Our Joshua Goes Ahead of Us

Joshua also will cross over ahead of you.

I hunted for the scripture that exhorts us to choose life. Deuteronomy 30 and 31 gave me many fresh exhortations as I thought of approaching retirement, but verse three of chapter 31 flashed at me. The rest faded. Joshua will cross over before me!

Before his death, Moses was passing on God's instructions. God's people were to cross into the Land of Promise with the Lord himself and Joshua in the lead.

Joshua, whose name means The Lord Saves, is the Hebrew equivalent of Jesus in the Greek. It's not a long jump to see the parallels.

As we choose life and follow God's instructions, we start seeing the fruit of God's promises. Along the journey, our trust and love of God grows and flourishes. Each moment of trust leads to God sightings.

Theirs was a time of transition and new challenges. Joshua would go ahead of the people. Great challenges would test their faith and fortitude, but God had given them a brave leader, chosen and equipped by God's grace. 

Getting ready to cross over into the unknown land of retirement, I meditated, chewed on the Word, and left the Table satisfied.

FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION

He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out... He goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice (John 10:3-4, NIV).

Meditate on Deuteronomy 31:1-8 or John 10:1-5.

What transition do you face? Could you use a brave and experienced leader?

How well do you know and trust Joshua?

Best Broken

We give Jesus our best and He breaks it.

Like 5 loaves and 2 fishes, our best may be just enough to meet our needs, but Jesus has bigger plans than we initially know.

He accepts our small offering, blesses, then tears our bread and fish.

It's not like He doesn't practice what He preaches. When He tore the bread at Passover, He said it was His body that would give life. The Master sets the course for the disciple.

You'd think the torn and broken would need to be tossed.

No. Jesus wastes nothing. In fact, He multiplies the broken, like a buried grain of wheat that breaks open to birth new grain.  He takes delight when we open-handedly release our resources, regardless of what shape they are in. He uses the foolish things to confound the wise. As we give Him our all and wait willingly, we encounter His surprises. When we trust Him, He may break and use our treasure. But in ways only our powerful Savior can, He multiplies those resources.

We observe God's work more clearly as we look back, and His work inspires awe. Just as Jesus was broken for many, so He breaks us to multiply God's presence through us.

Then we become fishes and loaves in His hands--broken to feed much more than one hungry belly. The Bread of Life makes us like Jesus Christ and we can spread God's love.

We're best broken.

FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION

Luke 9:10-17 - Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand

In retrospect, can you recognize an excruciating experience that God used to reveal more of Himself in you? What did you learn from the breaking? the blessing? the multiplying?

Singing God's Song

There were mainly older folk in the audience, but they were attentive. I mentioned how the Lord confirmed the topic of holiness through a hymn I'd recently sung during my devotions. I also shared, in passing, that I sometimes make up tunes to unfamiliar hymns so I can sing them to God.

After the program, Kitty shared that she also made up songs. She wove her melodies with Scripture, which proved a great help in memorizing them. We enjoyed talking at length, for she obviously loved God and His Word. She told me she sometimes sings those scriptures over individuals as God leads--usually friends.

Before we ended our conversation, she told me she had a gift for me. She began to sing.

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid [John 14:27].

My heart warmed at the sound of a stranger-turned-friend singing God's Word over me. Grinning wide, I filled with gratitude. We had a holy encounter.

She had become Jesus to me by singing God's song.

FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION

The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing [Zephaniah 3:17, NIV].

How can you be a part of singing God's song over someone?

If you could hear God singing over you, what would you wish to hear?

Look for an opportunity to encourage someone on Jesus' behalf today.

I’ll Have What She’s Having

“Have we begun to walk the practical path in grace? Do we know anything about the practice of pain? Watch what the Bible has to say about suffering, and you will find the great characteristic of the life of a child of God is the power to suffer, and through that suffering the natural is transformed into the spiritual."  -Oswald Chambers

I cannot remember Auntie without thinking about my favorite thing at her house: her water. She would take water which was probably from a spring somewhere in her backyard, put it in old Rum bottles, and allow it to become ice cold in the door of her refrigerator. It was easily the best water I’ve ever tasted… if you don’t believe me, ask Daniel.

But even more refreshing than the water was listening to someone who had seen and experienced so much throughout her life with unwavering strength and faith. Auntie had endured so much pain, suffering, and aloe juice in her life, yet did not become calloused or ungrateful. Instead, she became kind and selfless.

By 2005, both my grandmothers had passed away. They left a void that Auntie happily filled. She provided plenty of love, wisdom, laughs, and Turkish coffee. She helped put things into perspective. Medical education is a breeding ground of selfishness and pride; we study to get better grades than our classmates in order to attain superior residencies. I was always challenged by how Auntie had time to put the needs of others before her own; it changed how I studied. It motivated me to help others learn instead of focusing only on myself. For a few hours the week before each exam, I tried to do what Auntie has done her whole life.

Because of Auntie, I have tasted the most refreshing water on earth. Yet no matter how much I drank, I was left wanting more. Jesus tells us that that “whosoever drinks of the water I give shall never thirst.” Auntie personally knew what that verse meant. She had joy and hope even in the bleakest situations. She kept her sense of humor and faced adversity with grace. She knew that in our weaknesses, He is strong. In the circus of everyday life, I find myself distracted by the wants and needs of my own selfish pursuits. My prayer is that one day I may be like Auntie—content with all things, yet only satisfied by the living water.

Note: One of my Mom's greatnephews, Souhail Karram, a med student, sent this to be read at her funeral almost a year ago.
Thank you, Souhail.
May you always be satisfied by (and offer others) that living water. 

Hope-ful Waiting

When, heartsick, hope slips through our fingers, despair squeezes in to take its place. News reports, politics, riots and rage all siphon off hope. Yet beyond what we can see, God's love is active. Unchanged. Unfailing.

We watched Jakob the Liar recently, an intriguing story of hope's medicine in a German concentration camp. It opens with Jakob's futile efforts to grab an elusive newspaper page until, because of curfew, he has to report to the Commandant of the camp.
 
There he hears a snippet on the news that the Russians are close. The next day he tells his friends and word spreads that Jakob has a radio.

 Their longing for hope precipitates imaginary news. That infuses life as they entertain the idea of freedom. Depression is not now as pervasive. Suicides are held at bay.

 
Without giving away the story, let me say that, even in horrific times, God's love brings hope. Theirs came as a snippet of radio broadcast and a good dose of imagination. Ours might come in a casual comment, an author’s perspective, or a verse of the day.

 
Today, Psalm 33 reminded me:

We wait in hope for the Lord; he is our help and our shield.
In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name.
May your unfailing love rest upon us, O Lord, even as we put our hope in you.
Psalm 33:20-22 (NIV '84)
 

Waiting -- in hope -- changes the most dismal situation. The circumstances might resist change, but our choice to trust God becomes a shield against depression and despair. Thank God, this is not fanciful thinking. The good news is our King comes to save. His unfailing love rests on us as we hope in Him.

 
Exhale. And wait hope-fully.

 
FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION

Meditate on Psalm 33:20-22 and listen for the Spirit's insight.

Recall a time when God used a small detail to unlock hope in your life. Ask for more insight about the events, and thank God for His unfailing love that came [comes] to rest on you.

 

 

Grace Gifts

Passionately committed to Jesus Christ, Patti's eyes flash and her smile broadens as she shares insights from scriptures.

Recently, she told me she was praying for me and had her church prayer group praying as well.

To what did I owe that?

Grace.

We don't even go to the same church. She noticed I needed prayer and did something about it. Her kindness demonstrated the body of Christ at work. One sees a need and the other, who has the capacity to meet that need, responds productively.

 It reminded me how simple things done in love make a big difference. Her expression of love clearly reflected God's care. It reminded me of 1 Corinthians 12 and Romans 12 which teach that God's grace gifts are for blessing others. That mutuality of interacting the way God designed brings God much pleasure.

When love is genuine and God inspired, it shines a spotlight on God's love. Everyone involved gets to enjoy the fruit of obedience. And we love one another -- and God --  more deeply.

FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION

1 Peter 1:22 (NIV)
Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply, from the heart.

When was the last time you used one of your spiritual gifts to bless someone? Were you aware of the Christ-like love it engendered? How did it impact your own life?

Revealer of Mysteries

It's an interesting story of crushing circumstances, uncommon integrity, and courageous trust.

King Nebuchadnezzer had called his wise men and asked the impossible: that they describe his troubling dream and interpret it. If they didn't deliver, they wouldn't live.

Only the gods could do that, they said. And the gods didn't live among humankind.

True. Except for the one true God who can reveal mysteries.

Daniel and his friends fasted and pleaded with God to have mercy and give them the answer.

After God revealed the mystery, Daniel was quick to give God thanks and praise (Daniel 2:20-23).

 I thank and praise you, God of my ancestors: You have given me wisdom and power, you have made known to me what we asked of you. (Daniel 2:23, NIV)

Sometimes only God can resolve our complicated situations. We do our research and weigh our options, but variables stretch like an endless country road. Our God is with us. He is real and vitally involved in our lives. As we earnestly seek God's wisdom, He will reveal what we need to know.

Trusting Him brings life.


FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION

See Jeremiah 33:3, then read Daniel 2.

Where can you see yourself in this story? What can you learn about God? What can you learn from Daniel?

Do you have a mystery that needs God's help?

Notice Daniel's strategy. Have you ever asked others to join you in prayer for a critical situation? Have you ever added fasting with prayer? What kind of insights did you gain?