Not "If", But "When"

"Be strong and brave! Don’t be afraid and don’t panic, 

for I, the Lord your God, am with you in all you do."

Joshua 1:9 

 

Have you ever wondered why Abba told Joshua to be strong and brave?  Guess what? Abba wasn't speaking just to Joshua!  He is speaking to us as well. 

 

Not only did Abba tell Joshua to be brave and strong, He told Joshua, "See, I have given Jericho into your hand, its king, and the mighty men of valor."  Abba had already conquered and Joshua just had to go in and take the land Abba had already provided.  Joshua didn't have to wonder IF he would win, Joshua knew that Abba had ALREADY won.

 

Isn't this the same thing Abba has done for us through the sacrifice of Christ? Abba has ALREADY won, so we don't have to wonder IF Abba will help us overcome our challenges because He has. Life will ALWAYS bring challenges, if there were no challenges we would have no reason to believe that Abba will ALWAYS give strength to face them!   

Loyal to a T

Naomi's husband had died.  Both of her sons had died leaving behind their wives, Orpah and Ruth. Naomi decided to go back to her hometown and told her daughters-in-law to go back to their own families.  A discussion ensued.  After much discussion, Orpah kissed her mother-in-law and returned to her family.  However, Ruth refused to leave Naomi.  

Ruth was a bit stubborn and absolutely refused to leave. To make her case, Ruth made a vow which should be used in weddings today.  "Ruth replied, “Don’t ask me to leave you and turn back. Wherever you go, I will go; wherever you live, I will live. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God. Wherever you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord punish me severely if I allow anything but death to separate us!' When Naomi saw that Ruth was determined to go with her, she said nothing more.'" (Ruth 1:16-18)

Did you catch her loyalty?  "Wherever you go, I will go; wherever you live, I will live. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God. Wherever you die, I will die, and be buried."  That is pretty loyal to invest your entire life in someone.  She vowed to never leave Naomi.  Ruth was just that stubborn and dedicated to the Mother of her now dead husband. 

Let me ask you something, would you do the same for your mother-in-law?  Okay, would you be this loyal with a friend?  Is there anyone you would be this loyal to?

Before you answer, remember the last part of Ruth's vow to Naomi: "May the Lord punish me severely if I allow ANYTHING but death to separate us!" THAT is quite the vow!  Now...who could you be this loyal and dedicated to?

 

It Ain't Over Yet!

So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while.

1 Peter 1:6 

 

There's Good News and then there's Not So Good News.  Ever notice that Good News almost always seems to come with a catch?  

 

The Good News is that WONDERFUL JOY is ahead for believers. That's God's promise to us.

 

The Not So Good News is we will have to endure many trials for a bit before we get to the Joy.

 

I hear the groans and moans every Monday morning.  For some, I hear the moans and groans about having a quiet shift.  For some, I hear moans and groans about everything.

 

But God is telling us, through Peter, that we are to be glad because once we have endured (yes you WILL endure, so don't quit) you will receive God's promised joy!

 

Whatever you are enduring now, just remember that God has promised that it's not going forever, but His promised joy is forever! 

WOW With Your Vow!

When you make a vow to the Lord your God, be prompt in fulfilling whatever you promised him. For the Lord your God demands that you promptly fulfill all your vows, or you will be guilty of sin. However, it is not a sin to refrain from making a vow. But once you have voluntarily made a vow, be careful to fulfill your promise to the Lord your God.

Deuteronomy 23:21-23

We make promises all the time, don't we?  And I would guess that quite a number of the promises we make are ones we really didn't think through.  You see, when we keep our promises (vows) we build integrity and people respect someone with integrity.  But we have become a society that is very quick to speak and frequently aren't willing to listen, but we are quick to criticize or get upset.

 

I can't tell you how many times I have heard or been told "I WILL do.....I swear to God!"  Ummm.....not a good idea unless you are going to truly keep your word.  

 

"Even fools are thought wise when they keep silent;
    with their mouths shut, they seem intelligent."

Proverbs 17:28 

Enduring or Preparing!

God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. 

Afterward they will receive the crown of life 

that God has promised to those who love him.

James 1:12 

 

Have you ever thought you were stuck, or being punished, or feel you've been banished to some faraway land of the forgotten?  I have.  I have felt as though I were being banished where I would have not much really to accomplish.  I have also been stuck in a place where my every move was monitored and my supervisor's idea of supervising was standing directly over me pointing out how wrong my every move was in his eyes.

It's horribly inconvenient to feel stuck.  It's easy to feel extremely demeaned to be put somewhere you didn't ask to be or doing something you don't like doing.  Our minds, believe it or not, are geared to seek the negative FIRST.  We are wired to believe the worst because things to change to suit us immediately.

But look at what James tells us.  First, we will have challenges and we must be patient and keep doing what we know is right (that's called ENDURING).  Second comes the promise, "Afterward they WILL receive the crown of life."  Enduring challenges has its rewards.  And here's the best part, God is the one who promised the rewards!

Be patient and keep doing what is right!