and courageous. Be strong and very courageous. Obey the laws. Study the Book continually. Meditate on it. Be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged.

There are no less than seven directives from God in these few short verses. One of which is repeated three times. Be strong and courageous. The Hebrew word for strong is chazaq and it means to be or grow firm or strong, to strengthen. And courageous in Hebrew is amet and it means to be stout, strong, strengthen, obstinate, mighty.

Joshua was about to be the leader of more than two million people. He was about to move them into a strange new land where they would be challenged at every turn. The move to the land of milk and honey was not going to be a cake walk. Joshua was leading a group of people more than the size of the entire State of West Virginia. In fact, there are other thirteen States that have fewer people than what Joshua was mobilizing to move. He was moving an entire State of people into hostile territory, into their God-given land. He needed reminders. Be strong and courageous.

And so do I. And so do you. We are all on a journey, sometimes we feel like we’re on a road to nowhere, right? But every one of our lives is a journey. A journey set in motion before time began. A journey specific to each one of us and yet supernaturally intertwined with each other. A journey sometimes into the honey spot. A journey many times into hostile territory.

Just like the Lord knew exactly what Joshua would need to make the journey, He knows exactly what we need on our journey. The route is distinct for each of us, our crossings are mapped out on different roadways, different experiences, different life events to conquer, different rivers that need to be crossed. But the “how to,” the guidance, the manner is the same.

Just like Joshua, the Lord has given us very explicit instructions: Be strong and very courageous. Read your Bible. Actually, God doesn’t just say to read your Bible, He says to study it “continually.” Make it a habit, without ceasing, always. He doubles down and says to “meditate on it day and night.” Think about it, contemplate, roll it around, chew on it, all the time. It’s interesting that another definition for “meditate” is “plan.” His Word is clear on this. When we study The Word, when we meditate on it, when we think on it and allow it to soak into our hearts and our minds, our plans will be in accord with God’s plans for our lives. The only way we will succeed is to follow The Word of God.

Obey the laws Moses gave you. Do not turn away from them and you will be successful in everything you do. Study this Book of the Law 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. Joshua 1:7-8

Joshua had learned the ropes of leadership from Moses and he was in his own right a brilliant military strategist, a warrior leader. But, Joshua was not those things on his own. Joshua wasn’t a success because he was a great leader and a great fighter. He was a success because of who he followed. He had been trained by Moses for this moment in time, but because He was obedient to God he was powered by God to see it through.

God has given us the tools to move along on our journeys. His Presence, His Promises, His Word. So be strong and very courageous!

…the Lord spoke to Joshua…

Joshua 1:1

So, after Moses died, the Lord appointed another leader of His people.  The Lord spoke to Joshua.  We don’t know exactly how the Lord spoke.  Burning bush, dream, vision. Or, it could have been “face to face” or literally mouth to mouth, “directly,” without a go between, as He had spoken to Moses.  The Hebrew word used for speak in Joshua 1:1 is amar which means to utter, speak, say.  We assume, but we always need to be careful, based on the translation, that the Lord literally said words to Joshua. We can’t be certain and it doesn’t really matter, it’s not a salvation issue, so the point isn’t how He spoke, it’s that He spoke.

Why did the Lord speak to Joshua?  Because Moses had requested that God appoint the next leader.  The time had come to move into the Promised Land, to cross the Jordan and enter that land they had heard about for so long, the milk and honey spot, and Moses knew he wouldn’t be the one to lead the charge, God had told him that.

The Israelite organizational chart, or family tree would rightly reflect that Aaron or another immediate descendent of Moses would be next in line to lead the Israelites.  But, because of disobedience, neither Moses nor Aaron would enter the Promised Land.  Remember that?

But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not trust me enough to demonstrate my holiness to the people of Israel, you will not lead them into the land I am giving them!  Numbers 20:12

Ouch! Seems harsh, but Moses blatantly disobeyed the Lord’s direct command.  He dishonored God in the presence of his people.  God could not let this go unpunished, Moses and Aaron were their leaders, their shepherds, they were in charge of the flock.  Shepherds lead by example.  What a shepherd does, a flock will do.  Sheep mirror their shepherd.  Oh my…

These verses bring so many thoughts to mind:  Do I trust God enough?  What blessing am I missing out on because of my lack of obedience?  What disobedience do I need to confess and get into check?  Do I lead well (we’re all leaders of someone in some way), be it a flock, a tribe, a family, a church?  Who am I mirroring?  What do I mirror?

But we follow the Great Shepherd.  Despite Moses’ lack of obedience, his sin, God still loved him, God still blessed him and was merciful to him.  Even though confessed sin is forgiven, sin sets into motion events and actions that are far reaching.  Forgiveness of sin does not mean we are absolved from the consequences of that sin.  Although Moses did not enter the Promised Land, the Lord blessed him by allowing him to see Canaan, the fruit of his life’s labor.

…Look out across the land of Canaan, the land I am giving to the people of Israel as their own possession.  Then you must die there on the mountain…So you will see the land from a distance, but you must not enter the land I am giving to the people of Israel.  Deuteronomy 32:48-52

There are consequences for our disobedience, but there is also grace.  Moses was not perfect, but He loved God.  He made mistakes when he ran headlong and buckled under the pressures of the world.  He  took his eyes off God and put them on the people.  Moses’ successor would not be his son but his servant, Joshua.  Then God spoke:

…you must lead my people…

Joshua 1:2

The key to Joshua’s success, leading this mess of a people, directing 12 tribes, removing enemies, and moving into an unknown land, was his obedience to God.  Yes, we’ll see that he was a strong leader, a successful military strategist, a strong spiritual influencer (he’d set TikTok ablaze), but all of who he was was because of his submission to, his obedience to, his faith in God.  God spoke, Joshua believed and followed.

We all submit to someone or something.  Who or what is that?  Do we listen to the world?  Do we submit to the world’s demands to think this way or that.  To do this thing or that because it will make us happy?  Do this or that and we will get ahead in life?  Do what you feel like doing, it’s your life? It’s worth thinking about for a minute.  Who is your leader?  Who are you following?

I promise you what I promised Moses:  “Everywhere you go, you will be on land I have given you…No one will be able to stand their ground 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.  Joshua 1:2-5

What a promise!  The God of the universe, the God of all creation, the Creator and Sustainer of every living thing will defend you, be present with, never let you down and never abandon you.  Who in this world wouldn’t want that?  A Creator, a Sustainer, a Defender, a Preserver, an Upholder?   Well, we have that, and so much more.  This was a perpetual promise.  A promise for all time.  It was a promise for the Israelites then, and it is for God’s children now and for God’s children to come.  Jesus said:

And be sure of this:  I am with you always, even to the end of the age.

Matthew 28:20

Do you love that, or what!?!  Jesus promises to be with us for all time, forever, eternally!  But, check this out, Jesus says “And be sure of this:”  Jesus says, I promise!  He doesn’t say yeah, I’ll be with you, or hey, I’ll be around.  He says you can bank on it, you can count on me – be sure!

And guess what?  All God’s promises always come true.  Maybe not in the way or the time we expect, but you can bet your life that His promises always come true.  Check this out:

Christ is the visible image of the invisible God.

He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation,

for through him God created everything

in the heavenly realms and on earth.

He made the things we can see

and the things we can’t see—

such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world.

Everything was created through him and for him.

He existed before anything else,

and he holds all creation together.

He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth

by means of Christ’s blood on the cross.

Colossians 1:15-17

Booyah!  Promise kept from thousands of years before!  God promised King David that he would have an earthly dynasty.  But God said, that that house, that dynasty, would be an eternal dynasty.  David’s reign would come to an end here on earth, but a direct descendant of David would fulfill God’s promise to David and reign for all eternity.

“‘Furthermore, the LORD declares that he will make a house for you—a dynasty of kings!  For when you die and are buried with your ancestors, I will raise up one of your descendants, your own offspring, and I will make his kingdom strong.  He is the one who will build a house—a temple—for my name. And I will secure his royal throne forever…Your house and your kingdom will continue before me for all time, and your throne will be secure forever.’”

2 Samuel 7:11-16

Booyah!  Promise kept!  God promised His people a leader, a shepherd.  For a time He called Joshua to lead His people.  Then for all time, Jesus came to lead God’s people, His own people.  As promised, Jesus came to save, redeem, and deliver God’s people, His people.  All of God’s promises are found and fulfilled through Christ Jesus His Son who will never leave us or forsake us.  He always keeps His promises! Who is your Leader? Don’t hurry over this. Make sure you know who you are following.

Next week, we will conclude our study of Joshua 1:1-9. Again, I don’t usually have successive parts, but I don’t want to rush through, I don’t want to miss anything God might have to say because I just want to move to the next thing. So, I’ll carry on next week. In the meantime, do read around some of the scripture references quoted above and check out Numbers 27:12-23, 20:1-12, Deuteronomy 32:48-52, and Colossians 1.

After the death of Moses the LORD’s servant, the LORD spoke to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ assistant. He said, “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. I promise you what I promised Moses: ‘Wherever you set foot, you will be on land I have given you— 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.’ 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.

“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. 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. 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. 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 1:1-9

Working my way through a rabbit hole the other day, I came across these verses. I was so struck when I read them again. Maybe because we hear daily about how Israel is in great turmoil. She is surrounded by her enemies on all sides constantly fighting for her people and fighting for her God-given land, Canaan, the Promised Land, that land flowing with milk and honey. The land whose boundaries were prescribed and laid out by the God of all creation. A land whose dimensions were surveyed, marked off, and precisely recorded in the Word of God.

When I look at it on paper: “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.” it seems so simple. Carve out the portion of land designated by the Lord for His people, you stay on your side, I’ll stay on mine. Rarely in life are things that simple though, maybe because life in this world involves humans, and we tend to make things a bit sticky, but also because, as Paul told the folks at Ephesus: “we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.” Satan is constantly battling all who are on the Lord’s side. Now we know the victor of the battle, the Lord God prevails, nevertheless, the battle still rages.

The specific patches of land God designates for His people are recorded in Genesis 15:18-21, Deuteronomy 30:1-10 and Joshua 1:4. Folks much smarter than I have shown it in modern day to be what Israel currently possesses, “plus all of the territory occupied by the Palestinians (the West Bank and Gaza), plus some of Egypt and Syria, plus all of Jordan, plus some of Saudi Arabia and Iraq” (Ref. GotQuestions). It really is fascinating. As you can see, Israel does not yet possess the entire territory God promised to them, but you can bet your bottom dollar that one day they will. God always keeps his promises.

So, after 40 years of wandering in the wilderness, the next generation of Israelites are ready to enter their Promised Land, the land permanently promised to them by God in what’s called the Abrahamic Covenant. It is a magnificently beautiful promise recorded in Genesis 12:

Then the LORD said to Abram, “Leave your country, your kindred, and your father’s household, and go to the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you; and all the families of the earth will be blessed through you.”

The same promise that God made to the Abram (Abraham) is the same promise He makes to us today through Christ. Jesus said come follow me, leave your parents, love me more than them, love me more than your own life, submit to me, give up everything you own. And in return, I will bless you abundantly, I will give you everything — eternal life, you will never perish, no one will ever snatch you away from Me, I am with you always. Wow!

Ok, back to Joshua. We see in this text that Joshua is Moses’ successor. He is appointed by God to lead the nation of Israel through the Jordan River. The last of the prior generation has died and the new generation is ready to stake its claim to the land God had promised them. You may remember that Joshua along with Caleb had previously been selected, along with 10 other men to check out the land of Canaan in advance. You may also recall that in the scouting report, the other 10 drama kings said that they felt like grasshoppers next to the giants of the land and that it couldn’t be conquered, and thus the folks freaked out and rebelled against the Lord. The Lord became angry, Moses interceded for the people, and the long and the short of it is that out of the folks freed from slavery in Egypt by the Lord (about 600,000), only Joshua and Caleb made it all the way from Egypt to the Promised Land.

Again, the Apostle Paul came to mind. He was a masterful cheerleader. When he wrote his persuasive texts about finishing the race well I wonder if he thought about the Israelites getting ready to cross the Jordan? He was a Jew, he would known these events inside and out. When Paul wrote to encourage Timothy he was nearing the end of his race, but the Israelites were just getting started. Joshua’s charge to the Israelites further in Chapter 1 sounds similar to Paul’s charge to Timothy and to all he encountered, get ready, be prepared, don’t fight naked, put on the whole armor of God, keep going, get across the line, cross the Jordan River. God is with you. Be strong and courageous.

Now, I don’t usually have successive parts, but I don’t want to rush through this part of Joshua. It is rich. So, I’ll carry on next week. In the meantime, do read around some of the scripture references quoted above. Check out Numbers 13 and 14, Luke 15:25-35, 2 Timothy 4.