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
![]() It’s interesting... I have been trusting God to give me material to write and He usually does. Today, as I prayed and waited patiently, or rather impatiently, for some inspiration to come, my youngest daughter walked into my room and begged me to pull out her tooth. At that point I don’t know who was more scared, me or her. I immediately told her to wait for her father to get home because after all, that was his specialty. But, unfortunately for both of us, that tooth was very ready to come out and daddy was too far away to run to her rescue ... or mine... So, I pushed aside my feelings of inadequacy and made up my mind to do it. A napkin appeared to assist me in my task and armed with the only instrument at my disposal, I proceeded to attempt to extract a tooth. Now mind you, as easy as that sounded the next several moments was almost like a dance routine. I put my napkin-equipped hand over the tooth, she moved her head, she walked away, she came back, she spoke – several times – she dillied and dallied, none of which made it any easier for me to do this unpleasant job. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, she stood still enough and I was able to remove the tooth. After lots of blood, she was relieved, I was relieved, everyone was happy – yes we had an audience, her siblings and cousin – and life continued ... as normal. And that’s life. Sometimes, we too, dilly-dally, we procrastinate, we know we need to get rid of some things, but... My daughter’s tooth could not remain in her mouth. It was time for it to come out. Its time was up, it had to give way for a new tooth, a permanent one to come in. I saw a drawing once – maybe you have seen it too – of a little girl holding a small teddy bear in her hands. Jesus is kneeling in front of her holding out His hand for the teddy bear. She doesn’t want to give it up. She has become attached to it, it is precious to her. Little does she know that behind His back is a bigger, nicer teddy bear just for her. All she has to do is give him that little bear and she would get an even bigger one. There are times when God wants to give us something better, but the trade-off is that we have to let go of the old – the old way of life, the old way of doing things, the old habits. Or, maybe what we are holding on to like that little girl isn’t necessarily something bad, but God wants to give us an upgrade, He wants to give us something even better than what we already have. We turn it down because we are so attached to that old car, that job. Maybe He wants to promote us but we are quite comfortable in the position we are in. Whatever it is, God always has and wants to give us His best for us but sometimes without even realizing it, we tell Him, “No thank You God, it’s alright, I’m quite content with what I have.” That sounds so noble and humble... But what if we are standing in the way of God’s blessings for us? The children of Israel in the Bible were faced with this same dilemma. When they left Egypt, they faced various challenges that prompted them to complain and say that it was better for them if they had remained in Egypt. They were not willing to go through the process of receiving God’s best for them and so they found themselves wishing that they had remained in bondage in Egypt. Even when they were about to enter the Promised Land, which God had told them was a land flowing with milk and honey, just as they were about to enter they changed their mind. Another “problem” came up. There were giants in the land and they felt totally incapable of subduing them. They preferred instead to remain where they were in the wilderness (Numbers 13:26-33 & 14:1-3). We can’t always control the journey to receiving God’s best for us. There will be problems, challenges, disappointments along the way, but if we are persistent, we will reap His best for us. What is also most important to remember is that God is right there with us – just as He was with the children of Israel – in our process, in our wilderness. He even understands our desire to hold on to what may not necessarily be bad, but He knows that letting it go paves the way towards something even better. We may not be able to see the big teddy bear God has for us behind His back as He reaches out for the little one in our hands, but we can trust that He will never ask us to give up something without already having in His hand something even better. If you have not accepted Jesus Christ into your life as Lord and Savior, take the opportunity to do so now. What God has for you will amaze you, surprise you and will certainly not disappoint you. As His child, His best for you is always going to be there for the taking. So, what are you waiting for? Choose Him and His best for you today!
2 Comments
Anesia
10/7/2021 09:05:23 am
Yup..this was for me today...you know that scripture that says God spoke once yet twice I have heard it..Honestly He really needs to speak once..thank you..
Reply
Kerry-Ann Lewis
16/7/2021 07:35:36 pm
You're welcome. Yes He does...
Reply
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February 2025
AuthorThis blog provides inspirational nuggets inspired by the Word of God and serves to encourage and motivate Christians in their Christian walk. |