"In the same way the sun never grows weary of shining, nor a stream of flowing, it is God's nature to keep His promises. Therefore, go immediately to His throne and say, 'Do as You promised.'"
Charles H. Spurgeon
The book of Joshua is known to be a book of new beginnings. After forty years of wandering in the wilderness, the Israelites were finally able to claim their inheritance and enjoy the blessings that God had prepared for them. It was "as the days of heaven upon the earth" (Deuteronomy 11:21). This is also the way that God wants us to live because He has "blessed us with all spiritual blessings" (Ephesians 1:3) and has provided the path to victory through Jesus (who is our Joshua).
When God first called Joshua, He told him to "Be strong, vigorous, and very courageous. Be not afraid, neither be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go" (Joshua 1:9). What we don't see in this statement is all the years of preparation God had infused inside of Joshua. He was born into slavery in Egypt and given the name of Hoshea (Numbers 13:8), which means "salvation". Later, Moses changed his name to Joshua, the Hebrew form of Jesus, which means "Jehovah is salvation".
By giving their baby the name of "salvation", Joshua's parents were bearing witness to their faith in God's promise to redeem His people. They had seen God deliver their family from many perils such as the Passover when Joshua was a boy. Because he belonged to the tribe of Ephraim and was the firstborn son of Nun, his very life was in danger that night. However, they trusted in the Lord and in the power of the blood of the lamb and his life was spared.
Joshua got to see firsthand the signs and wonders God performed in Egypt (Exodus 7-12), and he quickly came to realize that Jehovah was a God of power that was with them and would protect and care for them. He witnessed the One, True God humiliate the gods of Egypt and understood that there was no one to compare with Him. His faith grew and he trusted God to do wonders for His people.
We can do the same today. When we really meditate on the presence and promises of God in our lives, we will understand that He continually is with us and is working on our behalf. We can intentionally choose to heed the commands God gave to Joshua and not be afraid nor dismayed. Obviously, our human tendency when things get tough is to become discouraged or fearful, but perhaps our perspective should be the opposite. Perhaps we should understand that the warfare is trying to prevent us from walking in our destiny. If God didn't have great plans, then why would the enemy try so hard to bring discouragement to us?
The real thing Satan tries to steal from us is our faith because that is the very thing that can move mountains. Our faith should rise up in times of distress and when we are weary because that will drive the enemy out and help us to possess the Promised Land that God has for us. The name that God called the Promised Land was "a good land" (Joshua 8:7-10) and He contrasted it to the monotony and barrenness of Egypt. This land was to be a place of rest and inheritance and the dwelling place of God.
The Israelites had persevered and endured much hardship and fatigue while they were slaves in Egypt. Now, they would be able to rest and enjoy the fellowship with their God and their deliverer. Similarly, "the promise of entering His rest still holds and is offered today" (Hebrews 4:1). Paul goes on to tell us that after we have entered into this rest, we should then "fearlessly and confidently and boldly draw near to the throne of grace ( the throne of God's unmerited favor to us sinners), that we may receive mercy [for our failures] and find grace to help in good time for every need [appropriate help and well-timed help, coming just when we need it]" (Hebrews 4:16).
Courage and strength will increase as we draw near to God to experience the full weight of His presence and trust in the merit of all His promises to us individually. When life becomes a battering ram of challenges and difficulties, we can have peace knowing that He is with us and that His goodness will triumph over all obstacles. God will open our eyes so that we can "Look to the heavens and see; and behold the skies which are higher than you" (Job 35:5). We will understand that when God is at our side, nothing shall be impossible.
Before God told Joshua to be strong and courageous, He told him, "This book of the Law shall not depart out of your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, that you may observe and do according to all that is written in it. For then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall deal wisely and have good success" (Joshua 1:8).
In the Old Testament, there are two primary Hebrew words for meditation: Hagah and Sihach. The word Hagah means "to utter, groan, meditate, or ponder". The word Sihach means "to muse, to rehearse in one's mind, or to contemplate". Both of these words can also be translated as "dwell, diligently consider, and heed".
Rick Warren describes meditation this way: "Meditation is focused thinking. It takes serious effort. You select a verse and reflect on it over and over in your mind... if you know how to worry, you already know how to meditate. No other habit can do more to transform your life and make you more like Jesus than daily reflection on Scripture...If you look up the times God speaks about meditation in the Bible, you'll be amazed at the benefits He has promised to those who take the time to reflect on His Word throughout the day."
In Satisfy Your Soul, Dr. Bruce Demarest writes, "A quieted heart is our best preparation for all this work of God...Meditation refocuses us from ourselves and from the world so that we can reflect on God's Word, His nature, His abilities, and His works... So we prayerfully ponder, muse, and 'chew' the words of Scripture... The goal is simply to permit the Holy Spirit to activate the life-giving Word of God."
God rewards those who diligently seek Him (Hebrews 11:6). In my walk, I have found that the more chaotic the world around me becomes, the more intentional I need to be in my Quiet time and pressing into God's Word. Otherwise, it can be really easy to fall into the trap of distractions or spending my time in useless ways. These are the times when it is much easier to give in to fear and discouragement. Knowing what God has to say about my circumstances changes everything.
Spend time in His presence and write down specific promises He has made to you. If you cannot think of specific ones, sit down in faith and ask the Holy Spirit for verses directly related to the concerns you may have. Meditate on these verses and remind God of what He has shown you.
I really believe that this is a year where we will see God move in mighty ways. We need to be positioned and prepared. We need to stoke the fires of our faith on a daily basis. We truly need to diligently perpend His presence and His promises!
"Let my cry come right into Your presence, God; provide me with the insight that comes only from Your Word. Give my request Your personal attention, rescue me on the terms of Your promise. Let praise cascade off my lips; after all You've taught me the truth about life! And let Your promises ring from my tongue; every order You've given is right. Put Your hand out and steady me since I've chosen to live by Your counsel. I'm homesick, God, for Your salvation; I love it when You show Yourself! Invigorate my soul so I can praise You well, use Your decrees to put iron in my soul. And should I wander off like a lost sheep- seek me! I'll recognize the sound of Your voice."
Psalm 119:169
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