remember

Entering In

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Joshua 3:4
“. . . that you may know the way by which you must go, for you have not passed this way before.”

Sometimes, our Christian life takes us down roads we have not traveled before. The Lord desires to take us to new heights in our relationship with Him, and to use us for the furtherance of His Kingdom. Joshua’s leadership, as he takes Israel across the Jordan, illustrates some very important principles on how to follow the Lord.

Joshua 3:5
“Sanctify yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you.”

“Sanctify” means to set apart. It carries the idea of being set apart from sin, and to the Lord. Sanctification happens when a person recognizes they belong to God, and they surrender to His ways. Their sanctification involved faith. They were to give themselves to the Lord now, trusting He wanted to accomplish something, through them in the future. Often, we remain unprepared for the day of battle, because we neglect to set ourselves apart to the Lord today.

Joshua 3:16
“. . . the waters which came down from upstream stood still, and rose in a heap very far away at Adam . . .”

Since the waters stopped a great distance north of the camp of Israel, it appeared that nothing happened when the priests put their feet in the Jordan . God promised the river would part, yet the waters seemed to remain unchanged. However, as time moved forward, they would see that God kept His promise. Many times, we fail to see what the Lord is doing until we keep moving forward, as He commands.

Joshua 4:10
“So the priests who bore the ark stood in the midst of the Jordan until everything was finished… and the people hurried and crossed over.”

Hundreds of thousands of Israelites crossed the river that day. This process would have taken hours. Meanwhile, four men stood holding a large, heavy wooden box. The initial excitement of carrying the Ark, and watching the waters subside, would soon be replaced with pain, as their shoulders, arms and legs began to ache. As hour followed hour, these men continued to hold up the Ark. They would learn ministry is not as glamorous as it sometimes appears. Often, we fail to see results because we fail to be steadfast and immovable in the work of the Lord.

Joshua 4:20
“And those twelve stones which they took out of the Jordan, Joshua set up in Gilgal.”

Their first act in the Promised Land, was to make a crude altar with the stones they removed from the Jordan. This altar was not designed for sacrifice, but as a simple reminder of what the Lord had done. Future victories would be ensured by remembering what God had done in the past. If God could part a river, what obstacle would be to much for the people of God. It is good to remember what the Lord has done for us, and how He has worked in our lives. The only danger is that we become people who live in the past. Take what God has done in the past as motivation for how He wants to work in your life today.

Pastor Jim

 

Winning Daily Battles 

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Deuteronomy 7:17-18
“If you should say in your heart, ‘These nations are greater than I; how can I dispossess them? ’— you shall not be afraid of them, but you shall remember well what the Lord your God did to Pharaoh and to all Egypt . . .”

We often feel like the struggles of our flesh are too great to ever overcome. Since we have been fighting the same battles our entire Christian life, it is easy to become discouraged, and even to allow things that should be removed, to remain. Knowing that this would be the case, Moses instructed Israel what to do when they became overwhelmed by the magnitude of the battles they were facing.

“…remember well what the Lord your God did…”

They are instructed to look back at the things God accomplished for them in the past. Notice he writes, “remember well.” It is essential that we have an accurate memory of the power and faithfulness of God. It is important to keep in mind our salvation, our deliverance from sin, and our relationship with God. These were all a result of the supernatural work of God. The God who was able to provide salvation, is the same God who will also provide victory for the daily struggles of the flesh.

Don’t stop fighting, but start looking to the Great Deliverer to provide you with the strength to overcome.

Pastor Jim

 

Hitting Rock Bottom

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Exodus 17:7
“So he called the name of the place Massah and Meribah, because of the contention of the children of Israel, and because they tempted the Lord, saying, ‘Is the Lord among us or not?’”

IMG_1418When the sojourning camp of Israel reached Rephidim, they were horrified to discover there was no water. There are many things in life we view as necessities, which are actually comforts; water is not one of them. A person can survive in difficult desert conditions for about three days without water. Their situation was grave, to say the least. This truly could have been the end for Israel. As the people assessed the problem, the only solution they could come up with was to return to Egypt. They knew if water was not discovered quickly, they would certainly perish.

When Moses heard their complaint, he immediately sought counsel from the Lord. After crying out to God, he received a remarkable promise. If he would take his rod and strike a rock, water would be provided for the people. Rather than relying upon the science that a rock is more dense than a stick, and if rock hits stick, the stick will break, Moses chose to trust in the word of God and strike the rock. Miraculously, water began to gush forth, and Israel lived to see another day.

After the events had been accomplished, Moses decided to name the area. Whatever this particular site had been known as before, it would now have a different name. Reflecting on the events, many names would be applicable; he could have called it “Miracle Water,” “Where the Rock Struck,” “Provision from God,” “Watering Hole”; truly the possibilities seem endless. I am struck by he name Moses chose;

“So he called the name of the place Massah and Meribah”

Massah means tempted and Miribah means contention. Of all the things Moses chose to take away from the events of this day, he thought they should remember the contention of the people, rather than the amazing work of the Lord. This is a dangerous and costly way to live. We will read, some thirty-eight years later,  Moses will once again find himself with the people, and without sufficient water. The seeds of his hostility toward the people which were planted here, will get the best of him, and he will strike another rock in anger, costing him his position as leader of the nation.

Whatever situation in life we are facing, there is always more than one perspective. If we choose to look through the eyes of doubt, bitterness, anger, fear or frustration, we will walk away with seeds that will produce the same kind of fruit later. On the other hand, if we choose to look for the hand of God in the midst of our struggles, we will have our faith strengthened and be more conditioned to face the next difficulty life throws our way.

Moses was a great man who served the Lord in tremendous ways, but here he chose to look at things from the wrong perspective. Let’s learn from his example.

Pastor Jim