Navigating the Unknown

Life is full of unforeseen twists and turns. A job loss, a death, a difficult diagnosis, a child in serious trouble, a decision that shakes your family – we all will face life-altering situations. We will all ask, “What do I do now?” “Where do we go from here?” “How will I cope with this?” It’s pretty unnerving to not know what’s up ahead. I understand this uncertainty very well. As I pray and seek God’s Word, these are the promises I’m clinging to.
God is my guide along the way – “[The Lord] leads me…He guides me…” (Ps 23: 2, 3). God knows where I’m going – even if I don’t. He knows the path I must take and what challenges lie ahead. He knows the best place to cross the river and where to stop and rest for the night. I can follow Him with confidence because He is a good guide.
God is always with me – “The Lord your God will be with you where you go” (Jos 1:9). God knows I need the comfort of His presence as I make my way through unknown territory. He knows I will become anxious and I will have sad days. He also knows I will wander from the path if I lose sight of Him. He is carefully attentive to me, knowing when I need encouragement, strength, help and comfort.
God will provide along the way – “These forty years the Lord your God has been with you, and you have not lacked anything” (Deut 2:7). As He guided them through the wilderness, God provided the Israelites with water (Exodus 15:22-25; 17:1-6), food (Ex 16:4; Num 11:31-32) and even kept their clothes from wearing out – for forty years (Deut 29:5). Jesus reminds me that my Heavenly Father knows all my needs, and is committed to providing all things for me if I will trust in Him (Matt 6:25-33).
I don’t know what uncertain path looms large before you, but God does. He has promised to be with you, to care for you, and to lead you all the way. To where? Your heavenly home. You and I may not be able to see what tomorrow holds, but we know Who holds tomorrow. Take His hand and let Him lead you, Beloved, He not only knows the way, He is The Way.

Follow Jesus

Obedience is the mark of faith in the Christian’s life. Sometimes obedience is simple, even delightful. When the Scriptures say, “Forsake not the assembling of yourselves” (Heb 10:25 KJV), it is a Joy to obey and gather with our church family. When Jesus commanded, “Love one another” (Jn 15:17) it is (usually) a sweet pleasure.
But what about when He tells us to do something hard, something illogical, something impossible? Not so easy now, is it? But God doesn’t give us a pass when it’s hard. He still expects absolute obedience. Joshua was to lead the Israelites into the Promised Land. In Joshua 3 they were camped on the east side of the Jordan River (v. 15). Canaan was on the west side. It was unfamiliar territory inhabited by fierce people groups who were not going to just hand over their homes.
The Lord told the Levites to take up the ark of the covenant and stand in the river – which, by the way, was at flood stage. Sounds like the perfect setup for rebellion. But Joshua delivered a word that gave the Israelites courage. He said, “When you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, and the priests carrying it, you are to move out from your positions and follow it. Then you will know which way to go, since you have never been this way before.” Then he told the people to consecrate themselves, “for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you” (vv. 3-5).
I’ve studied the late Henry Blackaby’s masterpiece study, “Experiencing God” several times and his wise premise is to watch what God is doing and follow Him. That is the heart of Joshua’s message. He didn’t just tell them to march out – he told them to follow the Lord their God who would do something amazing. That is the key to obedience when the task is hard.
I’m sure you are familiar with the “Footprints” poem, which says when there is only one set of footprints that is where the Lord carried you through hard times. I have a different perspective. I want to follow Jesus so closely that I step in His footprints, leaving none of my own – especially when the way is hard. I want to hear Him say, “Well done, good and faithful servant!” (Mat 25:21).
Beloved, I don’t know what difficult thing God is asking of you, but I know two things for certain – He will go before you and He will do amazing things when you follow Him. Step out into His footprints, good and faithful servant.

Help Someone Find Heart

Joy – like most kids – parrots what she hears and copies what she sees, which is a huge wake-up call. I can always pinpoint who she has been spending time with the most by her attitude and personality. That’s not to say that I am always the model of sunshine and rainbows. On those days when she has pushed every button and stomped on my last nerve, I am not the paragon of patience. And it shows. In her.
Did you know that you have a great deal of influence on the people around you? I thought about that as I read in Deuteronomy this morning. Moses was retelling the story of Israel’s journey through the “vast and dreadful desert” (1:19) (There’s another devotional in the making.) to the Promised Land. When they reached the hill country of the Amorites, they sent twelve spies on ahead to scout out the land, discover the best route, and create a battle plan. They brought back glowing reports of the lush, fruitful vines – and terrifying reports of the people they would have to fight.
Moses reminded them of their rebellion – they refused to go on. Instead they “grumbled in [their] tents and said, ‘The Lord hates us; so He brought us out of Egypt to deliver us into the hands of the Amorites to destroy us.’” (1:27). Here’s what caught my attention: “Our brothers have made us lose heart” (1:28). Oh, what a telling statement. Even though Caleb and Joshua tried to encourage the people, ten of the twelve gave a negative, alarming report of giants versus grasshoppers. And the people soaked it all in.
Think about how the media always reports on crime and tragedies and crooked politicians and what is wrong in the world. Sure they may tack on a “feel-good” story at the end, but that does little to counteract all the discouragement they just dumped on us. Have you ever walked away from a news report feeling hopeful and positive? Me neither.
You and I are surrounded by family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, fellow students, our children’s teachers, and the list goes on and on. We don’t want to be the reason they lose heart. We want to be conduits of encouragement, comfort, hope, peace, Joy, and love. Especially love. Beloved, here’s a challenge for you: ask God to use you today to encourage and build up at least one person. Let’s be the one who helps them find heart. I’m starting today with you.

What Do You Think . . .

Two verses struck me this morning as I was flipping through the Psalms. In Psalm 10, the psalmist talks about the “wicked man” saying, “in all his thoughts there is no room for God” (v. 4) Then in chapter 14, David pronounces a second truth about this man” “The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.’ “ (v. 1). One seems to be a natural recourse of the other. If there is no room for God in your thoughts, you will conclude that there is no God. And you would be a fool. That is why our thoughts are so critical to our spiritual well-being.
On any given day, it seems a thousand thoughts run through my mind – work, school, family, church, ministry, chores, friends, plans – I am sure the same is true for you. There is no end to the things, people, and responsibilities that pull us this way and that. Our thoughts naturally run to these things. The question we must ask ourselves is, where, in all those thoughts, is God? Are we trying to “fit” Him in between thoughts about our kids and what to fix for supper? Do we give Him a passing consideration before the family meal or as we tumble into bed. “GodthankyouforthisfoodandallourblessingsAmen.” I can’t count the times I’ve fallen asleep trying to pray on my pillow. Does He cross our minds at all through the day? And if we actually do think about Him, what are we thinking? “I wish God would fix this problem.” “I hope God will straighten my kid out.” Our prayers tend to be “God, bless my sick Granny and make my boss give me a raise.”
It’s time for us to think – and think differently – about God. You and I must train our thoughts on Him.
That means we think about God as the One who is “high and exalted” (Is. 6:1), yet always with us (Jos. 1:9). We consider that He “thunders from heaven” (Ps. 18:13), yet also sings over us like a Father (Zeph. 3:17). We meditate on the fact that He “rules over the nations” (Psalm 22:28), and yet “bends down to listen” to our prayers (Psalm 116:2 NLT). We must think about Him as more than our “fixer” and see Him as the high, holy, exalted God of heaven and earth who also created us, loves us, and cares about and for us. Beloved, what are you thinking about right now? Is there room in your thoughts for God?

God’s Great Promise

We know that the Bible is chockful of promises from beginning to end – promises of His faithfulness and protection, provision, and presence. Promises to fight for us, to come near when we are broken, and to be our shield and sword in the heat of battle. Most of all, He promises salvation and eternal life and an eternal home with Him. All these promises are wrapped up in one beautiful statement: “I will be your God” (Genesis 17:7). And our faith finds its security in that promise.
That was what He told Abraham when He declared a covenant with the patriarch of the Hebrew people. He promised to make him “the father of many nations” (v. 4), to make him very fruitful (v. 6), and to give him the land of Canaan as an everlasting possession for himself and his descendants (v. 8). And He promised the old, childless man a son (v. 16). Then He put His seal on all those promises by saying “I will be your God.”
One of the most important lessons the Lord has been driving home to me in recent years is to trust Him. “For what?” you ask. First, that He will be God. That He is faithful. That He is good. That He is trustworthy and righteous in all His ways. That He will never change or contradict Himself. That He is completely holy. That His Word is true because He is Truth.
And from that foundation, I trust He will be my God. That He will love me with unfailing love (Is 54:10) and show me everlasting kindness (v. 8). That He will never leave me nor forsake me (Jos 1:5). That He will carry me (Is 46:4) and give me rest (Matt 11:28), peace (Jn 14:27), and Joy (Ps 16:11) in Him.
When I trust in His promise to be my God, it is enough. Because He is enough. I have staked my life on that promise. I believe that is the heart and soul of faith. When my life is hard, I return to that assurance: “I am your God.”
I could (and want to) go on and on and on. But most of all I want you to know that He will be your God too, if you trust in His Son. That Beloved, is a promise you can rest in.

Prepare for Battle

When God prepares a people for a great move on His part, He always calls them to repentance – confessing and turning away from sin – and consecration – setting oneself apart exclusively for the Lord. Before the exodus out of Egypt, the people were to cleanse their houses and anoint their doorframes with the blood of a Lamb. By this, they were set apart from the Egyptians who would suffer the wrath of God (Exodus 12). Just before they crossed the Jordan River into the Promised Land, the Israelites were commanded to consecrate themselves “for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you” (Joshua 3:5). Often David ordered his men to consecrate themselves the day before a great battle.

All four gospels note the message of John the Baptist who called the nation of Israel to “Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him” (Mark 1:3). Before a king came to visit one of his cities, the call would go out to level the roads on his path. John was also calling for “straight paths” before the coming King, but again, it was a call to repentance and consecration.

What do all these ancient practices have to do with you and me?

For many years, Christians have pleaded with God for a great move of His Spirit in the United States. We want God to “do amazing things among us.” We want Him to remove the influence of evil in our nation. We want Him to return our country to her Judeo-Christian heritage. Yet America is more sinful and brazen than ever before. What are we missing, Church?

Maybe we need to ask ourselves some questions. Are we – God’s people hearing the call to prepare the way for the King? Are we heeding the call for repentance? We love to claim 2 Chronicles 7:14 – “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” Are we humbling ourselves? Are we praying? Are we seeking His face? Have we turned from our wicked ways? Notice the Lord isn’t speaking to the world – He is speaking to His people. He is calling His Church to repentance and consecration.

I believe a great battle is coming in this nation. The sounds of war are loud and clear.  Beloved, will you repent and set yourself apart exclusively for Christ?

Time to Change

Joy does not like to wear dirty clothes. She insists that she must change if she sees just a little spot on her shirt. Last weekend her Daddy took her to a trampoline place to jump to her heart’s content, which also got her clothes dirty. She protested until she got home and changed.

In Zechariah, Joshua became the high priest when the Jews returned to Jerusalem from the Babylonian captivity.  (Note: this is about a thousand years after Moses’ Joshua.)  In Zechariah’s vision, Joshua was standing before the Lord with “satan standing at his right side to accuse him” (3:1). The Lord God rebuked satan for his lies. Joshua represented Jerusalem, the city of the Lord’s temple.  Joshua was “dressed in filthy clothes” and the word used here means his clothes were soiled with human excrement. An angel came and removed his filthy clothes, symbolizing the Lord taking away the sin of Jerusalem. Then he put “rich garments” on Joshua and “a clean turban” on his head (vs 4,5). He dressed him in fine garments used only for a special occasion and crowned his head with purity. God cleansed Jerusalem and gave them back their dignity and purity as His people.

This is also a picture of Jesus, “the Branch who was to come” (v. 8). I hope you can see the prophecy clearly. Even the name “Joshua” was the Hebrew equivalent of “Jesus.” Joshua foreshadowed Jesus, the pure and holy Son of God who was stained with all the filth of humankind. But Jesus put off those filthy clothes and left them in the grave and He put on the garments of the priestly king (Heb 6:20; Matt 27:11). He is now in heaven clothed in majesty (Ps 93:1).  

This is also a picture of you and me and all who will believe in Him. We wore clothes stained with the filth of our sins, and satan was hurling accusations (Rev 12:10). But Jesus “Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree” (1 Pet 2:24). He clothed us in “garments of salvation and robes of righteousness” (Is 61:10). We are now “clothed with Christ” (Gal 3:27). And with those new holy clothes, we have a new nature (Col 3:10), and even a new mind – “the mind of Christ” (1 Cor 2:16).

Dear one, it’s time to change. It’s time to take off the old filthy clothes and dress like who you are. Clean. Pure. Righteous. Holy. Step behind the curtain, Beloved. Jesus is waiting for you in the dressing room.

Wherever You Go

I write all over my Bible. Some people think that is sacrilegious, but there are notes on almost every page and prayers jotted on many tear-stained pages. If you flip through my Bible, you will see underlines and highlights and stars and exclamation marks and names, and every time you come across the word Joy, you’ll find a pink heart. But I love the verses that are marked with dates because they tell the story of my life with God.

I came across one of those verses in the book of Joshua. When Moses died and the Lord God appointed Joshua to succeed him as Israel’s leader, it clearly terrified Joshua. The first nine verses of Joshua 1 are God’s repeated words of encouragement to Joshua.

“I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you” (v. 5).

“Be strong and courageous . . .” (v. 6).

“Be strong and very courageous.” (v. 7).

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged . . .”

And here’s where all the dates are: “. . . for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go” (v. 9). I took this verse very personally.

“Medart, 2011.” Medart was a depressing place in a depressing time for our family. We were in dire straits living in a run-down shack way out in the boonies. But I grew much in my faith because God was there.

“Woodville, 2013.” Woodville was a huge step up from where we were, it was a bright, open, peaceful place where much healing happened – because God was there.

“Tuscaloosa, 2015.” Our dream come true, living in Crimson Tide country. Until the dream turned into a nightmare. Still, through it all God was there too.

“Home, 2018.” After twenty-three years away, God brought us back home, put us in a great house that allowed us space for Joy, and set me in the best job I’ve ever loved. Granted, we’ve seen some very hard times here, especially this year, but I know with all my heart that God is here. I sense His presence every day.

God is with you too, Beloved, wherever you are. In a run-down shack or a brand-new mansion. In the place you’ve always wanted to be or a place you wish you could escape. In the darkest season of your life or the most Joyful. God is there. How can you be sure? He has promised to be with you wherever you go. And He always keeps His word.

Wherever You Go

Joshua and the people of Israel stood at the edge of the Jordan River and the Promised Land. Moses was dead and the Lord had called Joshua to take the people into Canaan. Joshua was terrified. God knew it. Three times in the opening text He told Joshua, “Be strong and courageous.” And He gave him a promise – one of the most precious promises in the Bible: “The Lord your God will be with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:6-9).

This is so comforting and encouraging to me because I have found myself in some difficult places and very hard circumstances. I have walked through some scary things. I have wandered into places I never wanted to be. I have had to leave everything behind and start all over in unknown territory.  Some of those places were new towns, new jobs, and new churches and some were new situations and new relationships. There have been unexpected diagnoses, unwanted hardships, and challenges I never anticipated. And who knows what lies ahead between today and the end of my days?

But the one place I have never been and will never be is out of my Heavenly Father’s presence.  In the margin of my Bible beside verse 9 I wrote the words that God spoke to my heart: “Child, there is no place you can go that I will not be.”  While we know that God is always omnipresent – everywhere – this is much more. This is His sovereign covenant with me. I belong to Him and He will never abandon His own.

This is not just for me. It is for you too. It is for anyone who is united with Jesus Christ through faith. God is with you. Always. Whether they are physical places, difficult circumstances, emotional pits, or spiritually dark caves – God has promised “I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Jos. 1:5).  How can you be sure it’s true? If He left His throne in heaven, came to earth, went to the cross, and into the dark grave of death for you, then you can trust that He will never abandon you, no matter where you go.  Remember Jesus’ promise, “Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Mat 28:20). Wherever you are right now, Beloved, He is there.

God Shows Up

God sent Moses to bring His people out of Egypt. Moses delivered the Lord’s demand: “Let my people go” (Ex 5:1). Pharoah retaliated by increasing the workload for the Israelites. When they could not keep up, they were beaten for failing to make quota. The situation was as bad as it could be for the Hebrews. The Israelites turned on Moses. Moses blamed God for the mess they were all in.

What was the Lord’s response? “Now you will see what I will do” (6:1)

Over and over and over in the Bible, we see situations turn dark and hopeless for God’s people – and then we see God show up and do what only He can do.

He shows up at the Red Sea.

He shows up at Jericho.

He shows up at the battle of Gibeon.

He shows up in the stories of Deborah and Jael, Gideon, Samson, and Ruth.

He shows up in Hannah’s prayer.

He shows up when David squares off against Goliath.

He shows up in every battle Israel faces.

He shows up in the widow’s jar of oil.

He shows up when Elisha and his servant are surrounded by Israel’s enemy.

He shows up in the fiery furnace and the lion’s den.

He shows up for Esther in Persia.

He shows up all throughout the Psalms.

He shows up in the belly of a whale.

He shows up in the eyes of the woman with the issue of blood and the parents of a dead little girl.

He shows up in a storm at sea, among crowds of hungry people, and in the faces of everyone who was healed, released, or raised by Jesus.

He shows up on an old wooden cross and an empty tomb.

He shows up in saints scattered by persecution.

He shows up in the face of Stephen as stones fly.

He shows up in Paul’s prison cell.

He shows up in Jesus’ final words: “I am coming soon.”

Some of us are sitting in hard places right now. We are grieving. We are hurting. We are tired. We are anxious. We are overwhelmed. We need God to show up and declare: “Now you will see what I will do.” I’m counting on Him with all my heart. You can too, Beloved, because God always shows up.