Slaying The Old Man

“You have to be willing to slay who you are to become who you want to be”

My company’s Chief  Drill Instructor said this to us during our first PT session.  At the time, I related those words to the work outs.  I thought he meant that we needed to push ourselves when we exercised and give it 100%.  But those words mean so much more than that.

Every day at Parris Island was a small piece to a puzzle.  Becoming a United States Marine is a process.  There is no timeline for this process.  The Crucible at the end of training does not create a Marine.  It is the opportunity to demonstrate that an individual already is one.  It is an a proving ground where recruits show that they have set aside their old mindset, their old habits, and have embraced new ones. 

Throughout the training cycle, I had to remind myself again and again that every day I woke up, I had to make a decision to stab at who I was and bleed myself of the weaknesses that hold me back.  The drill instructors would often scream at us to “stop acting like disgusting civilians”.  This is what they meant.  Every day at Recruit Training we had to choose to put away our old selves and learn the Marine Corps ways.

The Bible speaks of this concept as well. Romans 6:6-7 says “For we know that our old self was crucified with Him in order that sin’s dominion over the body may be abolished, so that we may no longer be enslaved to sin, since a person who has died is freed from sin’s claims” (HCSB). 

Christians understand that every day is a battle between two natures: our old sin nature and the new nature that the Holy Spirit gives us.  Just like I had to choose every morning that I woke up to bleed myself of those things that held me back from being a Marine, Christians have to make that same decision to slay the “old man” and embrace their new identity in Christ. I’ll conclude with 2 Corinthians 5:17, which affirms this idea.

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away, and look, new things have come.” (HCSB)

Counting My Blessings

So as most of you know, my city of Pensacola and the surrounding area just went through a massively destructive storm.  As far as the flooding goes, it was worse than most hurricanes.  We had over 26 inches of rain in 24 hours in some areas.  Bridges and parts of roads are destroyed.  Parking lots and cars underwater.  Some businesses will be closed for months while they recover.  Not my business.

My boss was out working hard Tuesday night (the night of the storm) and we've been beyond busy as a company since then.  We have multiple work crews out at once and we're all working between 10 and 15 hours a day, every day.  The guys I work with at Elite Services are stellar guys.  They work hard and they don't cut corners.

We tend to mostly do carpet/tile and grout cleaning, but with this storm, I have found myself doing jobs far from my job description.  Today I was assigned to an older couple's home ripping out soaked carpet that smelled like mold and cat pee with my hands (and a shovel when possible).  After that, we started ripping up base boards and cutting through dry wall.  I remember asking myself "why the heck is a carpet cleaning technician cutting through dry wall and pulling out soaked insulation right now?"  And then something clicked with me.  This is an awesome opportunity.  The guy I am working with is a good friend and we get along great.  I'm learning skills that are very useful and am getting an opportunity to be trained in something outside of my typical skill set and get paid for it.  And the most important part.  I am making a difference.  It was delightful for me to come in and help this couple move forward from a devastating situation.

Yes, I've been working 10-12 hour days the past few days.  Yes, I have to get up at 7:30 in the morning and go back to work and miss church because I'm working.  But you know what?  There is nothing like seeing a desperate need in somebody's life and throwing yourself into the situation to help.  I am learning things along the way and I get the delight and the privilege to help these people.  Yesterday, I was extracting water out of a small church and spent hours vacuuming up water in the hopes of having the place in good enough shape that they can have service there in the morning.  Today I spent all afternoon with an older couple, their daughter, and their grand kids tearing out nasty carpet and cutting walls.  We even had the kids help us with a few of the projects and I got to have some really cool teaching moments throughout the day that made me look forward to having kids of my own.

The past few days have been tough on all of us.  And the work isn't going to be slowing down any time soon.  I could be working these long hours for weeks.  We won't talk about how many Ibuprofen I take a day just to keep going.  It has been easy for me to wake up in the morning already tired and not wanting to be at work.  But today I really had a moment of clarity where I got to count my blessings and consider myself lucky to be part of the relief effort here.  I am making a difference in the lives of people who need help.  My sister has her license and doesn't need me to drive her around, I'm graduated from college, and for the first time in a very long time I have open availability to work.  This is not an opportunity to waste.  And seeing the people's face and having them request I be the one who comes back the next day to finish the job because they liked me and appreciated me is a reward by itself.

Count your blessings.  Perspective matters.

A Change In Seasons

I don't know about most people, but I want something great for my life.  I know that there are people out there who are content to find a job that pays their bills and helps support the family and they will work through their adult life until time to retire and then settle down in a house in the suburbs and that's that.  And that is okay. For them. I just know that I want something more.  I don't want a job that just pays the bills. I want a life that molds me into the kind of person I'm seeking to be.  I want a job that will give me opportunities and life-changing experiences, not just a paycheck.

I want to seek out challenges that most people will never face and see myself conquer things that I had once told myself could never be done.  I want something different. I have no intention of taking my life down a easy or popular path.  I want to be out in the woods hacking away the brush to get where I'm going.  I might be crazy. That's okay. I know what I want though.  I can't settle for a cookie-cutter lifestyle.

Like I said, I want something different. My heart has a wild side.  Battle calls out to me.  Struggle entices me.  I am not fond of the conventional paths  Give me a narrow dirt pathway over a paved asphalt road any day.  I love to explore, to learn, to grow, and to challenge myself to be stronger, faster, better.

All of that to say: the next season of my life has begun.  I do not belong in Pensacola any more.  My time here is rapidly coming to a close.  It has been a long 4 years with high ups and depressing downs.  I have changed dramatically as a person through my time here.  Had I had not come here, I am not sure that my heart would have ever chosen what it has chosen.  But now I have my eyes set on a new path. And I have committed to it.

This is not news to some of you.  Over the past months, my intentions have leaked out and spread to a few of you.  And I have addressed them as I've been made aware of them.  But right now I want to, for the first time, publicly announce my intention to become a United States Marine.  This is a decision I have wrestled with and thought about for around a year now.  Every time I pushed it away to consider something else, this kept popping back up.  I have worked with a few Marines, and Marines have recently started appearing at my church. Up to this point, I had made the decision to not approach them about my choice. They did not put the idea in my head.  Far from it.

The Marine Corps is not a cake walk.  It has the toughest physical standards of all the military branches and getting in is far from assured.  For that reason, I have waited to announce this until I was far enough into the process to know that I'm going to make it.  I am well underway in the recruiting process.  I have already been to MEPS (Military Entrance Processing Station) and have sworn into the DEP (Delayed Entry Program).  Technically, I'm in the Reserves right now until I ship out to Basic Training.  From now until Boot Camp, I will be preparing for what most people say is the most difficult (and rewarding) thing they have ever done in their life.

I am taking this time of preparation seriously.  Physically, I need to be in better shape.  Mentally, I need to push myself harder and have basic Marine Corps knowledge memorized.  Spiritually, I have to yield to some things and get rid of some other things.

I need the support of my friends and family in this.  And equally, I need your understanding.  You may see some changes in the coming months.  My body is going to get stronger.  I'm already beginning to push it harder than I ever did as a teenager when I was a black belt and actively doing martial arts every day.  You may see changes in my behavior.  I have always worn my heart on my sleeve.  That will be changing also among other things.

The more I become the kind of man I need to be before Basic Training, the easier it will be once I'm there. My diet will be changing, some of my priorities will be changing, my social circles will be changing.  My life is changing.  And it is for the pursuit of this thing.  I want to see God work in my life as a Marine.

If you're reading this, you probably know me.  You're probably my friend.  And I need you.  I need your encouragement.  I have waited a very long time to share any of this publicly because I wanted to be sure that this is my path.  That this is the thing God has led me to.  I am sure.

If you need proof, look no further than my name.  My initials are J.A.R.  I am destined to be a Jarhead.

Thank you in advance for your prayers and your support as I go in this new direction.

Courage

Courage.  I always used to think of war and battle when I thought of courage.  I would imagine someone stepping between someone else and the barrel of a gun.  I would think of someone throwing themselves into the water to save someone from drowning.  I would think of someone standing up in a crowded room and making a bold declaration.  And while these things are certainly brave and courageous things to do, there is another side to courage.

I had a tough 2013 and 2014 has certainly had tremendous ups and downs.  The past months have been far from fair, far from normal, and far from easy.  I have cried more the past 6 months than I have in my whole life combined.  And I have found myself in the midst of terrible heart-breaking situations where I could do nothing to help or make it stop.  I have been hurt by the decisions of others and am learning what real forgiveness is all about.  I am also learning how little control I have.

The pain I've suffered through would be extremely unpleasant for most people, but even more so for a controlling person like myself.  I have had to watch people I care about suffer while suffering loss myself.  And it has been so, so hard. Nobody ever asked me if I was okay with giving up the things I gave up.  I had very little say in it.  I had zero control.

I suffered terribly. And of course it still hurts.  A lot sometimes.  But through all this I am learning another side of courage that I never considered.  The courage to let go.  The courage to sit down and wait instead of jump to my feet in a rage.  Trust me, I've got the rage part down.

But now I am learning a hard lesson on how to be brave and let go of what I want.  Because I have a very clear picture of what I want.  Problem is, I can't control people and I can't control the things around me.

This is also courage.  To love something. Or someone.  To want to pin all of your happiness on that.  But instead choose to release it and let God do what He wills with it.

It is possible I will let go and in time, get back what I worked to let go of.  That what I desire and imagine my happiness being right now will be exactly how it happens later.

It is also possible that there is something else for me.  And while I don't want it right now because I am focused on what is in front of me, I need to release control to let God move me past where I am.

That doesn't mean giving up hope.  I still have hope.  And my heart is very sure about what will make it happy.  But if I put all of my eggs in that basket, I will never look at any other baskets God may choose to put in front of me.

Courage is sacrificial. But it must also be trusting.  And at this place in my life, I am learning to be brave and let go of the things and the people that I'm scared to lose.  Not because I want to.  Truthfully, part of me feels like I'm giving up hope by trying to let it go emotionally.  But I have to trust God more than my heart.  When my heart lines up with the direction God is pointing, great!

But sometimes that doesn't happen.  Sometimes I have to be more brave than I want to be.  And that is exactly what makes it courage.

What God is Doing in My Life

God is doing something in my heart right now.  I have come to the realization within myself that my life isn't moving into the will of God.  What I choose to think and how I choose to act with the time being given to me does not glorify Christ as it ought to.  To be honest, I have grown comfortable in church world.  I have grown complacent in pursuing my calling.  For a long time now, I have been lazy, and not completely committed to anything in my life.  Not 100% committed to pursuing my AA degree (I am one class short of graduating), I have not been 100% committed to my church; I have been content with being a leader at Refuge on Wednesday nights, but have not been emotionally attached much more than that lately.  I have not been 100% committed to my family, allowing a passive mindset about some stuff going on to come between me and loved ones.  I am certainly not 100% committed to my future, as I am still unclear about what I am actually supposed to do with my life, and the few leads I do have...well, I'm not at all at peace about doing that.

I recognize that emotionally, spiritually, even physically, I've been coasting and very content not to pursue anything great.  And I have been content to be a bystander in my own life, not giving God room to do anything to grow, change, sharpen my character and my resolve in regards to His kingdom.  I am restless in my soul, knowing that I'm meant for more, but have been unable to conjure the desire and motivation to step out and do some of those things.  I would dare to say this about myself: I have intellectual maturity, but am finding myself short in the application part of maturity.

I have long been captured by my own dreams, desires, and plans for how my life should turn out.  I have been consumed by my own happiness and afraid to commit to a plan that I might regret later.  So I have left myself stuck in this idealistic fantasy of the way life might one way be...but doing nothing with the commands I am given for how to live in the present.

Put simply, I have been making myself very unhappy pursuing happiness.  I have been unhappy because my soul is that of a warrior.  My soul is a fighter, it is brave, and risky.  It has deep loyalty to my King and His kingdom.  But for a very long time now, I have been starving my soul of these things.  I have settled for scraps of happiness in the dumpster out back when God has prepared for me to have a feast in His presence!

I have been missing out and I have long felt the emotional and spiritual strain of that.  There is war in my heart and every area of my life is a battlefield.  I have been very passive in picking a side and that passivity has drawn me into a dangerous place.  It is very possible to be on God's side of the battlefield physically, but not be wholly committed in your heart.  I have been there and I have seen that.

I know that one of my many short-comings is that I am very (very, very, very...) idealistic.  I view society, family, myself through this lens of "higher purpose" and "nobility" and I become frustrated with "I look after my own and nothing else" kind of people.  I am not frustrated because I am ignorant or naive about how the world works.  Rather, I become frustrated because I expect so much from myself and others.  The fault with being idealistic, however, is that I have this fear that when the pressure is upon me, my ideals will become unrealistic.  I feel that I will cave in applying my own expectations.  It is far easier, and far safer to expect and hope for more from people and to talk about life as a set of ideals, but to never have those ideals tested against the pains and frustrations of living life.

I am afraid of setting myself up to be a strong leader with integrity, strength, and bravery and then letting that standard collapse when it is no longer easy to live that way.  And until now, I have not begun to pursue the resolve to be that kind of person always, no matter what is going on.  Having a list of ideals that do not necessarily impact the way I live is much easier.  But it is far from fulfilling.

But like I said, God has been working in my heart.  He allowed me to see, quite clearly, why I've been struggling lately and the source of it has been because my heart was far away from Him.  And I am renewing my desire for His heart.  I am renewing my want to be doing what He calls me to and to be faithful with the commands that He gives me that I've been content to ignore.  My life is still the same and the problems that go with it are still here.  But I am seeking a new perspective and way of handling my life and in preparing for my future.

Psalm 139.  The Lord knows my heart so well.  He knows the sins I struggle with and cave under, he knows the dreams and hopes that I often put before His will, he knows all the moments where I had the opportunity to do the right thing and I stayed put.  He knows my regrets and He was right there when I did things I am ashamed of.  God knows everything about me and He chooses to desire and love me anyway.

I want to serve and fight for Him.  Not because I deserve to, but because He welcomes me to it.  And my very soul longs for it.  Born of darkness, but adopted into the Light.  That is what He did on my behalf and I want that kind of life.  I really, really want it.

Moving Forward From Tragedy

In memory of September 11, 2001.

I remember where I was that morning.  I was 9 years old and I was eating my breakfast and getting ready for school.  I had this ritual, or this tradition of eating my cereal and watching cartoons weekday mornings before school.  It was a Tuesday morning and I had come down for breakfast and, in my 9 year old mind, was upset that the news was on instead of my cartoons.  I was used to bad things happening to people and was used to hearing about it only to forget about it moments later because it didn't affect me.  It wasn't until the days and weeks after 9/11 that my young mind began to realize that this was something bigger, scarier, and much more tragic than anything I had seen on the news before.

As the years have passed, I understand much more and my heart aches much worse over the loss of life because of the daring attack on American soil.  That Tuesday morning is no longer that one day where I didn't get to watch cartoons.

12 years have passed and my heart still hurts whenever this day comes around.  And in my heart, I mourn along with my country.  I will never forget that day.  I will never forget seeing those planes crash into the Twin Towers and watching all that smoke on the TV.  I will never forget.  But what should I do with those thoughts burning in my mind?

It is proper and honorable to always remember that day.  Not just the tragedy of lives lost in the attack itself, but also the lives lost of the brave men and women who ran towards danger and sacrificed themselves on the behalf of others.  Their sacrifice is worth honoring.  And our loss is worth mourning and remembering.

What I fear, though, and what I battle within myself, is letting my unwillingness to forget fester into hatred.  I do not say this because I do not think the terrorists responsible should have been hunted down and punished; I do.  Our nation was attacked aggressively and we had an obligation to respond with strength and determination.  The military action that followed 9/11 was justified and right.  We did not forget.  And we did not relent until those responsible had paid the price.  That is not what I mean when I talk about hatred.

In my personal life, I have seen the line between pursuing justice and being unjustly angry and bitter become blurred.  I cannot speak to all Americans in this, but I can speak to all Christians in saying this: we may have a right to be angry.  But we do not have a right to stay angry.

"Never forget" should not mean "stay angry".  That is not the way to move forward.  And I do not presume to say that all of America is still bitter and enraged over 9/11, but I know there are some that are.  We ought to honor our dead, and remember how that tragedy caused our nation to become united in spirit, if even for a short time.  But I believe that the time for anger has passed.  I believe we would do well to allow for healing in that.

I speak of 9/11, yes, but these words come from somewhere deep and personal inside me also.  While America pauses to remember a tragedy from 12 years ago, I find myself in the midst of a personal tragedy right now.  And I would be lying if I said that this message wasn't more than just a memorial to what happened over a decade ago.

Sometimes in life things get broken.  Relationships, dreams, plans...they do not always last.  And sometimes the ending of those things can be tragic.  But like 9/11, there are healthy ways to move forward and there are many wrong ways to do so.

As I grow older, I realize that not everything can be fixed.  Not every wrong, every hurt can be undone and the pain within us banished.  That is the nature of tragedy.  But it is also the nature of love to not abandon our loss in the midst of our hurt, but to honor it and allow for healing, even if that healing means things won't be the same as they were before.

September 11th, 2001 changed America forever.  But we can still heal and honor our loss in the midst of that tragedy, even as we can in our personal tragedies.  We do not have to forget.  And we are allowed to be angry and hurt.  But we ought not stay in that dark place and we ought not abandon our obligation to honor what was lost, even in the mist of our pain.  We must allow for healing, even knowing it doesn't make everything fixed and okay.  We must move past the tragedy and continue forward.

What Happened to Our Society?

As I read and listen to the people around me, I am baffled by how opinionated our nation has become.  I am amazed at how loudly individuals scream out to be heard and for their views to be counted as right and good.  It doesn't matter whether or not their opinion is actually a good one, they scream out viciously to be recognized.  I am not an expert in the social sciences, but I do not believe that posting a few enraged statuses or sharing a few political pictures is going to change the situation you are so upset about.

Now certainly, we have freedom of speech and ought to use this freedom, but that doesn't give us an excuse to slander others in disrespect and be arrogant in our own opinions...even if we're right!

I might just be more idealistic than most of the people I know, but I do not understand what moves someone to say or write some of the things that I see.  There used to be such a thing as honor, integrity, and self-respect in one's actions, but every day I see people around me selling those values just to have their opinion heard, no matter the cost.

What they fail to see is that the delivery is just as important and influential as the content itself.  Very often these days, I see stuff written on the internet that I agree with, but am ashamed about how it was said.  We would trade the heart of truth for some wrapping that makes it stand out and forces people to take notice; even if that wrapping is inappropriate, offensive beyond necessity, or outright arrogant.

There are many hot issues out there today that just about anyone can scroll down a Facebook newsfeed and see.  Whether the argument is ObamaCare, the quality of POTUS, our economic status, our foreign policies, our individual religious or political leanings, there are a lot of people out there with a lot of opinions.  And there are many people out there with very good opinions that are being shared in very disrespectful ways...and we wonder why nobody listens?

I'll give you a couple of examples that I deal with personally.  President Obama.  Obviously, there are many opinions circling around him and his ability to lead.  His policies, his background, even his personal life, are all up for debate.  Personally, I did not vote him into office and I'm still not a fan.  I know many people who would agree with this and I know there are many other people in the country who still like President Obama and support him and his decisions.

However!  My opinion of the president does not give me the freedom to say whatever I want about him.  The fact that I disagree with most of his presidential decisions doesn't mean I ought to disrespect him and the office he holds.  Whether I like it or not, Mr. Obama is the President of the United States and that warrants him authority and respect.  Our freedom of speech gives us a right, even a mandate to share our opinions and our desires as individuals and a nation, but we go too far when we forget virtues like honor and respect when we throw our temper tantrums publicly and without regard for anyone but ourselves.

Another example.  I am a Christian and I hold to the Bible being the word of God.  I believe that the word of God holds the utmost authority in my life and that the God who authored it is my God and is in control over everything.  I recognize that this kind of view is narrow and is not shared, nor welcomed, by many in my society.  Obviously, I hold to my opinion that my truth is right and anyone else's is wrong.

However!  My being a Christian doesn't give me the right to "Bible bash" people over the head because they see things differently.  I dishonor God and myself when I speak to others with hate and condemnation.  It doesn't matter if what I say is truth when I discredit myself and my views in the way that I express them!

My opinion, your opinion...is it really that important?  The need to be heard to satisfy that egotistical side of yourself does not do you any favors.  What DOES matter is what we stand for.  The idea we represent.  Whether that idea is something spiritual, political, or physical, it is worth defending and worth defending honorably.

So when you speak, I challenge you to consider what your end game is.  Are you speaking because it satisfies you to vent on Facebook about whatever is upsetting you?  Do you think your venting is really going to change the situation?

Or are you speaking because you see an ideal that you love and support being threatened and you want to defend it?  Remember, even in the defense of something worth fighting for, we can still discredit ourselves by our conduct.

Values like honor, integrity, and respect are becoming harder and harder to find in the many views and opinions circulating our society.  And more and more, what we think becomes less and less relevant when we sell the integrity of our words for the sake of being heard and noticed.

Please.  Be part of the solution.  Do not sell away your reputation with others for the chance to vent and attack someone or something with your opinions.  Remember your honor.  Respect yourself and offer others that same respect, even when they don't act in a way that deserves it.  Be someone of fairness and integrity.  That matters much more than any individual opinion.

(Ch. 6) The Fall of Jericho

Most of us are familiar with the story of Jericho. How Joshua and the Israelites marched around the city over and over and the city walls fell. But let’s take a close examination this popular story and see what truths lay there for us to discover!

“Now Jericho was securely shut up because of the children of Israel; none went out, and none came in. And the Lord said to Joshua: ‘See! I have given Jericho into your hand, its king, and the mighty men of valor. You shall march around the city, all you men of war; you shall go all around the city once. This you shall do six days. And seven priests shall bear seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark. But the seventh day you shall march around the city seven times and the priests shall blow the trumpets. It shall come to pass, when they make a long blast with the ram’s horn, and when you hear the sound of the trumpet, that all the people shall shout with a great shout; then the wall of the city will fall down flat. And the people shall go up every man straight before him.’ Then Joshua the son of Nun called the priests and said to them, ‘Take up the ark of the covenant, and let seven priests bear seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark of the Lord.’ And he said to the people, ‘Proceed, and march around the city, and let him who is armed advance before the ark of the Lord.’” (v. 1-7)

So first notice that the Lord speaks to Joshua and then the very next verse it says “Then Joshua the son of Nun called the priests and said to them”. Joshua listens to what the Lord had to say and then he quickly relayed the Lord’s commands. He did not give it thought or consider the wisdom of God’s plan; he passed the plan on. Complete trust.

Jumping down to verse 12, we see “And Joshua rose early in the morning” again. This is a common trait for Joshua. He was always up early ready to put the Lord’s plan into action.

In verses 13 and 14 we see that the Israelites march around the city once for six days. They had established a pattern. But our Lord is a God who doesn’t fit into a mold. He does what He wishes when He’s ready, but it seems to me that He wants to test the faith of His people. He could have knocked down the wall after they had circled the city once. But he had them do it six times, once a day. Then in verse 15, we see an even more difficult pattern. They are commanded to march six times around the city in one day! This is quite a journey! You can imagine the effect this has on Israel’s army. They do not fight as well tired, yet the Lord ensures that they are close to exhaustion before He acts.

The people do a seventh circle around Jericho, but when they had completed the circuit, they gave a great shout and the Lord knocked Jericho’s wall to the ground! Then the army moved in and “utterly destroyed all that was in the city both, man and woman, young and old, ox, sheep and donkey, with the edge of the sword.” (v. 21)

Now please get this. The Lord directed them to this conquering. This was HIS plan. To kill every man, woman, child, and animal in the city, was God’s command. When the Lord leads you to overcome a spiritual stronghold in your life, you cannot leave any survivors. No mercy when it comes to the enemy (which is your flesh and Satan himself). When dealing with these things, no mercy is allowed. God gives none. He knew that if they were kept alive, they would cause trouble for Israel later. So He had them destroyed. We should assume the same attitude towards the enemy.

Then Joshua had the two spies honor their promise and bring out Rahab and her family and then they burned the city to the ground. They did not attempt to dwell there; they destroyed it all. And in verse 27, we see “So the Lord was with Joshua, and his fame spread throughout the country.” Why did his fame spread? Because he was totally obedient to God. We can learn from Joshua’s submission to his Master.

(Ch. 5) Preparing for the Lord's Plan

So how many of you saw the first subtitle to Chapter 5 and said to yourself “Well THIS part doesn’t apply to me…” I did too. That was my first and honest reaction upon turning the page in my Bible. My subtitle for Chapter 5 says “The Second Generation Circumcised”. Now how does something like that apply to us Gentile Christians today?

Well, first let’s read a little of the passage and then we’ll get into that. “So it was, when all the kings of the Amorites who were on the west side of the Jordan, and all the kings of the Canaanites who were by the sea, heard that the Lord had dried up the waters of the Jordan from before the children of Israel until we had crossed over, that their hearts melted; and there was no spirit in them any longer because of the children of Israel.” (v. 1)

Have you noticed that whenever the Lord moves, it is never kept quiet? Whenever God performs a miracle in the lives of His people, everyone hears about it. That kind of news spreads. Why? Because our God is not a quiet God. He is not a God who likes to be put on the shelf in the closet. No, God desires to be the attention of all who look upon Him! And when He acts, He makes Himself noticed. When He speaks, He makes Himself heard. He is Almighty God and He desires the whole stage to Himself.

As His children, we have a duty and should have an urge to proclaim His works and His words to those around us so that they may give Him that attention and glory as well. When He makes a move in your life, people are going to know about it and they might ask you about it. Be prepared to give the Lord glory and focus your attention on Him.

Now what happens next will be hard for us to understand an application to us, but let us try. All of the kingdoms in that area have noticed Israel and are afraid of them. Then the Lord approaches Joshua. Verses 2-7 explain to us that the Lord wanted Joshua to circumcise all of the Israelite men. Why? Because this was a new generation. The Jews who had been led out of Egypt by Moses were already circumcised, but their descendants were not because they had not taken the time to do so during the forty years they dwelt in the wilderness. This second generation of Israelites had to do this thing before the Lord led them in their conquest against Canaan. Why?

The purpose of circumcision was not to cause pain for no reason. No, God demanded His people be circumcised because the Jews were His people, set apart for His purpose. As a nation, He had chosen them and in order that a difference may be distinguished between the Jews and the non-Jews (Gentiles), the Lord commanded that they be circumcised.

Now, we as Gentile, American Christians are not required by God to be physically circumcised. However, what I would propose to you all is that God demands us to be circumcised spiritually. What do I mean by this?

Before we may begin our grand conquest for the Lord and step onto the spiritual battlefield in our armor, we must set ourselves apart for the Lord. I believe this should be an experience that takes something out of us. Whether it causes pain, or just drains us, I believe before God will really work in us, we should take a step of loyalty and mark ourselves as His servants. The Jews did this in a physical manner.

And notice verse 8. “So it was, when they had finished circumcising all the people, that they stayed in their places in the camp till they were healed”.

After going through this process, the Jews had to take the time to heal. It was a painful thing for them to be marked, yet the Lord demanded it. It is my belief that all Christians must be spiritually circumcised as a child of God. We must be set apart from the world around us.

Now how do we do this? What do I mean “spiritually mark” ourselves? I mean, we must undertake a task or complete a process of some sort that is in honor of our Master and is yet damaging to us. Because when you take a serious look at it, God was asking the Israelite men to damage and cripple themselves for a time just after all of Israel’s enemies had been made aware of them. Militarily speaking, this is a foolish move. In panic, the Canaanites could decide to attack Israel immediately before they themselves were invaded. If they did so, Israel’s army was in no condition to defend themselves. God was asking them to put themselves in pain for His sake at a very dangerous time. Do not forget, Israel was now in Canaan. There was no Jordan River separating them…Israel was in the middle of enemy territory and this is when the Lord chooses to command Joshua to circumcise the people. Why would God do this?

As Paul best said in 2 Corinthians 12, “And He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (v. 9-10)

The Lord wanted to make it clear to Israel from the very beginning that they were His and He was God. He was to be their strength. At a time when strength was most necessary, He cripples them so that they MUST trust in the only strength they have left: His. Do you see the Lord’s message in this? All too many times when we get involved in a ministry or see an opportunity to glorify Him, we jump to the mindset of “God, give ME strength to do this”. But from what I see of Scripture, God doesn’t add to our own strength. Rather, He offers us His.

And THAT is the message behind this. So how might you spiritually circumcise yourself? Find the thing that you are strong in and weaken yourself in the presence of God. If you are skilled at something, give it up for a time. If you are not good at something, tackle it fiercely though it is difficult and not appealing. I don’t think the idea of circumcising is appealing to any of the guys that will be reading this post. I doubt it was appealing to the men in Joshua’s time. Yet God calls us out of our comfort zones and out of our bubble of happiness to truly serve Him. How do you feel God calling you to mark yourselves as one of His? Remember, it must weaken us in some way so that we have to trust in His strength and not our own. If you still have strength on your own in that certain area, do it again and again until the Lord is the only one in power of that area. That is how it is meant to be.

Once we are healed, however, the Lord has work ready for us. Israel had dozens of pagan nations to destroy. What strongholds in your life is God leading you towards and preparing you to destroy? Christians are meant to be a people of power and confidence. We are spiritual soldiers. God will call you to wage war on certain things as they enter your life. In order for us to successfully overcome these things, we must be clearly marked as different from unbelievers. Because of this mark, we must be able to trust Him and not ourselves to handle the things of life. Now that does not mean we cower in a corner and let God do all the engaging. We must have an active part of our own lives. But we must trust the Lord and His strength and His wisdom above our own.

Moving along! Verses 13-15 say “And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, a Man stood opposite him with His sword drawn in His hand. And Joshua went to Him and said to Him, ‘Are You for us or for our adversaries?’ So He said, ‘No, but as Commander of the army of the Lord I have now come.’ And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped, and said to Him, ‘What does my Lord say to His servant?’ Then the Commander of the LORD’s army said to Joshua, ‘Take your sandal off your foot, for the place where you stand is holy.’ And Joshua did so.” (v. 13-15)

Following Joshua’s obedience to the Lord, God decides to pay him a visit. He recognizes that Joshua is an experienced soldier and Joshua must have realized the danger in crippling his soldiers after entering dangerous territory, but as much as Joshua trusted his experience, he trusted the Lord more. Do you and I trust Him above our own experiences and above our own logic and wisdom?

So the Lord appears before Joshua in what is called a Christophany (Jesus Christ appearing in the Old Testament). How do we know that it was the Lord Himself? Well 1) My Bible capitalizes the references to Him as you see in the passage above. And 2) Joshua worships Him. If He were just a messenger or an angel, He would not have allowed Joshua to worship Him. More than once in Genesis, we see angels appearing to people and refusing to allow the people to worship them. Worship is reserved for God alone and Joshua worshipped this Man freely. It was Christ.

Now catch this: Upon Joshua seeing the Man standing there, he asks Him a multiple choice question. “Are you my friend or my enemy?” How does Christ answer? He says “No.” Joshua asked if it was A or B and God answered with C.

The Lord does not operate on our level. What we perceive is not what He knows. He is above us in understanding, knowledge, wisdom, and power. In fact, the only thing I can think of us doing better than God is sinning.

So the Lord steps up to Joshua and says “stop thinking on such a small scope. I am God and am beyond such a question.” At that, Joshua figured out that the Lord was before Him and worshipped and asked for the Lord’s plan. He did not say “thanks for coming, God. Here is my plan…what do You think?”

No, he says “You are God and I am not. I am Your servant and will carry out Your will and not my own. What is Your plan, Lord?” This is the correct attitude and too often we neglect to assume such a mindset in our prayers and conversations with Almighty God.

When the Lord saw that Joshua’s heart was right, He told Him the plan. When God deems you and I ready for more information, He will give it. Too many of us want the result without the journey. The treasure without the pain and time of seeking it. But God says “no, you will follow the path I have chosen for you until you are ready to know more.” None of us step into our Christian lives knowing exactly the how’s, where’s, and why’s of God’s purpose for us. Such things come in time and when we learn to have a correct and submitted heart before the Lord. When we are truly the servants and are willing to listen to His will, He will share. Until then, we must continue to prepare for the Lord’s plan.

(Ch. 4) Hall of Memories

So we just crossed the Jordan! These Jews who had only heard stories of their grandfathers’ and great grandfathers’ crossing the Red Sea now had a story of their own! Such an incredible miracle was finally something that they could imagine and believe now that God had moved in their generation as well. The Lord is all powerful and is to be worshipped for who He is. Israel’s great obstacle has been effortlessly removed by the Lord and I’m sure that it was an experience that those people would remember for all their lives. But what about their children and grand children? Would they remember and believe what the Lord had done? To ensure they do, the Israelites do something special. Let’s read about it together.

(Joshua 3:1-7) And it came to pass, when all the people had completely crossed over the Jordan, that the Lord spoke to Joshua, saying: “Take for yourselves twelve men from the people, one man from every tribe, and command them, saying, ‘Take for yourselves twelve stones from here, out of the midst of the Jordan, from the place where the priests’ feet stood firm. You shall carry them over with you and leave them in the lodging place where you lodge tonight.’” Then Joshua called the twelve men whom he had appointed from the children of Israel, one man from every tribe; and Joshua said to them: “Cross over before the ark of the Lord your God into the midst of the Jordan, and each one of you take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel, that this may be a sign among you when your children ask in time to come, saying, ‘What do these stones mean to you?’ Then you shall answer them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord; when it crossed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. And these stones shall be for a memorial to the children of Israel forever.”

What does this mean? Well the Lord has just showed an amazing display of His power and He didn’t want His people to forget it! So Joshua commanded one man from each tribe to go back into the river (the priests were still standing in the river and God had not released the river yet) and pick up a large stone and carry it with them to Israel’s campsite. When they camped for the night, the twelve men would stack the stones to create a memorial to the Lord there as a constant reminder of what He did.

Now something that is interesting is that in verse 9 we see that Joshua gathers an additional twelve stones and piles them in the midst of the Jordan. Now why did he do this? God did not tell him anything about a second memorial and why put it in the middle of the river where it would be swallowed when God released the river again?

Well, Scripture doesn’t say. But we know from Joshua’s personality that he was careful to be obedient to God’s every word…but he also loved the Lord and was completely devoted to his Master. Well what I would propose is that Joshua chose to go the extra mile. God commanded one memorial on land and Joshua did it. But then, Joshua personally went down into the Jordan and gathered twelve stones by himself and made a memorial that only God would remember. Joshua did not make a big deal about it, or draw attention to himself. From what I can see, he did it quietly and with nothing but love in his heart. He wanted to present the Lord with a surprise gift. He wanted to go out of his way to erect a memorial in a place that no man could ever disturb it. It was for God alone.

And check out verse the end of verse 9 “…and they are there to this day.” God saw Joshua’s heart and blessed his gift. According to God’s Word, that memorial was still beneath the waters of the Jordan River when the Book of Joshua was being written. How cool is that?

Continuing on: “So the priests who bore the ark stood in the midst of the Jordan until everything was finished that the Lord had commanded Joshua to speak to the people, according to all that Moses had commanded Joshua; and the people hurried and crossed over. Then it came to pass, when all the people had completely crossed over, that the ark of the Lord and the priests crossed over in the presence of the people. And the men of Reuben, the men of Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh crossed over armed before the children of Israel, as Moses had spoken to them. About forty thousand prepared for war crossed over before the Lord for battle, to the plains of Jericho. On that day the Lord exalted Joshua in the sight of all Israel; and they feared him, as they had feared Moses, all the days of his life. Then the Lord spoke to Joshua, saying, “Command the priests who bear the ark of the Testimony to come up from the Jordan.” Joshua therefore commanded the priests, saying, “Come up from the Jordan.” And it came to pass, when the priests who bore the ark of the covenant of the Lord had come from the midst of the Jordan, and the soles of the priests’ feet touched the dry land, that the waters of the Jordan returned to their place and overflowed all its banks as before.” (v. 10-18)

So keep in mind that the priests who are carrying the Ark around are still standing in the Jordan. It is already taking the people hours to cross completely and Joshua stacking stones isn’t speeding things. The priests led the charge. They were the leaders who required faith to step into the river. And they were the last ones to step into Canaan. I am reminded of the movie “We Were Soldiers”. A veteran soldier, Lt. Col. Hal Moore, is addressing his unit of recruits…fresh soldiers who have never seen battle before. They are soon to depart overseas to fight in North Vietnam. In his speech, Moore makes a promise to his men. Here is the quote:

“So let us understand the situation. We are going into battle…against a tough and determined enemy. I can’t promise you…that I will bring you all home alive. But this I swear- before you and before Almighty God- That when we go into battle…I will be the first to set foot on the field…and I will be the last to step off. And I will leave no one behind. Dead or alive…we will all come home together. So help me God.”

This sounds like what the priests did in some ways. They were the first to step into the river, and the last to leave it. They were the faithful that led the way. Are you being faithful in leading those around you? If you aren’t stepping out for Christ, why not? No Jordan River will part for you until you make a step of faith.

And why take a step of faith? For yourself? Maybe. But also for the people around you. That they might see the Jordan River part by God’s hand and He may be glorified.

“…that all the peoples of the earth may know the hand of the Lord, that it is mighty, that you may fear the Lord your God forever.” (v. 24)

(Ch. 3) Crossing into the Land of Promise

The stage has been set and the spies have given their report…the time for Israel to embrace its future has come. They have taken the time allotted to prepare mentally and physically for one of the greatest moments in their nation’s history. The time for talk and theorizing was over; the time to walk the path of faith was upon them.

Verse 1 of Joshua 3 says “Then Joshua rose early in the morning…” Joshua did not allow events to turn themselves; he arose early and stepped onto the scene before anyone else. If we are to let God move in our lives, should we not be involved? Joshua did not intend to let the day pass him by. He was standing firm on his feet as the sun rose and he was ready to seize the day.

In verse 3, we see Joshua’s officers commanding the people and making Joshua’s orders known. While Joshua had great authority and influence, he learned from Moses the importance of delegating and allowing others to participate in his leadership. He put his officers to work!

“Yet there shall be a space between you and it (the tabernacle), about two thousand cubits by measure. Do not come near it, that you may know the way by which you must go, for you have not passed this way before.” (v. 4)

Two thousand cubits measures over half a mile. Sounds really opposite to how we treat God today, isn’t it? And that is okay, because we have a High Priest, Jesus Christ, who interceding for us. A close relationship to the Father is meant to be present for believers today. However, we see here a sign of respect and fear that many Christians do not show God today. They did not doubt His love for them as you and I do not doubt. However, sometimes we treat God as our “homeboy” when He is not. Many of us think of Him as our buddy, yet He was clear in Deuteronomy 34 that none aside from Moses had arisen that God knew face to face. And Moses was a great prophet who saw the Lord part the Red Sea. Moses was the man that Almighty God chose to give His Ten Commandments to. Would we compare ourselves with Moses?

It is God’s desire to be our Friend and Companion in life, but he is not our buddy. He is our God and there MUST be a reverence that we hold for Him like the Jews hold for Him here. They would not travel within half a mile of the Ark! Yet many times we assault and try to ambush God with our concerns, worries, and problems. We treat God like a vending machine; if we ask enough and wait long enough, eventually we’ll get the thing we desire. God doesn’t work that way. He is the Lord of heaven and the Creator of all. He is to be respected above all others and spoken to carefully. It is okay to be real and honest with God, but it is not acceptable to speak to Him irreverently. He is still King.

Back to Joshua 3. After Joshua’s officers had finished their orders, the Lord revealed to Joshua that He would “exalt you in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that, as I was with Moses, so I will be with you.” (v. 7)

So far, Joshua had done everything right. He made God the focus, he was wise steward with the time given him and cared for the people under him. And how did God reward his faith? He promised to exalt and bless Joshua in front of the whole nation to remind them that Joshua was God’s anointed servant. God was flashing Joshua’s badge of authority and reminding everyone of his credentials. Joshua was the man. And God was making sure that everyone knew it. How great would it be if God did that for you and me today? Well, serve Him faithfully and do not deny Him, for He said that whoever denies Him before men, He will deny before God the Father. (Mathew 10:33) Rather, serve and bless His name and you will see His blessings in your life.

So did God follow through on what He told Joshua? Yes! Joshua sent the priests bearing the Ark into the Jordan River and the moment their feet touched water, the Jordan parted as the Red Sea had done forty years before! But notice that the priests had to get their feet wet first…faith without a willingness to act is not faith at all. God waited for them to step into the river before He made a move.

Verse 17 said that the priests “stood firm on dry ground in the midst of the Jordan and all of Israel crossed over on dry ground, until all the people had crossed completely over the Jordan.”

So I want you to imagine the biggest obstacle in your life. Maybe it’s a certain fear you wrestle with, a habitual sin that won’t leave you alone, an event of your past that you just can’t forget, whatever it is. I want you to imagine it a raging river that desires to sweep you off of the path you want to go and overwhelm you and drown you. A scary situation. Now imagine hearing God’s voice. This is what He says: “I know what you’ve been through. I was with you in your wilderness. But now it’s time to come home. It is time for you to become all that you are meant to be. You only need to trust Me and step into the water. Embrace My promise for your life.”

If God said that to you, would you do it? Would you take that step of faith? If God was wrong, you will be swept away by the raging current and would most likely die. But if God told the truth…then the waters would part the moment you stepped in! Can you imagine that? Standing on solid ground with your greatest obstacles being held back by the hand of God? Just as the Jews stood in the midst of the Jordan and stood firmly despite all logic and reason, you and I can too. God has made the promise to us that we will never be alone. He is our God and Father and He will never forsake us or abandon us. And when He tells us to step forward, we need to swallow our fear and put our foot in the water. Trust Him with His plan. He loves us more than we could ever imagine. Everything will be alright in the end. But until we get tired of our limitations, tired of the fears and doubts, tired of the mundane, tired of living powerless, we will always be held back. 

We must choose to let those things go and step into the river. He has called us to a better life in Him. Embrace it and seize it! Stand firmly on solid ground in the midst of your Jordan. God is not too small for any problem. No matter what you face, He is greater still. Trust Him and enter your land of promise. Step into your battle arena. And prepare to wage war and conquer. The Lord is with you.

(Ch. 2) The Faith of an Outsider

The popular story about Rahab and the spies is found in Joshua 2. Following Joshua’s gathering of a military force at the end of Chapter 1, we see him sending two spies out into Canaan to “view the land, especially Jericho.” (v. 1) Joshua is all about using his time productively, so while he is waiting three days for the people to prepare to cross the Jordan River, he sends two spies to do some recon.

In verse 2 we see that the spies chose to lodge in the house of Rahab the harlot…a curious choice as women (especially harlots) were not looked on favorably. But we can see God setting the stage for something awesome.

Somewhere along the way, someone figures out that the two men are Israelite spies and tells the authorities. Verse 3 tells us that the king of Jericho asked Rahab to hand over the spies. And what does she do? She lies.

Now I have been involved in some serious and deep discussion with other mature Christians from around the world about whether or not it is ever right to lie. Some hold to the view that Rahab’s lie to the king in order to protect the spies was sinful. These same people also speak negatively towards those who hid Jews from the Nazis during WWII. Then there are some who argue that not telling the truth in order to perform the ultimate good is acceptable to God. Either way you look at it, the Lord saw fit to include Rahab in the “Hall of Faith” in the book of Hebrews. (Hebrews 11:31)

Now what was it she had faith in? Let’s look: “I know that the Lord has given you the land, that the terror of you has fallen on us, and that all the inhabitants of the land are fainthearted because of you. For we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites who were on the other side of the Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom you utterly destroyed. And as soon as we heard these things, our hearts melted; neither did there remain any more courage in anyone, because of you, for the Lord your God, He is God in heaven above and on the earth beneath.” (v. 9-11)

Rahab was in a pagan land where many gods were worshipped. And yet she tells the spies “your God is different…He is the God of everything! And when we heard of all the things He did for you, our hearts melted and our courage left us.”

Now that’s a positive report to give Joshua! But note that everything Rahab said was “When we heard what your God did”. It was never about the Israelites and Rahab recognized the awesome works of God and placed her faith in Him and her trust in His servants. Could we learn something from her? How many of us are truly willing to put our faith in the Lord and trust His servants? There are so many Christians out there that question each other and draw blades on one another that the Church is in a civil war! But we do not see Rahab question the spies here, though they chose to lodge with her, knowing what she did for a living. No, she placed her faith in God and trusted those He sent to her.

Following her declaration of faith towards God, Rahab made a deal with the spies. In summary, she asked that they spare her and her family in return for the kindness she showed them. They agreed to spare everything and everyone that she brought into her household and so she dangled a scarlet rope down her window to remind the Israelites of their promise to her when the time for their invasion came. After escaping from Jericho, the spies returned to Joshua and repeated Rahab’s words to him. Canaan was ready to fall.

But here’s the part that really impacted me. The spies were the first Israelites to enter Canaan since Joshua, Caleb, and their ten companions entered the land over forty years ago. And yet those who dwell there are still trembling! God’s reputation precedes Him and leaves an impression that lasts for over four decades!

What reputation precedes you and me? What first impression are you leaving others? The Israelites and their God left a pretty big first impression on the people living in the Promised Land…an impression that kept them scared for decades before Israel ever stepped foot in their land!

Rahab was on the outside, and yet she had tremendous faith! She was in the lineage of Christ because of her faith. And she was not raised knowing God, but came to faith in who He was just by hearing stories about Him that were possibly older than she was.

Our words and our deeds leave an impression on people. As Christians, we mark those around us and they may carry that mark with them for a long time…what mark are you leaving? How is a true Christian supposed to live? Are you living that life and leaving such a mark on those you come in contact with? Or are you hypocritical in your lifestyle and turning the people around you away from the Gospel of Christ? It’s your choice. Will you leave an impression on others that will last for decades? Or are you just taking up space in the world and doing nothing to further His kingdom? Again, it’s your choice.

(Ch. 1) Moses is Dead!

At last, we are in Joshua 1! Moses has passed away and Joshua is left in charge of some very uncertain Israelites. The only leader they had ever known was Moses. And now that he was gone, things were so very different. God, in His infinite wisdom can see the people’s distress as well as Joshua’s. Let’s see what He says!

“After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, it came to pass that the Lord spoke to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ assistant, saying: ‘Moses My servant is dead.’” (v. 1-2a)

Let’s stop there a moment. Because in the first verse is the entire point of this whole chapter. Joshua has stepped into some big shoes and the people are expecting a lot from him. I’m sure he’s nervous and waiting on God to show him what to do. So when the Lord decides to speak to him, you can be sure that Joshua is listening very intently. And what is the first thing out of God’s mouth? “Moses My servant is dead.”

Talk about Captain Obvious there, God. Why would He tell Joshua that? Joshua was VERY aware of that fact. Here’s the thing. God was telling Joshua right from the start “Hey, I know Moses was my representative to the people for a really long time, but that’s in the past now. Time to look to the future.”

Do you see the finality in God’s words? Moses had a way of doing things. Moses used to be around. Things worked out in the past. But…Moses is dead! Time to take a deep breath and accept that change is coming and let go of the past. If Joshua cannot let go of Moses, he can never be the leader God intends for him to be. So from the very beginning, God had to remind him that Moses was gone and Joshua had to let him go. It was time for Joshua to look forward and allow the change to occur. Too many of us resist change. We hate it. Yet this is a case in which Joshua could not control things. Moses was gone whether he liked it or not and God’s first piece of advice to him was to let Moses go and look to the future.

Let’s continue through the rest of the verse. “Now therefore, arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them-the children of Israel.” (v. 2b)

So first, God reminds Joshua to look to the future and let go of the ways things had been done before, and then He next tells him to “arise and go.” See, the Lord knows people really well (being our Creator and all). He knows how we naturally tend to sit down and think about “the good old days”. We are so easily satisfied with complaining and doing nothing. But God does not allow Joshua a chance to do that. He says “don’t think about the good old days right now because they’re behind you. Instead, get up and get to work.”

Let’s keep reading. “Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given you, as I said to Moses.” (v. 3)

Here’s an important key that we need to realize. God will never send you without equipping you to win. And so He says to Joshua “I want you to get up and lead this people across the Jordan River. Oh, and by the way…I promised Moses this territory to you, so anything you step foot on is yours.”

Now think about this radical idea with me a moment. Can you imagine if God said to you “every argument you ever have, I have ensured you will win. Every game you ever play, I have ensured that you will win. Every idea you propose, I promise to bring it to fruitfulness.” Isn’t that crazy? That God would say “wherever you are in life; I have delivered the victory of that situation into your hands.” Would He promise such a thing? As far as I can see, that’s what He just promised Joshua. The Israelites are staring at the land in front of them wondering if they will be able to conquer it all and God pulls Joshua to the side and ensures them that they get it all. Total victory.

“From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the River Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your territory.” (v. 4)

Now please note that God did not say “so go explore the world and whatever you step on is yours!” He gave them a very clear and definite border. There was a line and as long as they remained in the parameters of what God had promised, Israel was guaranteed the land. In the same way, we can’t strut around life acting as if everything we touch God will bless. We must take the time to recognize what His guidelines are for us and be sure to remain within the box he has set. Within that box, we have God’s guaranteed blessings. But outside of it, we are in disobedience to where God has told us to be.

Now how does that look in our daily lives? Because God has not sat down and discussed with me what I am permitted to do and what I’m not with my life. I have moral standards to help guide me, and that is a start. But how do I know if God will bless a specific conversation with someone or if he will be angry if I decide to take this class in school. God was clear with Joshua what the approved territory was, but He’s not always so clear with us. So here is my suggestion: ask Him.

If you are unsure about whether or not God wants you to move forward in a certain area, just ask Him. God wants us to talk to Him; to trust Him and to desire His will for us. He will not refuse to answer us if we honestly ask Him for guidance in making a certain decision. And if we make a decision within His will and with His guidance, He will bless it.

Verses 5 and 6 say “No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you. Be strong and of good courage, for to this people you shall divide as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give them.”

So check this out: After God establishes the boundaries, He promised Joshua that He would be with him. Now here’s the thing: God promised Joshua victory in the war, but that would not mean Joshua wouldn’t get knocked around. God only promised that Joshua would never be defeated as long as he stayed in God’s will. That does not mean that Joshua and the Israelite army could waltz into enemy territory and take the land easily. No, a battle still had to take place. Sweat and blood still had to be spilled. God guaranteed the victory, but Joshua still had to get his hands dirty.

Do not be deceived into believing you are invincible. Even if you are within God’s will, that does not mean you will not get hurt. If God had promised Joshua victory in every battle he faced, then He lied. The Israelites were beaten badly in Joshua 7 against the people of Ai because they had sinned against God and were not in right standing with Him. But we’ll get to that later. But what I want us to see is that God promised Joshua the war. Yet Joshua still had to fight every single battle. He had to work for every inch of the territory that had been promised to him. When in God’s will, we are not given a golden ticket to do nothing. Even if God promises us victory, we must work to achieve it and accept that we’ll be knocked down a few times in the process.

And that is hard. Fighting every battle that arises can get tiresome and exhausting and even overwhelming. And that is why God continued on to tell Joshua to “only be strong and very courageous.” (v. 7) Joshua was up against quite the challenge. Dozens of pagan kingdoms against Israel. Not the best odds. This conquest would mean constant war for many years. Joshua would get tired; he would question if all the effort was worth it. God knew this and so He told Joshua up front to stick it out and bravely press on. These words of encouragement apply to us as well.

God has given each of us a specific purpose and task that we alone are designed to do. If you do not do your part, no one else will. Each one of us is vital to the cause of Christ as a whole. And when the Lord reveals to you His purpose for your life, there will be hard points. There will be rough patches and times of fear and doubt. And when those times crash against our defenses, we have to remember God’s words here: “I will never leave you nor forsake you. Only be strong and very courageous.” ONLY be strong…God specifically told us that we’re not allowed to doubt and fear or do anything other than be brave and press on. He knows our fears and our weaknesses and He is there by our side through it all when we are taking the time to make sure we stay with Him and His will for us. For you see, God does not take sides…He IS a side. And with every choice we make, we must choose to step across the line and join God’s side. And once we’re there, it’s a daily decision to stay on His side no matter where He leads. But as long as we’re with Him, He promises us His presence and His strength for all the battles of life. If you’re apart from Him and His will, He makes no such promises. I encourage us all to take the time and seriously consider where we stand with Jesus. Are we on His side? If not, we’re not doing anyone any favors. And we cannot claim any of His promises when He are living outside of the way He directs us to live. Check yourself, as I must continue to do, and make sure you’re still on God’s side.

Skipping down to verse 10 “Then Joshua…”

Stop! Read that again. The Lord spoke, then Joshua did. How many of us have received a word from God that we need to act in some way? Whether that be to take a stand in a conversation or to act in a generous way towards another. Now how many of us immediately obeyed upon hearing God’s command? If we answer ourselves truthfully, we will find that we’re not so willing to obey the Lord. We want to analyze His orders and weigh the pros and cons and see if that is really the wisest course of action. Usually, by the time we’re done thinking about it, the opportunity has been missed and we have failed to honor God in that situation.

Yet this is not what we see from Joshua. God spoke, He said “Arise, go over this Jordan…” and the moment God finished speaking, Joshua is summoning his officers and telling them to prepare to cross the river in three days. This is obedience! And this is the secret to Joshua’s success.

Verses 12 through 15, Joshua gives the people the same encouragement that God offered him. In fact, if you see how he speaks to the people you will see that he is modeling his words after the very words God spoke to him! God showed Joshua the next step and encouraged him and urged him to step forward with confidence. Joshua did the same for the people. He told them of the Lord’s plan and told them of his plans to gather Israel’s army. “Mighty men of valor” were the elite soldiers in Joshua’s army. He was gathering his strength and separating the soldiers from the civilians early on. He knew once they crossed the Jordan things would escalate quickly and he wanted to be ready. He was trained in combat; this was his field of expertise.

And throughout giving his orders, you can see Joshua dropping encouragement everywhere. He was firm in his command, yet he strengthened the hearts of the people. And look how they responded in verses 16-18: “All that you have command us we will do, and wherever you send us we will go. Just as we heeded Moses in all things, so we will heed you. Only the Lord your God be with you, as He was with Moses. Whoever rebels against your command and does not heed your words, in all that you command him, shall be put to death. Only be strong and of good courage.”

The people responded in submission to Joshua’s authority because they knew God was with him. They knew because they could see that same level of strength in Joshua that Moses had. Truly, what is it that makes Christians different from the rest of the world? Is it our eating habits or our choice in music? Of course not. It is the Holy Spirit inside of us. Our personal connection with Jesus Christ separates us from those who have not trusted in Him for salvation. And when we have the Spirit of God residing inside us, don’t you think others ought to see that? Shouldn’t there be something different about how Christians think and live? Well the difference was obvious with Joshua and the people saw that. They knew he was from God and he led them with confidence and passion. They were drawn to him and swore loyalty to him and to God…even to the point of killing any who would not follow through with their oath. Can you imagine your fellow church members killing someone in your church because they would not heed the pastor or minister? A bit extreme, right? Well that is pretty much what these men were saying. They trusted that Joshua would not lead them astray and dedicated themselves to Joshua’s plan because they knew that he was getting his plans from God.

Is there anyone in your life right now that you can swear such loyalty to? Can you pick out someone in your life who you know for certain lives their life for Christ and receives their plans from God as Joshua did? BE that someone. Surrender your own will and give it up to God. Moses is dead! The old ways are in the past and God has a plan for the future. Choose to be on board with Him. Choose to side with Him no matter how things appear and receive your plans from Jesus Himself. Be a Joshua and be willing to lead those around you in the will of God with courage.