“And the Lord said to Moses, ‘Behold, the days approach when you must die. Call Joshua and present yourselves in the tent of meeting, that I may commission him.’ And Moses and Joshua went and presented themselves in the tent of meeting. And the Lord appeared in the tent in a pillar of cloud. And the pillar of cloud stood over the entrance of the tent. And the Lord commissioned Joshua the son of Nun and said, ‘Be strong and courageous, for you shall bring the people of Israel into the land that I swore to give them. I will be with you.’ ” (v14-15,23)
Joshua is commissioned with the almighty task of spiritually guiding the people of Israel. This is an unbelievably difficult calling, considering in this very chapter God is prophesying that the people are going to rebel against Him once they receive their inheritance, and Moses states “For I know how rebellious and stubborn you are. Behold, even today while I am yet alive with you, you have been rebellious against the Lord. How much more after my death!” (v27)
Have you ever received an seemingly impossible task / calling? Perhaps parenthood, a role at work, a mid-term, or a serving opportunity seem(ed) far more difficult than you you can handle. I have good news for you – God will be with you when you are aligned with Him. A famous verse says “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Rom 8:31)
I would encourage you today to fully rely on God for whatever it is you are doing – work, school, family engagement, etc. The Holy Spirit within us is more than sufficient for our trials and tribulations, to walk with us through the darkest and most difficult times.
Perhaps today will be an “easy” day, where there is very little challenge or struggle. If so, I would encourage you to still rely on God as much as you can, even if you “don’t need Him.” If we are subconsciously fooled into thinking we don’t need God in the good times, we’re far more likely to remain distant to Him in the bad times as well.
My challenge today is to fully rely on God regardless of circumstance, feelings, personal strength, etc. Building a habit of reliance upon God is what saves us from eternal destruction, and it can also save those around us when they see God glorified through us. Of course we will still encounter troubles, but those burdens will be far lighter if God is our source of strength. When God carries us through difficult circumstances, those around us will take notice.
Father God, great and mighty is Your name. Thank you for Your indwelling Holy Spirit, whose fruit not only builds us up, but will also strengthen and save those around us as well. Please humble our hearts and burn away any pride within, so only You and Your Spirit remain as our sole source of wisdom, strength and discernment. All honor, glory and praise be to You, O Lord God Almighty. Amen.
~ Conqueror in Training