Joshua 1:9

“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.”

After Moses died, the Lord appointed Joshua to take his place and lead the people to the promised land. The Lord was commanding Joshua to take the people into this land, and just as He was with Moses, He was to be with Joshua. Where Joshua set foot, the Lord gave him that land and He promised to never leave him. As the Lord finished reassuring Joshua, He gives this commandment to go by and reminded him to look to the Lord in all things.  As I read this, I had been struggling with what was next on this journey God has me on and the path He has set before me. I couldn’t wrap my mind around the fact that He wasn’t showing me exactly what was next and I was doubting God’s perfect plan for my life and not trusting that he has a perfect plan and perfect timing in all things. I was praying about where he would have me study in the word next and I just thought of Joshua and flipped there and started to read. Sometimes, its funny how much you know the Lord is speaking to you through His Word, but His Word is living and active and He speaks to us through it in many ways. My flesh was feeling feeble and confused and fearful in the unknown, but as I read this passage and this verse, I knew that it was God speaking into my heart. While I may not know right now what happens next after I leave Uganda and am no longer in this year of IGNITE, I am reassured by the Lord that just because I am limited, doesn’t mean that He is limited, in fact, He is unlimited. 

The Lord reminded me that no matter where I go or who I’m with, as long as God is with me, it doesn’t matter. He reminded me of His perfect path for my life and the fact that if I am seeking Him and seeking to glorify Him in all I do, He will never lead me astray. As the Lord was reminding me of all these things, He asked me a question that I didn’t really want. “Are you willing to lay this down at My feet, letting the cross be enough to satisfy you?” A few nights later as I was still pondering over this question, I was looking up at the star-filled sky and I just started pouring my heart out to the Lord, as I prayed to Him, He asked me the question again. This time, I didn’t hesitate, in my flesh, I said no, but then my heart broke over my hardness in this area of my life and I just gave it up and surrendered it to Him. I felt this weight lift off of my heart and the Lord comfort me in the surrender and I knew that each day I was going to have to choose to dig into Him in that day and focus on His faithfulness and not get in the fear of my flesh. Each day, I have to come before the Lord in humility and give all things into His hands and be faithful with what He has set before me. Its crazy how when you give something over to the Lord how He reassures and answers you when you aren’t looking for it. Sometimes, you just have to give it over and seek to glorify Him and then He will do things when you least expect it and aren’t even really looking for it and you just know that it’s the Lord. 

My application is to write out this promise of the Lord before my devotion in the mornings to remind me of this truth.