BIBLE PASSAGE:
“Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready
to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them—to the
Israelites. I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised
Moses. Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the
great river, the Euphrates—all the Hittite country—to the Mediterranean
Sea in the west. No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your
life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor
forsake you.
(Joshua 1:2-5)
MEDITATION:
Have you ever felt that the Lord wanted you to do something
that didn’t make sense? Or maybe you feel that He has called
you to do something that you are convinced you are completely
unqualified to do?
Why would God call believers to perform some task (or tasks)?
Could it be because He is pleased with the abilities He knows
He has given us, and He wants us to enjoy being a part of what
He is doing?
A glaring question is:
“Why would God ask me to do something that either
doesn’t make sense, or I feel unqualified to do, or both?”
Think about it for a moment. If He calls us to a task (or tasks)
that makes sense, and it’s something we feel totally qualified
to do, then we could have egotistical thoughts that we can do
them on our own, so we don’t need God’s help
If that were to happen, then it could cause us to have an arrogant
pride (which is something God has said He hates!). If God hates
anything, then it is an unbecoming character trait for those who
belong to Him, and the ones He has called according to His purpose.
Now we can see why God challenges us to do the things He wants us
to do, even though He knows it will make us uncomfortable. He is a
loving Father who challenges us because He wants us to understand
and appreciate His involvement and how He will help in what we are
doing. Isn’t it exciting to know that God wants to use us in some way?
The good (or better) news is, God will provide us with exactly what
we need to fulfill what He has called us to do. His help and provisions
are what we need to overcome a lack of confidence, aren’t they? When
we realize how He gives us the tools for success, we will learn to depend
on Him, and not ourselves.
That’s exactly what God wants from us:
our dependence and not our independence.
Dependence says, “God, I need You”; but independence says,
“God, I can do this without You”. We might be confused about
what He has called us to do, but we know when He has called us.
When God wants us to use the abilities and spiritual gifts He
has given us to serve Him, it means we must make a decision,
doesn’t it? We can either reject His call, or we can accept and
embrace it. Which one would be the wise choice for us to make?
Look at this instruction from God’s Word:
“If you love me, keep my commands. And I will
ask the Father, and he will give you another
advocate to help you and be with you forever”
(John 14:15-16)
We often think about God’s commands in terms of “do not” and
that’s a good thing, but He also has “do” commands which means
to obey His call to do whatever He asks of us. And when we obey
God, we are assured that the Holy Spirit will help us and be with
us at all times.
The scriptures tell us that Joshua was put into a new position
of great responsibility. We might visualize Joshua trembling
with fear over the enormity of the challenge before him. He
may have had thoughts like,
“How can I ever follow such a great leader as Moses?”
In his own strength it would be impossible for him to lead
the people into the Promised Land. God knew that, so in
addition to the challenge, He gave Joshua an assuring and
encouraging promise:
“I will not leave you nor forsake you.”
(Joshua 1:5)
Then God said to Joshua,
“Be strong and courageous, because you will
lead these people to inherit the land I swore
to their ancestors to give them.”
(Joshua 1:6)
God knew that Joshua needed reassurance, so he gave him
promises to increase his confidence. He reminded Joshua
that he would become instrumental in God’s fulfillment of
His promise to His people.
When He calls us for specific areas of service, He will give us
the assurance and confidence we need for success. At the same
time, He will remind us of the importance of depending on Him
and His presence. That’s the kind of God we worship and serve!
ACTION:
How has God challenged you? When He challenged you, how did
you respond? Did you accept His call and rely on Him for your
provisions and confidence? Remember, we need to trust God to
be with us, because a lack of dependence on Him will often lead
to frustration, disappointment, and failure.
Even though we may be forced out of our ‘comfort zone’ to serve
Him, we should be excited when He calls us to be a part of what
He is doing. The feelings we have initially can be the same ones we
have when we start a new job, or do anything else we have never
done before.
Anytime we start something new, we may be uncomfortable and have
doubts about how well we will do, or what the future holds, but we
“dive into it anyway”. Should we be any different when God calls us
to do something that contributes to His important plans for mankind?
Instead of allowing Satan to fill our mind with many negative
thoughts about why we shouldn’t answer His call, we need to
see it as an opportunity to achieve a new level of faith and trust
in God.
Without stepping out of our comfort zone and trusting God, how
can we know the depth of our faith? And isn’t that what we all
want to know: that our faith is genuine? Pray and don’t allow
Satan to steal your joy of serving the Lord when He calls you.
I just received this from a sister in Christ this morning and felt
that God wanted me to include it in His devotional for today:
You’re asking God to lead you…but you’re still trying
to hold the map. You don’t have to control every step;
that was never your role.
Worry waits; faith walks. Worry overanalyzes; faith obeys.
Worry drains your energy; faith fills your soul. Take a breath.
Surrender the timeline to God. Release the outcome to Him.
God’s already gone ahead of you. Do what’s in front of you with
bold obedience – and trust God to handle the rest. He’s not confused.
He’s not late. And He’s not going to fail you now. You will look back
on this moment and say, “God made a way. Just like He always does.”
Pray,
“Heavenly Father, I want to do whatever You want me
to do which will contribute to Your earthly ministry. If
You give me a challenge that is frightening, I pray that
You will give me the courage and confidence I need to
embrace Your calling. Your Word has shown me how
You promise to help and be with us through whatever
You ask us to do. If I embrace Your calling, I know that
You will provide me with the things I need, and You will
show me how to use them. I know I can confidently
depend on You to help me in my weaknesses. If I have
times when I feel I am failing, remind me that, even
though I may not see them immediately, You are having
successes through my efforts. I know that’s true because
You have told me that You work for the good of those You
love who have been called according to Your purpose!”
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