Now when all the Amorite kings west of the Jordan and all the Canaanite kings along the coast heard how the Lord had dried up the Jordan before the Israelites until they had crossed over, their hearts melted in fear and they no longer had the courage to face the Israelites. Joshua 5:1
The Jordan was a natural barrier for the Canaanites from their enemies on the east, and GOD had led the Israelites straight through it like He had led their mom’s and dad’s through the Red Sea. He led them on dry ground at a time of year when the waters were normally higher than ever. God was loud and clear with His message to the people of this land! He was fulfilling His promise to give it to the Israelites.
I can see the jaws drop open and fear grip the people. For a long time, they had felt secure.
But now this!
God caused a total and paralyzing fear to come over them. Perhaps it took their breath away.
For me, today, I like to picture my enemies: Satan and his demons. I like to see the look on their faces when I cross over the Jordan with my powerful God! And this time, I’m not the one who is afraid. It’s hard to imagine such courage and confidence. But it’s truth.
You may say, I don’t see God acting in these kinds of ways today …and Him bringing my enemies to their knees.
I would respond by saying, He does; He is! …He is moving.
As we focus on this day and everything we have to do, God calls us higher to things beyond our understanding. Sometimes, He calls us IN our attitudes about our work and IN our need to show His love. Other times, He calls us IN our need to put down the remote control or the iPhone and attend to His people.
The big question at hand is: where does God want me, now? What is He calling me to do? No matter what is going on around me, no matter what I would call “unanswered prayers,” where is God? That’s where I want to focus my attention.
He is working powerfully on the narrow road and in humble hearts. He is working when I choose to quietly serve those who don’t deserve it or whose needs are greater than what I have to offer on my own.
Hearts are still being touched today. Changes are still happening, but I have to be willing to cross over the Jordan when God has spoken. I have to be willing to go forward.
Back in the days of Joshua, the peoples on earth would eventually hear about God, and the Jordan miracle was an example of how news spread of the Israelite’s coming in to take this territory.
Father, when our spiritual enemies see that we are putting our trust in you and are willing to follow you in whatever you call us to do (even when it looks foolish or strange), they will know that they’ve already lost the conflict. Our trust in you is their downfall. Teach us daily how to cross over the Jordan and to watch fear enter our enemies’ eyes! In Jesus name, Amen.
Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. Do everything in love. I Cor. 16:13
Years ago, I hired a life-coach to help me write a book. She was fantastic. However, one of her pieces of advice was to leave out the words ‘should’ and ‘ought to.’ To this day I never quite understood her reasoning.
God’s word is filled with these functional expectations. I decided not to follow her guidance. Instead, I chose to lay a path of good things we ‘should’ do in order to live a life pleasing to God. I did this by using several Bible scriptures that provide wise and flourishing counsel.
My verse for today is a wonderful example of things we ‘should’ follow. The journey isn’t about perfection or looking up at a steep mountain we must climb in order to reach the top. No, it’s more like stepping stones our heart knows would be good to take in the challenges life brings. It’s the guard rail that keeps us from veering off the path of God’s will. After any missteps we may take, we dust ourselves off in the grace of God, learning from it, and we keep going forward.
The stepping stones in I Corinthians 16:13 remind me of what might be asked of a soldier. No matter what is going on around you, “Be watchful (awake) for the enemy!” “Stick together!” “Stand your ground!” Yet, all the confidence and fortitude is useless without having a spirit of love.
Be strong, not in yourself, but in the Lord and His mighty power. Do not be tossed about by every new idea and thought that comes along. Stand firm.
I Peter 5:8 says, “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”
‘Should’ verses are extremely important in our lives, so much so, that we benefit when we heed and follow them. They aid our spiritual vision and deeper understanding of the bigger picture around us. We learn that not everything revolves around our individual lives. There is so much more to consider than how the consequences of our thoughts, actions and motives affect us. God wants us pay attention to His directives from His word so that all may come to Him.
In the hard times, when it seems impossible to meet such expectations of good behavior (to find and conquer that next step), this is the time to lean on God’s strength. When I ‘should’ and want to, but I can’t, God can.
It is time to act in maturity with full confidence. Most people become irritable and unkind. And though, we, as children of God will make mistakes at times, we strive to stay faithful to the tasks at hand, keeping our eyes on the Father, the God of the impossible.
Lord, when life becomes difficult and cumbersome, give me victory over myself. Keep me awake when the enemy dulls my senses. Help my faith to keep me solid. Make me brave when I would rather run away. Let your strength be my closest friend and love be my heart of hearts for all those you put in my life. In Jesus blessed name, Amen.
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. Prov. 9:10
We are on the final lesson of this class. Today, I will be tying up a few loose ends in our search for wisdom and sharing some last words and Bible passages to broaden our understanding (for our life-long study of discernment).
In Matthew 25:1-12 we read a parable of Jesus, further emphasizing a point from an earlier lesson, that being prepared plays an important role in discernment. The story is about 10 unmarried women who were part of a wedding party and, as was the custom, they were to meet the bridegroom (whenever he showed up) and walk with him to meet his bride. Their lamps were to be filled with enough oil to last throughout the entire event. Five of the women were wise and brought extra oil for the occasion. The other five were foolish and didn’t prepare for the long hours of waiting.
When there was a delay in the bridegroom’s arrival, they all fell asleep and the light of their lamps went dim. At the announcement of his presence, the wise women used the spare oil to revive and brighten the lamps, joined the party and comfortably entered the home of the wedding banquet. The other women begged for some of their oil supply, but the wise ones only had enough for themselves.
They proceeded to the party with their lamps lit and ready. The foolish ones lacked discernment and tried at a late hour to go out and buy more oil. By the time they arrived at the wedding house, the door had been shut.
Verse 11 says that the frantic women cried out, ‘Open the door for us!’”
The response was: “Truly, I tell you, I don’t know you.”
Jesus’ was comparing this parable to the kingdom of heaven and what it would be like. He ends the story by saying, “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour” …of His return.
At first glance, this parable seems odd because the wise women and even the doorkeeper seem a little harsh. They wouldn’t share their oil or open the door to those left behind. We should always share and find ways to extend kindness, right?
However, the oil seems to represent something they could not give away – an individual’s responsibility for his or her choices that affect their own lives and souls.
If you came to me on the day of the Lord’s return and told me you were not ready to meet the Lord, and please, would I give some of my readiness for your benefit, I would not have the capability to help you, even if I wanted to. I would not be able to decide what you believe or don’t believe and what you accept about Jesus and what you do not accept. You cannot decide these things for me as well.
The foolish women made choices in the parable that represented sin and maybe even spiritual death. They were not allowed to enter into the banquet house. We, who do not prepare ahead of time will not be allowed to enter the kingdom of God.
Perhaps this one decision is the greatest decision of our lives. We all want to stand ready on the day of His return.
We also want to be prepared for the choices that come to us now, while we live on earth.
In our everyday decisions, it is good for us to follow today’s verse of fearing (respecting in awe and reverence) the Lord God which brings wisdom and understanding and leads us to better discernment.
There are so many ways that God shows us how to make wise choices: through promptings, dreams, intuition, His word, His people, sermons, books, songs…the list goes on.
When we have knowledge of what God would want us to do, we are learning to do it right away and with all our hearts.
When we don’t follow Him well, we tend to lose the ability to hear His voice and quench and grieve His Spirit as we’ve learned before. We often look back in regret and wish we had done things differently. There is no escape from making mistakes. Regrets are a part of life. However, sometimes, God uses our mistakes to remind us of our need for Him, to revive our hearts and bring us back to our listening, obedient ways, once again. He also uses our trials.
I’ve heard of some who have looked back on previous hardships in which they clungto the Master’s hand and then, once the hardship was over, they missed that closeness. Trials tend to move us to the only One who can satisfy our souls. Eventually these things become resolved and life may appear to be brighter and better. But during the difficulties (and the mistakes we make) is when we can become enamored by God’s presence more than at any other time.
When the blessings are overflowing, it takes discipline on our parts to continue walking closely with the Master, even when our need of Him seems less. It is always right to cling to the Savior on bad days and good.
In either situation, we keep our ears open to His voice! We make a difference in our corner of the world.
In fact, there should be a noticeable difference between ourselves and our neighbors in how we approach our decisions because of this very dynamic. As Christians we place our fear strategically at the foot of God’s throne (not at the feet of the world). We go to Him to help guide us in making our most profound and our seemingly small choices. We lean on Him to direct our paths.
Sometimes, God prompts our hearts in things He wants us to do. We would be wise to follow these godly inspirations. When there is nothing but silence, we do what we think is best, trusting that God is leading us.
We do the work we are called to do and the work we know is right.
Phil 2:13 says, “For it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.”
Who is actually doing the work, God or us?
Both!
I wouldn’t have much of a relationship with God if I didn’t respond (by working) to what He is doing (or working) in me.
Truly, may we all who see the accomplishments of God in our lives and know without a doubt that He is the Lord of all and the One to glorify. We let God’s name be praised and show the world the only explanation for any good done by our hands.
God loves to show off! Sometimes in going forward in what I know to do, I feel inadequate and unsure of myself. Discernment is not necessarily unwavering confidence. Good! That’s when God can explode through and show Himself strong.
There are times, I feel like hiding from a situation in which I have no other choice but to rely on God …while the crowd watches. In public, it can seem better to be hidden when I need Him to come through than to draw attention and not get any response. It is risky!
In I Kings 18, Elijah challenged God’s people about wavering between two opinions. Either choose Baal or choose God. He proceeded to reveal God’s power. Then he gave Baal a chance, who was simply a lifeless idol that gave no proof of his existence at all. God wanted to show up in their great need. He wanted to shine His glory, of which none other can take from Him.
I have to ask myself, when we make our decisions, if we don’t obey His promptings and callings, how can God, indeed, show the world who He is?
Here are the last of the words or phrases added to the Discernment Wheel. If we saw this particular chart for the first time, we would think it was simply one big mess. Instead, it is an intricate web of beautiful, Biblical ideas and helpful words and phrases to remind us to stay close to the Father as we seek to make important decisions. It is a beautiful mess!
Discernment is:
Fear of the Lord Committing my spirit (life) into His hands Not always ‘safe’ Peace in knowing God will help me whether the outcome is comfortable or not Not a promise of great results (old); Today I added “But we do hope” and “But peace (seen and unseen) can come even so; also know that a person may have to fall to rise (poor results can give way to great results later)
I also added the following:
Discernment is: Maturity/grace Entrusting myself to God. – When they hurled their insults at him (Jesus), he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. I Pet. 2:23 Knowing when to pull someone aside in a conflict (away from a group) and talk in private instead of embarrassing them in public. A gentle heart Walking the narrow road Not a fear of people
Lord, we will continue to add to this Discernment Wheel as we travel through the journeys of our lives. This study has opened our eyes to so many things about joining your will with our lives, walking a road of suffering and becoming more free than ever before. Keep our hearts soft and pliable. Keep our eyes fixed on you. Show us the fear of the Lord so we can have good wisdom and understanding. Help us to discern when we should be prepared for what is coming. Do your great work in us and help us to give you all the glory. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Psalm 32:1
The things that make us happy are personal to the individual aspects of who we are and what we like. Generally, however, we all enjoy having a greater sense of well-being, both in body and mind. Certainly, we wouldn’t object to a nice inheritance from a relative. And who would turn down the praise and applause of our employers, peers and fellow-workers?
Yet, somehow, the word “blessed” seems to go deeper than health, wealth and esteem.
Embracing a prodigal-son-like humility, a repentant man cannot help but feel an intangible and almost otherworldly depth of blessing when he knows with confidence that his sins have been forgiven and covered over once and for all. His sins have become invisible to God. He gets a clean slate, a do over. He is treated as if he has never sinned.
Is there anything more desirous, more lovely or more profound than God’s grace?
If I gain wealth, the burden of sin (for sin, indeed is a burden) would still feel heavy to me. If people loved and treated me well, unconfessed transgression would still knock at the door of my heart, waiting to be pardoned.
Forgiveness, mercy and grace are the most beautiful words heard around the globe.
King David (the author of today’s psalm) sinned greatly, sin upon sin and even kept silent about it (as is mentioned later in chapter 32). We too, at times, miss the better ways of God, taking our own ‘unfettered,’ wild, wayward and crooked paths, sometimes even foolishly rebelling or sometimes simply taking God’s glory onto ourselves. We suffer the consequences both from the sin itself and from keeping quiet about it. Yet, in forgiveness there is a deep freedom and is ours for the asking. No matter our past sins, we can enjoy sweet fellowship with the Father of lights.
I was 10 years old on the day I was baptized. When I came up out of the waters, I felt so clean and new. There was no doubt in my mind that I would EVER sin again. My childlike mind had eyes only for my Savior, Jesus. Of course, sin came back in to entangle me many times since then. I have given into its rule and have felt the weight of darkness in my soul. But instead of letting it take me down, I rise once again like that little child, inside the kind grace of the Lord, and turn back in mind and spirit to His pleading call for my life.
Staying in the word, in prayer and in fellowship with a community of believers has helped me to recognize the sins of my heart. The solution to sin is confession and pure repentance: a changed life!
Lord, I gladly partake of your blessed forgiveness and my heart is at rest. I come into the light, unlike Adam and Eve who hid themselves from you. The work ahead is great and I am ready to follow you anywhere with all my heart. Instruct me in the way I should go. Help me to never leave your side. In Jesus name, Amen.
Isaiah 40:31 Those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.
I’ve heard it said that an eagle will teach its young to fly. Both parents guard the nest and take food to the young. At about 11-12 weeks, if the eaglets have not ventured forth, the parent eagle “stirs” or rocks the nest, tipping them out! The young eaglets flap about in panic, still new at flying. The parent eagle carefully watches, waiting for the critical moment. With wings spread wide, the eagle then swoops down underneath those babies and delivers them back to the security of the nest.
Ours is a God of powerful gentleness. Ours is a God whose timing is perfect. Like the parent eagle, He is sensitive to our needs. He knows when the nest has become too comfortable and needs a little stirring. He, too, watches carefully, and, as with spread wings, catches us up, bringing us to Himself. But He wants us to learn from our fluttering & flopping and to mature. He wants us to leave behind our helpless panic and learn to wait on Him. Then, with our eyes on our Father ‘eagle,’ we begin to know what it means to soar on eagle’s wings!
The trials in our lives can teach us how to fly. We may flutter around at first, but we will learn and grow if we keep our eyes on Jesus.
The verse says that those who ‘wait on the Lord’ will renew their strength. Waiting can be defined in many ways:
Looking for treasures in the trial Sitting with God in the pain Letting him carry me through it Letting him build up energy in me to be able to soar above it
Energy is gained not from temporary distractions of the world, but by being carried on the solid wings of Christ and allowing Him to be the power by which I lunge forward and fly.
Waiting on the Lord renews my strength.
When I head out to go running, but haven’t run in several months, I have to build up stamina and strength. I don’t like to run. But running my goal-amount improves my health. At first my muscles are sore from being stretched and pushed. Once I’ve built up stamina I run without getting weary.
It’s the same with trials. I’ve lived long enough to know that trials come and go. They have such huge value in our lives if we let them. They hurt us in the deepest places of our souls where God can be discovered and leaned upon and where we can allow the pain to change us from the inside out, giving us wings to fly.
This week, I took some time to think about what renews me. God works through inspirational movies, books or sermons to reawaken my tired spirit. It’s like my perspective changes, in an instant, and in the exhausting trials, I’m ready to stop complaining and get on with my life in the way He leads me.
Today’s verse is a promise:
Those who wait…shall renew their strength Shall mount up on wings like eagles Shall run and not be weary Shall walk and not faint
Wait means to believe and trust in God’s goodness no matter how bad things seem. Wait means to fix my eyes on Jesus and not on the problem. Wait means to be still. Wait means to stop being controlling, having an agenda, labeling ‘one outcome’ as the only thing to make me happy. Wait is believing in a big God who has a reason for asking me to obey Him in areas I would rather not, like: going the second mile, returning a blessing for a curse, being the first to give a kindness in a relationship of built up walls, speaking softly to one who is angry with me or praying for my enemies.
Notice on whom we are to wait: the Lord. Everything stops with Him. He is my all and all. He is my everything. He is the One I am waiting on during the trial.
In trials, I DO get overwhelmed and weary, but somehow, when I become still in His presence, my breath is restored, and I am able to go forward into another day, even, at times, in joy. His strength is enough.
Father, thank you, thank you for this awesome verse. It breaths life into my soul at a time when I so much need it. Teach me how to better wait on you. Keep my spirit calm, steady and steadfast. Move the mountains out of the way that stand before me. Be my God, and I declare with confidence that you alone are my Jehovah. Thank you for your care and for your saving wings that carry me through my trials. In Jesus name, Amen.
Search me, Oh God, and know my heart Psalm 139:23 (ASV) 