Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.
Joshua 1:9
Joshua 1:9
![]() …if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, “Move from here to there,” and it will move and nothing will be impossible for you. (Matthew 17:20 NKJV) Seanna was feeling as if something was wrong. She went to the ER twice but was sent home with medication. Later on in the afternoon, she collapsed. She had suffered a stroke. The entire left side of her body was paralysed. She ended up in a wheelchair with limited mobility. She was told that she would probably see no improvement for the next two years. She became angry not willing to accept what she had been told. In spite of her anger, she held on to a mustard seed of faith. Two months later, she and her family were at church. The pastor was asked to pray for her. During the prayer, her hand which had been clenched, began to open up and she was able to move her fingers. She was even able to come out of her wheelchair. Later on in the service, she was called up to the front. As the pastor explained her experience to the congregation while she stood there, she felt a tingle rise from her feet to the top of her head at which point it became so hot, it felt as if the sun was sitting above her head. When encouraged to move across the stage, she began walking awkwardly at first, but then with confidence. She jumped, she ran, rejoicing over what God had done for her. She admitted that she knew God could do a miracle but she never thought that He would do it for her. She is grateful that God chose her because she does not see herself as worthy. She encourages others to hold on to that tiny mustard seed of faith and God will honour it and do the miraculous. This is Seanna’s story. Every story will not be the same. Some have more faith than Seanna but have not experienced the miracle hoped for. As the pastor acknowledges, God can do the miracle immediately but He could also do it over a period of time. I love the fact that Seanna admits that all she had was a tiny amount of faith, the size of a mustard seed. She knew God could do it but was not sure that He would do it for her. Sometimes when faced with challenges, it can be difficult to trust that God will come through for you. You know He is able but you are not sure if He will do it for you. In Luke 5:12, we read about a leper Jesus met while He was in a town. He bowed before Jesus and said to Him, “Lord if You are willing, You can make me clean.” He realised what Jesus could do but did not seem quite sure that He would be willing to do it for him. That’s how we feel at times. We know what God can do but we are not sure if He will do it for us. Yet, at the end of the day, as Seanna herself acknowledges, God loves us and wants us to be healed. He may not come through in the same way for everyone but He will come through. Sometimes, God may want to “heal” or address other areas of our lives as well - our character, our faith in Him, our relationship with Him, our relationship with others. I believe God is interested in the entire person, not just one particular part of us. I love how she encourages us to hold on to the little seed of faith we may have because God will honour it and do the miraculous. God is not necessarily looking for a mountain of faith. With God, a tiny seed is sufficient because with it you can move mountains, you can experience the impossible. If you have not accepted Jesus Christ into your life as your personal Lord and Saviour, I encourage you to do so today. God loves you and wants the best for you. How He chooses to work in your life is up to Him. All you need is a tiny seed of faith and with that, He can do something miraculous, He can do something powerful, He can do the impossible!
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![]() Richard had been suffering from a pain in his abdomen for two days and believed that he had pulled a stomach muscle. He told his wife, Pam, that he was going to rest. When she checked on him, he was looking pale and was unable to get up. She called 911 and in a short time he was taken to the hospital. Doctors suspected he was having a heart attack and administered blood thinners and prepped him to be moved to another hospital. As they were about to have him transferred, a doctor noticed swelling in his abdomen and realised it was not a heart attack. They suspected it was an aneurism and that he was bleeding from it. After being transferred, he was examined and doctors discovered that he had suffered an abdominal aortic aneurism and that he was bleeding internally. This would require immediate surgery. The mortality rate for individuals with a ruptured aneurism was very high even after undergoing surgery. The doctor contacted his wife at home and gave her an update. She asked the doctor if she could pray for him and was surprised when he agreed. She prayed a short, simple prayer asking God to guide his hands and show him the right thing to do. On her way to the hospital, she prayed. She told God that if it was her husband's time to go be with Jesus she would be okay. However, if He brought him back to her, she would be even more okay. Richard’s surgery was successful. According to the doctor, he had defied the odds. Pam praised God, happy and thankful because God had answered her prayer the way she wanted and she wanted her husband to live. Both Richard and Pam believe that Richard is alive today because of God’s loving care. Richard’s words of advice? Rely on God, trust Him and know that He’s there. Throughout this testimony, I truly see God’s loving care for Richard and his wife. Pam did not enlist help from others. She went to God herself and completely trusted Him. Yes, she wanted her husband healed but she was also ready to allow God’s perfect will to be done. That was surrender. That was between her and her God. The reality is, when we go through tragic situations, it is between us and God. What God allows is not to scare us or even discourage us but to motivate us to draw near to Him, to trust Him when our back is against the wall. Pam admitted that she felt lonely yet, she kept her focus on her God. He was her strength and her support when no one else was around. ![]() I think sometimes God brings us to these lonely seasons where it’s just us and Him. He knows that we are not truly alone because He is right there. He just wants us to realise that. Human support can certainly be appreciated but, at the end of the day, God is the One we need to do the miracle, to do the impossible. I believe that there were many people who Jesus healed that felt lonely in their negative situation. The woman with the issue of blood was isolated because she was considered unclean because of her condition (Mark 5:25-34). Yet, out of all the people thronging him, Jesus noticed the lonely woman who had been living a life of rejection and loneliness. The man who lay by the pool of Bethesda for thirty-eight years had no one to help him into the water when the angel came and touched it (John 5:2-9). Yet, out of the many people by that pool waiting to get into that water when the angel touched it, Jesus noticed the one who had no one to help him in. Trials and challenges have a way of ushering us into lonely seasons. The fact is though, we are not alone. God is still our ever-present help in trouble, no matter what that trouble may be. Trials and challenges are not evidence of God’s absence but of His presence!!! If you have not accepted Jesus Christ into your life as your personal Lord and Saviour, I encourage you to do so today. No matter what we go through, we are never alone. God has promised to always be there no matter what. He wants us to rely on Him, trust Him and know that He is there. ![]() Jason was looking forward to the new season that was opening up for him. He had just begun his new job when one day, he realised that something was on his tongue and that his tongue was swelling and it was affecting his speech. A biopsy revealed that he had stage three cancer in his tongue and it was releasing a chemical that was poisoning him from the inside out. Doctors removed half of his lymph nodes and twenty percent of his tongue in an effort to remove all of the cancer. He was now looking forward to moving on with his life and being the pastor God had called him to be. However, sometime later, the same thing returned on his tongue. Doctors discovered that the cancer, now borderline stage four, had returned and was even more aggressive than the last time. They opted to remove most of his tongue. To reconstruct his tongue, they planned to remove flesh from his arm and to cover his arm they would remove skin from his leg. As a result, he would not be able to use his arm for a while and as a musician that would pose a problem. He would also not be able to talk the same and as a singer and speaker, that too would be a problem. At this point, Jason broke down. The pain he experienced in this season became so unbearable that he searched Google for easy ways to die, easy ways, because he was already experiencing excruciating pain. His wife began to sing over him and he felt peace, like a person, enter the room. This gave him the strength to decide not to give up. Today, Jason has defied the doctors’ expectations. He is speaking and singing again. When he looks back at what he has been through, he concludes that it is about Jesus taking the things in your life that are not okay - those things that represent death, despair, darkness and hopelessness - and redeeming them, taking what was dead and bringing it back to life. As he looks back over his experience, he sees it as a comeback. He acknowledges that Jesus did it, that He gets all the glory and the only thing that he can do is never give up. I am truly inspired by this testimony. It’s the story of persistent battles that seem designed to completely overwhelm and destroy you. It’s a story about trusting God and choosing not to give up against all odds. Jason found it difficult to see the future he believed would be his. The cancer was threatening to wipe it out. Yet, God always has the final say (Proverbs 16:33). God knows the plans He has for us. It’s a plan to prosper us not to harm us, a plan to give us hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11) and there are times when challenges and battles will come designed to prevent us from seeing the good plan and future God has for us. I don’t believe they can wipe out God’s plan because God’s purpose will prevail no matter what comes our way. We just have to believe. Jason had to believe that he would speak and sing again and do what God had called him to do in spite of the battle he was facing. That was difficult and he almost gave up… but God! Maybe you are at the point where you are about to give up or maybe you have already given up because that giant seems too big for you and feels so overwhelming. That may be so, but it’s not bigger or more powerful than your God! God will always be bigger and more powerful than anything that can come your way. You just have to believe …and trust… God can give you the comeback you need even though it seems like it’s over. Against all odds, God can redeem you and is able to bring dead things back to life. It’s God’s job to do the work. It’s your job to trust Him. If you have not accepted Jesus Christ into your life as your personal Lord and Saviour, I encourage you to do so today. Life can be tough. We never know what we will meet around the corner but God knows. He is already there with the hope and strength we need to face and to conquer what life sends our way. ![]() Sometimes life can seem so unfair. You are doing what you know is right; you are doing your best and yet, bad things happen, unfair things happen. You feel as if you want to give up and not make the effort anymore to be your best and do your best. We can’t always dictate what comes our way but we can choose to hide in our God and trust Him to help us navigate those challenging roads. This is how David probably felt many times. He faced many unfair and challenging situations yet he trusted in his God. In verse 11 of Psalm 27, David seems to be asking God to teach him, to guide him, to direct him. He understands that life is not easy - after all he’s living it - and He covets God’s direction. The interesting thing is that it is not a general prayer for direction. He wants to know God’s way. There is a saying that says: “What would Jesus do?” It’s as if He wants God to teach Him based on what He, God, would do if He were in his shoes. It’s a genuine desire to live his life in a way that would represent God well. Yet, he doesn’t just want to be like his God but he understands that in the face of his adversaries, his enemies, God’s way will certainly be the only way to get through. We, too, would like to successfully navigate those challenges that come our way. Yet, when you think about it, the best way will always be God’s way. I like the saying: “What would Jesus do?” because it should be a reminder to us that Jesus also went through challenges and disappointments and that He is our guide to handling the various situations that come our way. He knows what pain, hurt and suffering are like yet, He responded to those situations at times with patience, at times with forgiveness, at times with firmness, at times in anguish, at times with righteous anger, and the list goes on. At the end of it all, David desired deliverance from every person or situation that was coming against him (v.12). Yet, while waiting for God’s deliverance, he still chose to believe that he would see his God’s goodness while he was alive (v.13). He would not have to die to experience it. This confidence is what gave him hope and the ability to endure whatever trial came his way. Let’s face it, sometimes when we are going through, what we believe is so important. Believing that God is good, believing that He knew all this would happen before it did and that He will work it out are things that help us face each trying day. Believing that God will come through for us, that we are going to make it, can provide that extra strength we need while we wait. What do you believe today? Because what you believe can either make you or break you. In the final verse (v.14), David encourages us to “wait on the Lord…” That word “wait” denotes to expect, to look patiently, to wait for… It also speaks of “trust” because once trust is involved you will wait for something with expectancy. He also advises us to be encouraged while we wait. This tells me that once your hope is in God, you will not be disappointed and this hope will be your comfort and strength. I believe many of us know what it’s like to go through really difficult seasons. We may sometimes wonder if, when or how we are going to make it through. We will have our good days, our hopeful days but then the discouraging, stressful days seem, at times, to outnumber the hopeful ones. I know I have said this more than once, but God is there … always … even when He seems far away. He sees, He knows, He has the answers and will deliver them at the right time. Sometimes, He will deliver quickly, but other times, we have to go through our period of waiting. Yet, our waiting is never in vain because it is during this season that we are strengthened, we learn trust, we learn patience, we learn valuable lessons that we can teach others as they go through their own challenges. God doesn’t waste a thing - good or bad. So, be encouraged that you will see God’s goodness even in the midst of the storm, that His grace will strengthen and keep you and that in turn your story will be a blessing and a source of hope and encouragement to others. Your season is not in vain! If you have not accepted Jesus Christ into your life as your personal Lord and Saviour, I encourage you to do so today. God is indeed your present help when you need it. You are never alone in your trials and tests and He always gives the grace, strength and encouragement needed while you wait on Him. He will come through for you. You are going to make it. ![]() In the darkest of moments, it can be so easy to reach out to someone or something to help us through that dark season. For some, it may be at that time that God seems closest. When you realise that your situation is bigger than you - and everyone else - it can be easy to reach for the God who is always there but so often taken for granted. I too have found myself admitting that it is only God who can get me through whatever challenging situation that seems so much greater than me. I think that it is at those times that God gets our fullest attention because we acknowledge what we already know - He is our only hope. The next few verses of Psalm 27 (vv. 7-10), can be likened to a plea for help. In verse 7, the word “cry” is not a simple request to the one listening. It almost seems to be made in anguish as the psalmist begs God to hear and to answer him. Can anyone relate? Of course we can. It is in our times of despair and hopelessness that we cry out to God begging Him to intervene in a situation; begging Him to come to our rescue; begging Him to deliver us from a situation that seems destined to overwhelm and destroy us. In verse 8 God encourages the psalmist to seek His face and the psalmist responds that he will. I don’t see this as a lighthearted exchange. God is asking Him to go beyond just a simple prayer and to earnestly pursue Him, to go after His presence. God is not interested in a mild relationship with us but with an intimate one. From his heart the psalmist promises to seek Him. God doesn’t want us to have a religious, superficial experience with Him, but a true, intimate relationship. Jeremiah 29:13-14a says: “And you will seek me and find me when you search for me with all your heart. I will be found by you, says the Lord…” God wants us to run after Him, He wants us to pursue Him and, when we do, we will not be disappointed. I believe that it is in His presence that big problems become small and insignificant and those negative situations seem like nothing because our focus is on the One who can and will work out any challenge that comes our way. When I look at verse 9, it reminds me of the times when I mess up and I desperately want God to forgive me, to not give up one me. I think everyone can relate. The psalmist acknowledges that he needs God so much that he doesn’t want Him to turn away from him, even when he has messed up. He knows he can’t do it without his God. After all, God has been his faithful helper and support, a sure deliverer when he needed one. He even goes as far to admit that when those closest to him give up on him, God does not give up on him (v.10). In short, the psalmist knows that the One person who will not let Him down is God. This psalm as penned by David, is such a transparent description of his life. David knew what it was like to be pursued by enemies and to be rejected and betrayed by his own family. His God was the one sure and reliable person in his life. No matter what you have been through, no matter what you may be going through, God is still the one sure and reliable source in your life. He will never leave you nor forsake you; He will never betray or reject you. When you cry out to Him, He will not turn a deaf ear to you, He will respond even if in His own time and way. He loves you and desires the very best for the one He has created. If you have not accepted Jesus Christ into your life as your personal Lord and Saviour, I encourage you to do so today. God is never far away, He is always near, ready to listen to our pleas, ready to come to our aid if we need it. Even when problems are bigger than us, even when everyone else rejects us, God is more than able to deliver. He will never fail us! ![]() One thing have I desired of the Lord that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life to behold the beauty of the Lord and to enquire in His temple. (Psalm 27:4) For the past two weeks, I have looked at Psalm 27, highlighting it as a Psalm about putting our trust in God, a God who is our light, salvation and strength. No matter what we come up against or what comes against us, we don’t have to worry because our God has our back and will fight for us. But it is in verse 4 that we see why David can speak so highly and confidently of his God. Plain and simple, David knew what it was like to spend time with Him. His desire was to seek His face, to get to know Him more intimately. He was not content with a religious, superficial experience, but a true relationship where he enjoyed being in the presence of His God and getting to know Him in a more intimate way. I believe God has the same desire for us. He wants us to desire Him, to desire being in His presence. He wants us to seek Him because as we seek Him He can and will reveal Himself to us in powerful and mighty ways. And, when that level of intimacy is there, no matter what comes against us, we will truly NOT be afraid because we will be confident that He will take care of us. Trust will come easily and naturally and our God will be the first One we will run to without even thinking about it. This is the confidence that David had. In verse 5 he says: “For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion; in the secret of His tabernacle shall He hide me; He shall set me up upon a rock.” When trouble came, it was as if David knew what the outcome would be. The reality is, it is natural to be afraid because we are at times unsure of what the future may bring; we are unsure of how things would turn out. However, David’s attitude tells me that when your eyes and heart are focused on and entrenched in God, you will have no doubt that He will bring you through. David did not expect his God to fail … neither should we. As I love to say, He may not do things in the way we would like but He will work things out in His perfect way and timing. The words “hide” and “secret” also tell us that God knows how to cover and protect His own in the midst of trouble. He has promised to never leave us nor forsake us and He certainly knows how to keep us safe while we go through our storm. Remember the times the disciples faced various storms? They were afraid for their very lives, yet, because Jesus was with them they were safe. Even when He was asleep on a pillow in the boat with them, they were safe because the One who could calm the stormy seas was with them (Matthew 4:35-38). Similarly, the One who can protect and deliver you is with you. You are not alone. You are safe even while you go through your storm. God is hiding you in His secret place while the battle is raging around you. You may not be able to see or feel it, but His protection, His covering are there and believe me, you are safer than you think or feel. And finally, David was able to say: And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me…” (v.6) Imagine, while you are surrounded by that situation, that trial, that storm, God is so taking care of you that what is surrounding you cannot keep you down - it cannot defeat you!!! What the enemy meant for evil God is actually working out for your good! You are victorious, you are not defeated! God is fighting for you, you shall overcome! And, like David, you can offer sacrifices of joy and you can sing praises unto God! (v.6b) You don’t have to wait for the storm or trial to end. You can praise God for the sure victory now because the victory comes from Him. It is still not about you or me … it’s all about Him and what He can and will do for you! If you have not accepted Jesus Christ into your life as your personal Lord and Saviour, I encourage you to do so today. We all need a God who will cover and protect us as we go through life’s trials and storms. We cannot do this life alone. God is willing and more than able to guide us through trouble and to enable us to live victoriously even in the most challenging situations. ![]() Last week, I delved a little into Psalm 27, a song of David that speaks about trust in God in trying circumstances. I love the fact that it begins with highlighting who God is - my light, my salvation, my strength. Because of this, I don’t have to be afraid no matter what comes my way. I think this beginning is fitting because as the Psalm progresses, various challenges are highlighted yet, because we are initially made to understand who our God is, we know that we will be okay. Verse 2 says: “When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell.” (v.2) David went through a lot of trials and opposition throughout his life. I don’t believe he used words lightly. The word “enemies” denotes trouble, distress, affliction, sorrow, even foes or adversaries. “Foes” also denotes adversaries, an opponent in a contest, conflict or dispute. These two came against him to “eat up my flesh” as he puts it, in other words to consume or destroy him. I think many of us can relate. There are situations that have come against us, even people, that seem designed to destroy us - to destroy our hopes, our dreams, our family, even our very lives. It can feel overwhelming, it can feel as if there is no way out; it can certainly feel as if we will not come out of the situation alive. But God…!!! In spite of how dire things seem at the beginning of the verse, it ends with an almost unexpected twist - “they stumbled and fell.” When it seemed as if the enemy would have the victory, things changed. That trouble, that affliction, that adversary that was charging to destroy, seemed to suddenly stumble and fall. Some words associated with that word “stumble” are: totter, waver, fall, cast down, feeble, weak. The word “fell” on the other hand suggests: cast down, fall away, perish. Interestingly, those challenges that are too big for us, that seem so much more powerful than us, are not bigger nor are they more powerful than our God. When we put our trust in Him, He makes big problems small! He turns the tables in our favour when we least expect it and in a way that we would never have fathomed. God is able to do it and He does it! It is with confidence, therefore, that David says in verse 3: “Though an host should encamp against me, my heart will not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident.” David was not afraid of who or what would come against him or even how many, because he was confident that His God would fight for him and would see him through. He had experienced enough enemies, enough trials, enough opposition to be ready to face whatever came his way. He had also experienced a whole lot of God’s protection, provision and care to be confident that he would make it through because his God had come through for him each time. When he was pursued by king Saul who was determined to stop him from becoming the next king, God came through for him and he still became the next king of Israel. When he faced Goliath, much bigger than him in size and certainly more experienced than him in battle, God came through for him again and enabled him to defeat him with a sling shot and a tiny stone. David knew what God could do. Do we? Just as God did not fail others in the past, He will not fail you now in the present or in the future. Just as God came through for you personally in the past, He will continue to come through for you in the present and in the future. He is the same yesterday, today and forever. I think sometimes that our problem is that God may not always work things out in the way we pictured in our minds. But, that’s a minor thing. He does work it out and it is always in the way that He knows is best. Our God is faithful. He is trustworthy. He is solid and He is sure. His promises to us are in Him yes and in Him amen (2 Corinthians 1:20). He will never fail us! He loves us too much to fail us. He loves us too much to allow the enemy to destroy us. God created each of us with a beautiful plan and purpose. Whatever comes in the way of that, He will deal with it just so that His purpose for us will prevail. If you have not accepted Jesus Christ into your life as your personal Lord and Saviour, I encourage you to do so today. God loves you. He wants what is best for you. No enemy, no adversary, no problem, no affliction, no distress, no sorrow can separate you from God’s love for you. God will fight for you. He will defend you just because ... He. Loves. You! Trust Him. ![]() As I go through various trials and tests, I am more and more noticing that God is teaching me to do something very important - trust Him. I would love not to have to face some of the challenging things I face but I realize that it is through these challenges that God is teaching me to trust Him, to trust His ability - not my own - to save me. David wrote many psalms out of his times of distress, discouragement and despair. It seemed that one enemy or another was plaguing his life. Yet, he chose to look to his God and to have the confidence that God would see him through; that God would help him survive whatever attack he was facing. Psalm 27 is one of those songs that he wrote that is a reminder of God’s ability to protect and keep His people in times of trouble. The Lord is my light and my salvation whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life, of whom shall I be afraid? (v.1) The Psalm starts off by highlighting who God is - He is light, salvation and strength. When you think about it, troubling times are dark times. We find it difficult to see the end of our situation, we find it difficult to see a way out and we feel discouraged, even hopeless. Yet, in those dark times, the one spark of light is our God. He is our hope, He is that light that guides us - even though we may not realise it - as we navigate dark, dreary seasons. He lights our path and guides our steps day by day, even minute by minute. He is our salvation. Strong’s concordance offers alternative words - liberty, safety. I like the word “safety” because it tells me that when I am going through difficult times, I can feel safe because God is with me and will take care of me. I can almost picture Him wrapping His arms around me, cradling me, even as the walls of darkness and danger, at times, seem to close in on me. “He is the strength of my life…” It is never about my strength, it is always about His. In fact, my strength comes from Him. I cannot face challenges alone, I cannot successfully navigate the “valley of the shadow of death” (Psalm 23:4) by myself. I need His strength to carry me through. Have you ever been through times when, as you go through those dark valleys, you literally feel weak - physically, emotionally, mentally, even spiritually? Those times seem to drain the very life out you and you are not sure you will even make it. It is at these times of weakness, that God proves Himself strong. The word “strength” also signifies a fortified place, a defence, a fortress, a rock, a stronghold (Strong’s Concordance). Think about it, no matter what you go through, as a child of God, you have your own fortress, your own fortified place, that you can run to in times of trouble. It does not mean that you will not feel the negative effects of difficult times, but your confidence lies in the reality that God is nearer than you think or feel, and He is protecting you from things that you don’t even know about. Paul in his letter to the Corinthians states: “That is why for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong (2 Corinthians 12:10). Paul understood that in his weak times, in his difficult seasons, God’s strength is what pulled him through. He did not have to do it on his own; he did not have to rely on his own strength or ability. God would happily and willingly come through for him and give him the strength he needed to make it through. We all go through difficult seasons. No one is exempt from them. Yet, we can be confident that God, who is our light, salvation and strength, will enable us to survive whatever comes our way. He has promised to never leave us nor forsake us. He will not leave us alone to face challenges; He does not expect or command us to make it through without Him. He knows we need Him and He is more than willing to come to our aid when we need it. If you have not accepted Jesus Christ into your life as your personal Lord and Saviour, I encourage you to do so today. God is big enough and more than able to handle whatever difficulty comes your way. He will never leave you alone to fend for yourself but desires that you run to Him freely and confidently so that He can help you when you can’t do it on your own. ![]() Over the years, I have realized something interesting about myself. If I sense my family is in danger, I make a bold effort to address it. For example, if I awake during the night to any strange sound, instead of awaking my husband to go see what is happening, I get up and boldly go to find out what the problem is myself. I used to think I would be afraid, but I have come to realise that once I feel that my family might be in danger, boldness takes the place of fear and I make the effort to deal with it myself. It may not seem wise, especially if there really is any real danger. But, I have come to realise, that a sense of protectiveness comes over me and I choose to face the problem rather than run from it. This reminds me of the story I have been writing about for the past couple of weeks (2 Chronicles 20:1-30). When God told king Jehoshaphat and his people to position themselves, stand still and see how He would deliver them from their enemies, He also told them in that same verse 17: “Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them, for the Lord is with you.” I love to look at words and how they are used. Believe it or not, the word “against” came to my attention. When I looked it up, one of the synonyms in the Strong’s Concordance jumped out at me - “face.” In other words, God was telling them to face their enemies, face the problem. He did not want them to run from it. Remember, their “problem” was not a small one. In fact, this combined army that had come against them was huge enough to cause them to want to run from them in the first place. Their problem was much bigger than they were and they knew that in themselves there was no way they could defeat them. That may sound familiar to many of us. There are challenges that come our way that are way bigger than what we can handle on our own. In fact, even if we were to enlist help, we still would not be able to handle it. Some challenges are like that. I remember acknowledging a few years ago that the challenge I was facing was so much bigger than me that only God could deliver me from it. No, I did not want to have to face it. No, I did not want to have to go through it but I had to acknowledge that God and God alone would be able to get me through. We may never have the luxury to run from some battles. So, our only recourse is to face them, as ugly and as terrifying as they might be. But, here is the thing: God did not just tell king Jehoshaphat and his people to go out against their enemies. He gave them some comforting words: “Do not fear or be dismayed … for the Lord is with you.” All of that in one verse! God did not expect them to face the problem alone, He would be right there with them. We are never alone. I have said this many times. God has promised to never leave us nor forsake us. The problem is, the situation may feel so terrifying, we may feel as if He is not there, as if we have to battle all by ourselves. But, we don’t! Everything God instructed the Jews to do, it was with the assurance that they would not have to do it alone. God’s assurance to us today is that we will not have to do our battles alone. He wants us to face the battle, not run from it because greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world. When king Jehoshaphat and his people reached the place where they could look out over their enemies, all they saw was dead bodies (v.24). God had defeated this vast army for them. He did not send them to face their problem but to see what He had already done for them. We may not always see the evidence of what God has already done and is doing for us, but we can confidently stand on His promise that the battle belongs to Him. And, if it belongs to Him, then He has already won it. In short, He will make a way, He will see us through. If you have not accepted Jesus Christ into your life as your personal Lord and Saviour, I encourage you to do so today. God did not create us to face battles on our own. He is more than willing and able to intervene on our behalf. He will not leave us to face our challenges alone, but is always there to help us in our time of need. ![]() Last week I looked at the story of king Jehoshaphat and the combined army that came against him and his people, Judah. His choice to keep his eyes on his God and to worship worked in their favour. However, there was one word that caught my attention and it is found in verse 17 (NKJV): “You will not need to fight in this battle. POSITION yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord who is with you…” That one word “position” got my attention and I began to think about it. One version (ESV) states: “hold your position.” Another translation (KJV) says, “set yourselves…” The dictionary defines “position” as to put or arrange (someone or something) in a particular place or way. At one point I found it contradictory that God would, on the one hand, tell His people that they would not need to fight in this battle but then tell them to position themselves. It seemed to me that He was telling them to get ready for battle although they were not going to fight! Yet, one look at the words which come right after makes it a bit clearer: “stand still and see the salvation of the Lord who is with you…” God was not calling them to fight but to get ready to see what He would do. While they waited, they worshiped and they kept their focus on their God who could do what they could not do. Their enemies may have been positioning themselves to fight against them but they were positioning themselves to let God fight for them. This, however, was not just a physical positioning that God was calling them to. It was rather a position of the heart. God wanted their hearts to be in the right place to receive the good He had in store for them. Remember, prior to this event, their hearts were far from their God and king Jehoshaphat and his father, Asa, had gone to great lengths to turn their hearts back to the Lord their God. Imagine if this had happened during that backslidden time. They might not have turned to the Lord their God for help and would have tried to fight on their own. They might even have enlisted the help of other nations to fight with them … and would have been defeated! We too must “position” ourselves when challenges come our way. It’s not just about what we do when we face our battles but about the position of our heart when overwhelming challenges come our way. It’s about having a heart of trust when it seems everything is falling apart. It’s about having a heart of obedience to do whatever God tells us to do even when it doesn’t make sense. I am reminded of the children of Israel when faced with the Red Sea in front of them and their enemies, the Egyptians, behind them (Exodus 14:8-15). They had to choose to trust God and His servant Moses and to obey them when it did not make sense. God told them to go forward (v.15b). That did not make sense when the Red Sea was blocking their path. No one had even seen a large body of water part before, but they had to trust God when capture by their enemies looked imminent. They had to obey His Word to go forward even when there was no way they could move the body of water in front of them. Sometimes, like the Israelites, we too may feel trapped and we may feel as if there is no way out. But God is concerned about the position of our heart. Will we trust Him when things seem hopeless; will we obey His instructions even though it doesn’t make sense? When He tells us to worship, will we worship or will we grumble? When He instructs us to let it go, will we obey or will we hold on as we desperately try to work it out on our own? We can accomplish a lot by our actions; but a lot more can be done when our heart is rightly positioned in God. Trust that He knows what is best; trust that He will get the job done even better than what we can accomplish in our own strength. If you have not accepted Jesus Christ into your life as your personal Lord and Saviour, I encourage you to do so today. Above all else, God wants our hearts; He wants us to trust Him, to obey Him. He will never lead us astray and He knows how to bring the best out of every challenge that comes our way. |
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June 2024
AuthorThis blog provides inspirational nuggets inspired by the Word of God and serves to encourage and motivate Christians in their Christian walk. |