Skip to main content

New Article: Navigating the New Year

 

               As we begin another new year, I cannot help but think of Joshua.  Moses had been leading God’s people to the promised land.  However, just before they arrived, Moses died, and Joshua was put in charge.  Faced with the uncertainty of what was coming, God gave him the following advice.

               “Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:6-9). 

               First, notice that God tells Joshua to choose his attitude ahead of time by telling him to be strong and courageous.  We do not always get to choose our circumstances, but we always get to choose how we go through them.  Moping and complaining never helps.  Choosing to face things with strength and courage was so important that God repeated this instruction three times in three verses.    

               Next, Joshua was told to remember and meditate on the promises of God.  Too often, we see the obstacles instead of the opportunities.  We predict what could go wrong rather than what could go right.  We think about how little we can do and forget how much God can do.  By telling Joshua to keep the word and the promises in his mind, God was directing him to train his thinking in a better way and to live with hope.

               Lastly, God reminds Joshua that “(I) will be with you wherever you go”.  It is easy to become discouraged when you think that you have no help, but that was not the case for Joshua, and it is never the case for Christians.  God is not only with us (Matthew 28:20), his spirit lives in us (1 Corinthians 6:19).  Regardless of what we are facing, we always have help.

               Joshua was successful, not because he was special, but because he served God and made that his focus.  As we go into this new year, may the same be said of us.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Art of Noticing.... Seeing what we need to see and what we miss when we don't

 What we focus on in life matters. Here are some scriptural reminders that will help us see correctly.  https://youtu.be/Rn76tV0ZH8s    
Post a Comment
Read more

Consider This.... Which Way Are You Leaning?

   When Ben Patterson agreed to join three friends climbing Mount Lyell, the highest point in Yosemite National Park, he did not realize what he was signing up for.  Early in the day, it became clear that he was completely unprepared for the task.  In an effort to keep up with his more experienced friends, Ben took a shortcut.  It did not occur to him that there might be a reason the others had not selected this route, but he soon found out why.  Ben became stuck on the glacier.  He could not move up, down or sideways and one wrong move would send him sliding down a forty-five-degree slope to the valley floor miles below.   That is when one of his friends came to the rescue. His buddy leaned over the edge and carved some footholds in the ice.  He told Ben to step to the first foothold and immediately swing his other foot to the second, then his buddy would pull him to safety.  Lastly, his friend gave him one more piece of advice....
Post a Comment
Read more

Consider This: The Biggest Problem Is Not Out There!

In a time when everyone has a vocal opinion on everything and judgment is everywhere, maybe we need to reconsider the words of Jesus. “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?  How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye” (Matthew 7:3-5).  Here are two observations to consider. First, when we look for what others are doing wrong, we are starting in the wrong place.  “Take the log out of your eye” is the first move.  Start with yourself!  It is easy to judge others and make excuses for ourselves.  Yet, that is completely backwards! If we are honest, we never get past making ourselves better.  There is always more to do.  This, then, leaves very little time to point out...
Post a Comment
Read more