Tag Archives: Courage

November 16, 2014

Calico’s Corner II

By valencia68

“Power will intoxicate the best hearts, as wine the strongest heads. No man is wise enough, nor good enough to be trusted with unlimited power.” – Caleb Colton

The captain was hubris and here are his officers:

Calico’s top brass of smiling faces and nodding heads did well because they appeared to be doing good.  Their pleasant demeanor and non-confrontational attributes earned them a place in the inner circle.  They were pleasing and loyal to the captain during peace.  When tensions erupted, they never rose above the battlefield to see what was really happening.  They hedged their bets that the captain would survive and wanted to remain in the good graces of the one they presumed would be in power.  As you cannot serve two masters, their smiling faces and nodding heads were of service to none.  Luke 12:48 tells us, 48 “But anyone who is not aware that he is doing wrong will be punished only lightly.  Much is required from those to whom much is given, for their responsibility is greater – (GNT). Was their search for the Savior obscured by the presence of a pleasant face?  Did their comfort of going along to get along outweigh their requirement to stand up?  Had they ever defined personal integrity such that they would know when that line had been crossed?

And then there was the top brass who cowered on the lower deck.  These faithful soldiers usually lived their lives in neutral, moving along when impacted by another mass stronger than them.  They were always propelled by institutional inertia but had no meaningful energy independent of other forces acting upon them.  When caught in the downspout of the realization that the captain’s experience amounted to less than that of the most junior yeoman and that his actions imperiled all of the sailors, the sensory overload of it all as well as the storm and the mutiny overwhelmed them.  They, opposite the ship, rocked onto their port sides.  The motion of their jousting thoughts swayed their minds as they wondered if they could have made a difference.  Everything they had previously heard along the way was worth repeating amongst themselves but they couldn’t find it within them to report any of it to anyone who could do something about it.  James 1:22-24 says, “22-24 Don’t fool yourself into thinking that you are a listener when you are anything but, letting the Word go in one ear and out the other.  Act on what you hear!  Those who hear and don’t act are like those who glance in the mirror, walk away, and two minutes later have no idea who they are, what they look like” –  (TLB). And so they lay, motionless on the lower deck of the sea-tossed ship.  Did they ever feel confident enough to make a difference?  Were they always only in it for themselves?  Was there ever a moment when they offered him wise counsel?  Where they rejected so much that they finally stopped trying?

The first officer had been one of Calico’s greatest supporters until he became the captain.  He believed the captain to be a person of the people until his ego grew above his rank.  He then believed the captain was a changed man.  At that point, the first officer began providing closely held information to the offended sailors and the fleet’s stakeholders.  He armed the sailors with sling shots and ensured the stone of the mutiny struck its intended target.  “We often pretend to fear what we really despise, and more often despise what we really fear” – Caleb Colton.  Was the first officer reacting out of scorn disguised as deception whose reality lay in the blindness that was before him?  Was he reeling from the shame that he had never walked with kings and the guilt that, at least for a time, he lost his common touch?  Open my eyes, so that I may see the wonderful truths in your law. – Psalm 119:18 (MSG)

The second officer operated with a spirit of courage and believed that, “Physical courage, which despises all danger, will make a man brave in one way; and moral courage, which despises all opinion, will make a man brave in another” – Caleb Colton.  She moved the fastest and got the most done when the major crisis struck.  She had previously advised the captain that the building material was inferior and pointed him in the direction of the craftsman but was counseled for the delivery of her interjection.  She spoke with a smiler and a nodder to let them know the state of affairs only to receive a reprimand.  She sent notes to her counterparts in the fleet and letters to regulators in the industry but no one responded.  She met with the cowards and prophesied the mutiny and the storm, but they simply stood still.  She listened to the first officer and encouraged him to take constructive action.  She knows that the third officer’s report to headquarters will be the third time they have heard the story.

The third officer, motivated by a sense of duty, was troubled to have to deliver such harrowing news to headquarters.  She knew that the captain’s actions were wrong and that sailors were in grave danger.  Following the lead of the second officer, she helped to loosen the ropes of the life boat.  Provided she lives, she knows others will ask her three questions: What she knew?  When she knew it?  What did she do about it?  She believes she must have something respectable to say.

The saga continues on the Mediterranean, five miles off the Italian coast.  While water permeates the ship’s hull, it allows the floating Rome to burn.  Will 48 sailors make it to shore alive?  What about the rest of the crew?  Will the capsized ship sink?  How will the officers answer for their actions?  I will respond to those questions when the story ends.  In the meantime, are there times in your life when you have exhibited the traits of each of these officers?  Where are you on any given day when you forget to put on or give up your armor of faith, the knowledge of His word, the spirit of courage, the guidance from prayer and wise counsel, or a line of sight to the foot of the cross?

James 1:2-12 tells us, “2-4 Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides.  You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors.  So don’t try to get out of anything prematurely.  Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way.  5-8 If you don’t know what you’re doing, pray to the Father.  He loves to help.  You’ll get his help, and won’t be condescended to when you ask for it.  Ask boldly, believingly, without a second thought.  People who ‘worry their prayers’ are like wind-whipped waves.  Don’t think you’re going to get anything from the Master that way, adrift at sea, keeping all your options open.  9-11 When down-and-outers get a break, cheer!  And when the arrogant rich are brought down to size, cheer!  Prosperity is as short-lived as a wildflower, so don’t ever count on it.  You know that as soon as the sun rises, pouring down its scorching heat, the flower withers.  Its petals wilt and, before you know it, that beautiful face is a barren stem.  Well, that’s a picture of the “prosperous life.”  At the very moment everyone is looking on in admiration, it fades away to nothing.  12 Anyone who meets a testing challenge head-on and manages to stick it out is mighty fortunate.  For such persons loyally in love with God, the reward is life and more life”  – (TLB). 

In You Are I Am, Mercy Me reminds us that while we doubt, God delivers.  I’ve been the one to shake with fear and wonder if You’re even here.  I’ve been the one to doubt Your love.  I’ve told myself You’re not enough.  I’ve been the one to try and say I’ll overcome by my own shame.  I’ve been the one to fall apart and start to question who You are.  You’re the one who conquers giants.  You’re the one who calls out kings.  You shut the mouths of lions.  You tell the dead to breathe.  You’re the one who walks through fire.  You take the orphan’s hand.  You are the one Messiah.  You are I am

When you choose to sit out, be prepared to stress out because the shame of standing by lasts a long time.  If you choose to get strung out be prepared to stroke out because the guilt that comes from abandoning others can never be medicated enough.  If you choose to stand out, you may strike out but you can rest with the dignity of knowing you gave it your all.

Leave a comment   |  tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , | posted in essay

August 22, 2014

The Promises, not the Problems

By valencia68

It is during our darkest moments that we must focus to see the light – Aristotle Onassis

The past few weeks have been some of the most interesting times of recent memory.  I departed the US on a high with enough fire in the belly to believe I could boil an ocean.  As I travelled abroad, although the oceans stayed below 212 degrees, I set every beach ablaze I encountered.  I took every opportunity I had to spread the good news in capital cities and remote villages.  However, over the days my body and mind grew tired even though I thought my faith was strong.

You see, through it all I maintained a mindset that the things that were coming at me were bricks not bullets and therefore would not hurt me.  My armor plates of faith and courage were on.  Nothing could penetrate; not the intensity or diversity of my work, the miles travelled, the short adjustment periods, the domestic issues, the death of a matriarch, or the health concerns.  Brick…by…brick, each issue fell in front of me.  Each one lay beside another across the road, then stacking one on top of another building a thick barrier that I mistook as a thin sheet. Without regard for what it really was or appeared to be, the best way to survive an ambush is to continue driving through it.  So I floored it, gaining speed in hopes that momentum would carry me through if all else failed.  The acceleration quickly slowed and eventually I came to a rest.  I was so intent on making it through that I crashed into the backstop on the other side of what I thought was the finish line.  When I returned state side, I realized I had hit a wall.  My only prayer in the moment was from Psalms 16 1 Protect me, God, for the only safety I know is found in the moments I seek You.  2 I told You, Eternal One, “You are my Lord, for the only good I know in this world is found in You alone.”

Feeling tried and extremely overwhelmed, the bricks just continued to pile up.  The wall grew higher and higher.  Day after day, my heart grew more and more heavy and weary.  With every step I took, I prayed “be with me Lord!”  Yet with each passing moment, I felt more and more alone.  Last night, I finally buckled under the pressure, fell to my knees, and in full surrender I cried out.  God then held me close and said, “This is the way you stand the tallest and the strongest – when you are most dependent on me!  Yes I built you to be resilient and gave you a spirit of courage but it is wholly contingent upon the two of us walking in lock step.  The moment you begin to operate independent of me, you lose your armor and you don’t even realize when it is slipping off.  I am with you and always have been.  Look back and see the single set of footprints.  You are the only one who was somehow lulled into thinking they were yours.  Listen!  With great championships comes great adversity.  But my people stand tall.  Now dry your eyes and straighten up your posture.  Look in My word to locate your faith and let’s go together to find your courage because evil is powerless only when the good are unafraid.  Remember your name and remember that I have never reneged, not even once.  We can solve these things together if you are willing to look to Me first.”  Suddenly my heart broke out into song, You stood before creation, eternity in your hand.  You spoke the earth into motion, my soul now to stand.  So what could I say and what could I do?  But offer this heart, Oh God, completely to you.  So I’ll walk upon salvation, Your spirit alive in me.  This life to declare Your promise, my soul now to stand.  I’ll stand with arms high and heart abandoned in awe of the one who gave it all.  I’ll stand my soul Lord to you surrendered.  All I am is yours.  Hillsong United – The Stand

At that point, the wall came tumbling down.  I drifted off to sleep in thanksgiving.    Psalms 16 continues with 3 The beauty of faith-filled people encompasses me.  They are true, and my heart is thrilled beyond measure.  4 All the while the despair of many, who abandoned Your goodness for the empty promises of false gods, increases day by day.  I refuse to pour out blood offerings, to utter their names from my lips.  5 You, Eternal One, are my sustenance and my life-giving cup.  In that cup, You hold my future and my eternal riches.  6 My home is surrounded in beauty; You have gifted me with abundance and a rich legacy.  7 I will bless the Eternal, whose wise teaching orchestrates my days and centers my mind at night.  8 He is ever present with me; at all times He goes before me.  I will not live in fear or abandon my calling because He stands at my right hand.  9 This is a good life—my heart is glad, my soul is full of joy, and my body is at rest.  Who could want for more?  10 You will not abandon me to experience death and the grave or leave me to rot alone.  11 Instead, You direct me on the path that leads to a beautiful life.  As I walk with You, the pleasures are never-ending, and I know true joy and contentment.  The Voice

The first thought on my mind this morning was this: The anguish I had felt all week long was finally relieved.  Whatever I will face moving forward is with Him on my side. Imagine the possibilities if we were willing to live our lives with the constant knowledge that we have the full faith and backing of our God.  The possibilities would be endless.  We would openly and willingly tame the tiger of racism, close hunger’s hippo-size jaws of death, eradicate the venom of domestic violence, etc.  There would be no fear in the alley after dusk because we would know the truth – that what is in the dark also appears in the light.  Love would fill our hearts, houses and homeland.  Our focus would forever be on His promises and not our problems because we would understand the He is bigger than any hurdle we could ever encounter.  Oh what an awesome God we serve who loves and cares for the sheep He shepherds no matter how often or far they wander!

Dear God, as I walk through this day called today, may I align my sights on You to keep Your perspective as the way I see things.  I am grateful for the energy and strength You have given me, but may I be constantly reminded of their source.  Thank You for returning my spirit of courage to me, as we both know I had lost my way.  I know these current battles will be tough but I also know You are with me and will always remain by my side, carrying me when I don’t have the strength to continue on.  You alone have the solutions, oh mighty God, and will resolve the issues in Your time.  Thank You for the rain and the joy that follows.  Amen

Bring me joy, bring me peace.  Bring the chance to be free.  Bring me anything that brings You glory.  And I know there’ll be days when this life brings me pain.  But if that’s what it takes to praise You, Jesus bring the rain.  MercyMe – Bring the Rain.  Vulnerability is the birthplace of creativity and innovation.  You can have comfort or courage but you can’t have both. – Brene Brown

9 Comments   |  tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , | posted in essay

June 1, 2014

The Bold and Beautiful

By valencia68

If the path be beautiful, let us not ask where it leads. – Anatole France

Over the holiday weekend, I attended a woman’s conference.  Something I learned is that the original Webster’s dictionary defined beautiful as the quality present when one’s purpose is understood.  For the past six weeks I have been on a quest to better understand how to unpack the following purpose-focused principle: “A person’s greatest place of pain is their greatest place of power and their area of weakness is their area of gifting.”  The biblical information in several of the sessions helped to shed carnival-style floodlight illumination into the dark spaces that contain my treasures along the path to discovering my purpose.  Because of this journey, I am beginning to wear the label beautiful.

My biggest takeaways from the conference were that amazing, powerful, and moving things happen when 1400 women gather in His name; be bold; and be the love for those around you.  Experiencing the exchanges of love between this large group of strangers brought me here:

Love has no natural enemy; we allow fear of rejection to become Love’s kryptonite. Love withheld is self-hate.  Love shared is multiplied. Love repressed is deceitful.  Love expressed is pure joy. Love’s touch is a hug.  Love’s tenderness is a kiss. Love rejected is depression.  Love explored is an adventure.  Love structured is a cell block.  Love is free and so it flows. Love with obedience is bold.  Love without action is defeat.  Love laden with doubt is fear.  Love like Christ is pure trust and acceptance. “For the first time in my life I saw the truth as it is set into song by so many poets, proclaimed as the final wisdom by so many thinkers.  The truth – that Love is the ultimate and highest goal to which man can aspire.  Then I grasped the meaning of the greatest secret that human poetry and human thought and belief have to impart: The salvation of man is through love and in love.” – Viktor E. Frankl

The experience of the conference was as challenging as it was stimulating and liberating.  After musing on the messages, combing through the cascades of thoughts, and sorting through the signs and signals provided by my guides and teachers, I came to the realization that: the wonders of my future are connected to the experiences of my past; bridging the chasms between the two requires a reset of my defaults for habits and reactions that no longer serve me well; fear is the only thing that can prevent me from getting there; being beautiful is only one step of boldness away; and love is the center of it all.  Said another way, the treasures of my purpose will be revealed if I use prayerfulness, gratitude and love to release fear of the future and shame from the past.

People have struggled with this forever.  The Israelites are prime examples.  We all know they spent many years in the desert on a journey from bondage in Egypt to the Promised Land.  But fear turned a two year journey into a forty year trip.  Instead of parents with newborns (who escaped slavery in Egypt) arriving in Canaan with their toddlers, they arrived with their great-grand children.  Fear (False Evidence Appearing Real) caused them first to wonder about the truth God revealed and then to wander away from the riches He had in store for them.

In Numbers 13 (VOICE), the scripture tells us: “There is dissension in the camp.  Some of the leaders have been sharing their doubts with the people, and folks are nervous.  The thrill of this wilderness camping experience has worn off, and some are thinking that working for the Egyptians wasn’t so bad.  So barely two years out of Egypt, the Israelites are standing at the door of their promised land.  Moses needs to motivate the people, and he selects 12 key men from each of the tribes to explore the land of abundance God has provided.  The nation stands to enter into a time of great reward, but first their leaders must bring back a report that will inspire their confidence.”  Specifically: “1 The Lord said to Moses ‘Choose one of the leaders from each of the twelve tribes and send them as spies to explore the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the Israelites.’” Later it says: “27 We checked out the land, just as you’d instructed us to do, and here’s what we discovered: It is rich, very rich. One could say that it flows with milk and honey; and look, here is some of its fruit.  The land is highly desirable, 28but the people who already live there are really strong.  Their cities are enormous and fortified.  What’s more, we saw the Anakites there.  29 In the Negev, there are Amalekites; and in the high hill country are Hittites, Jebusites, and Amorites.  As for the seacoast, Canaanites live there and along the Jordan River too. 30 But Caleb calmed the congregation, and he spoke to Moses.  Caleb: We should go straight in, right away, and take it over.  We are surely able!  Other Scouts: 31No way.  We can’t do it.  The people who are already there are too strong for us.  32So the report of these other scouts was quite disheartening; it made the people question God’s promise.”

Fear created doubt which made the Israelites weak.  It caused them to endure the pain associated with remaining in the desert.  Consequently, their treasures, the Promised Land, were not available to them for another 38 years.  They eventually saw the truth on the banks of the Jordan River three generations later; the same truth that gave Caleb courage decades earlier back in Number 13.  Fast forward a few decades and Joshua 1:1-3 says, “1 After the death of the Lord’s servant Moses, the Lord spoke to Moses’ helper, Joshua son of Nun.2 He said, My servant Moses is dead. Get ready now, you and all the people of Israel, and cross the Jordan River into the land that I am giving them.  3 As I told Moses, I have given you and all my people the entire land that you will be marching over.” (GNT)  Only then did the Israelites wade through the darkness of the desert to arrive into the light of the Promised Land.

The story made me question this: What treasures have eluded me because of doubt or fear?  What areas of my life am I holding back because of insecurity?  How many years have I been held captive by the anxiety of past pain?  How many times am I going to pass up God’s promises because of worry or apprehension – when He has led me to the doorstep of greater things, if only I wrap my heart and mind around the confidence and assurances that come with being a child swaddled in the cradle of His love?

My thoughts on the matter have reminded me of these truths:

  1. The power of prayer will help us to heal the pains of our past.
  2. A spirit of fear is our greatest weakness.
  3. Embrace our struggles because they built our strength.
  4. Boldness is an act of obedience which leads to being beautiful.
  5. Love is our greatest gift.

In Beautiful Things, Gungor tells us: “All this pain, I wonder if I’ll ever find my way?  I wonder if my life could really change at all?  All this earth; could all that is lost ever be found?  Could a garden come up from this ground at all?  All around hope is springing up from this old ground.  Out of chaos life is being found in You.  You make beautiful things…”

Hey beautiful!  Go, be bold.  Step out there.  Pursue your purpose.  Lose the shackles of doubt and fear.  Be free.  His promises are at your feet.  Leave your pain and weaknesses in the desert.  They were your experiences but they do not define you.  Use your power and strength to take what has been set aside for you.  Your gifts await you.  But you must show courage to get them the first time around.  His love will get you there if you simply see it for the truth that it is.

2 Comments   |  tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | posted in essay

May 26, 2014

To The Limit

By valencia68

“Often the very things that you think have disqualified you are the ones that qualify you to do what God has called you to do”. – Christine Caine

John the Baptist understood that personal peril is sometimes the price paid for doing the right thing.  Matthew 14 tells us a story of the then ruler of Galilee who married his brother’s wife.  John courageously stood up to the ruler and told him about the inappropriateness of the marriage to his brother’s wife.  The ruler jailed John for speaking the truth and later had John beheaded as a trade-off in a game of pawns.  However, John was confident and resolute in the face of difficulty and danger.  He was “all in”, beating down the flame of fear with the fan of faith, even in the most daunting situations.  David Foster tells us in Through The Fire, “Through the fire, to the limit, to the wall…I’d gladly risk it all.  Through the fire, through whatever, come what may…I’d take it all the way; Right down to the wire, even through the fire.”

John the Baptist had a unique way about him.  The bible describes him as wearing camels’ hair with a leather belt and living off of locusts and wild honey.  The bible does not speak to any special training John had to qualify him to do the incredible things he did.  But his off-the-beaten-path approach made him extremely resourceful and gave him an understanding that with God, focus, and discipline, anything is possible.  He was all in and in it to win it.

A few years ago, I was vacationing in a coastal city near the Pacific Ocean with some friends.  One of my friends had mobility issues but was unwilling to be deterred from full participation in all activities.  One afternoon, we set off on a snorkeling trip.  I was simply tagging along with the group as I had no desire to snorkel.  With a floatation device I was okay in the water, but I had only taken a few swimming lessons and was not a good swimmer.  We set out on a 40 ft vessel with several other passengers.  Our boat pulled into a very narrow lane with several other boats to off-load the swimmers and snorkelers.  I felt a bit uneasy because there was too much going on in a highly congested area; too many swimmers and too many boats in too small of an area in very choppy water.

All passengers, except me and a guy, got off the boat and into the water.  After a few minutes, a voice told me to put my equipment on and get into the water.  At first I hesitated because I could not discern if it was the Spirit or my ego talking to me.  Eventually, in an act of obedience, I sat on the bottom step of the ladder, put everything on and got into the water.  It took a few seconds to settle my nerves.  I then adjusted my mask and stuck my face in the water to see any marine life beneath me.  There wasn’t anything swimming below me.  I thought, “okay…I have been tricked by my ego into entering these crowded waters.  Thankfully I am only a few feet from the boat.  I am done.”  As I took my now fogged-up mask off to find the stairs to the boat, I noticed that there was something wrong with my mobility-impaired friend.  Without a second thought, I put my mask back on, stuck my head in the water, and kicked as hard as I could until I reached her.  By then, she was panicked.  She had a sense of  loss of control as she was being battered by the waves and was swallowing too much water.

When I reached her, I tried to make her feel a little bit more secure by turning her towards me, wrapping my legs around her, and taking her mask off so she could see me.  Whatever sanity she had left was then surrendered to full-bore panic.  At that moment, she began to fight me.  She then pulled away from me, floundered and flailed under a catamaran, and grabbed hold of the chain on its lowered anchor.  I put my face back in the water and kicked towards her until I reached her again.  I began to ask her what was wrong.  Whatever she was yelling at me was immediately muffled by the roar of the catamaran’s engine being turned on.  I took off my fogged-up mask, I guess to stare death in its eyes.  Instead, I saw the chain of the boat’s anchor begin to rise with my friend attached to it.  I called out to God and surrendered.  I admitted that I was in way over my head.  I committed to accepting His will, following His guidance, and never quitting.

He led me to grab her waist and then to climb up her back, with the hopes that the pressure of my weight would drop us from the chain.  When it didn’t, I wrapped my legs around her ever-rising body and rocked back until we fell.  I then laid on my back with my arm around my friend’s neck and kicked as hard as I could to exit from the front underside of the catamaran.  I then yelled the names of the others in our party and told them to call for help as I held my listless friend.  Other swimmers immediately came to our rescue and summoned the help needed to get us back safely.

2 Timothy 1:7 tells us, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline”  Obedience has a hefty price but that doesn’t change that it is the right thing to do…and look at the difference it can make in someone’s life.  Obedience doesn’t require specialized skills.  But, it can place the least likely person in a position to help.  When we take God with us and we take a focused and disciplined approach to doing what he asks, He uses our uniqueness to make great things happen.  Remember, “The impossible is where God starts and miracles are what he does.” – Christine Caine

What are the difficulties in our circumstances that test our convictions?  Are we willing to be obedient at all cost?  Are we willing to let our faith take us through the fire, to the wall, to the limit?  Or will we be daunted by fear and hold back?  While it was faith that let Peter walk on water, his doubts about the limits of God caused him to sink.

Chris Tomlin says it best in No Turning Back with, “This is my heart cry, though none go with me; the cross before me, the world behind me.  This is my anthem: my life for your fame.  My every move bring glory to your name.  I will follow you (I have decided, I have decided).  I will follow you (I have decided).  No turning back!  No turning back!!  No turning back!!!  No turning back!!!!”

The experience has brought me here:

  1. Panic can turn a terrible situation into a tragedy
  2. Faith brings clarity and breeds courage
  3. The impossible becomes the likely when God is in control
  4. Our all is not His limit

God has no limits to what He can do.  So take it to the limit and see what He will do with it!  “The mountains shake before Him; the demons run and flee at the mention of the name King of Majesty.  There is no power in hell or any who can stand before the power and the presence of the Great I am.  Hallelujah, Holy Holy, God almighty, Great I am.  Who is worthy, none beside Thee, God Almighty, Great I Am.”  Great I am – Phillips, Craig, and Dean

2 Comments   |  tags: , , , , , , , , , , , | posted in essay

May 10, 2014

The Taking of Jericho

By valencia68

When God called Moses to lead the Israelites out of Egypt, he was obedient and answered the call dutifully.  Both God and Moses knew he would not make it to the promised land.  Deuteronomy 34: 1-4 tells us, “Moses climbed from the Plains of Moab to Mount Nebo…facing Jericho.  God showed him all the land from Gilead…to the Mediterranean Sea…Then and there God said to him, [“This is the land I promised to your ancestors, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob with the words ‘I will give it to your descendants.  I’ve let you see it with your own eyes. There it is. But you’re not going to go in.”]”  (MSG)  God seeks obedience and the pursuit of excellence, not perfection.  The role Moses played was a small (relative to time) but an important piece in His masterful mosaic created to bring His people back to Him.

The plan to get the Israelites to Canaan included raising up a young leader named Joshua.  He was Moses’ understudy but was mentored by several people around him.  Upon Moses’ death, Joshua took the helm, even though he did not believe he was ready for the assignment.  In a leap of faith and a great act of obedience, Joshua did what he was told.

God gave Joshua an order to lead His people and a promise to protect him along the way.  Joshua knew God was faithful and delivered on His promises because he witnessed the miracles worked by Moses through God’s hands.  Joshua knew that whatever he might be lacking to complete his mission, God would provide in abundance.  Joshua 1:1-9 says, “Moses my servant is dead. Get going.  Cross this Jordan River, you and all the people.  Cross to the country I’m giving to the People of Israel.  I’m giving you every square inch of the land you set your foot on—just as I promised Moses.  From the wilderness…to the Great River, the Euphrates River…to the Great Sea.  It’s all yours. All your life, no one will be able to hold out against you.  In the same way I was with Moses, I’ll be with you.  I won’t give up on you; I won’t leave you.  Strength!  Courage!  You are going to lead this people to inherit the land that I promised to give their ancestors.  Give it everything you have, heart and soul.  Make sure you carry out The Revelation that Moses commanded you, every bit of it.  Don’t get off track, either left or right, so as to make sure you get to where you’re going.  And don’t for a minute let this Book of The Revelation be out of mind.  Ponder and meditate on it day and night, making sure you practice everything written in it.  Then you’ll get where you’re going; then you’ll succeed.  Haven’t I commanded you?  Strength!  Courage!  Don’t be timid; don’t get discouraged.  God, your God, is with you every step you take.”  (MSG)

As Joshua set out to honor the God who called him and in memory of the man who trained him, he surrounded himself by the willing and the faithful.  One of his first acts was to rally the tribal leaders.  He prepared them mentally by reminding them that their mantra was strength and courage.  He then let them know they were going to battle and gave them instructions to cross the Jordan River in formation.  He had them to leap-frog their way towards Jericho, taking possession of every parcel of land they touched.  As loyal soldiers, they executed the mission.

Joshua then sent two spies on a reconnaissance mission to gather combat intelligence.  While out, they encountered a prostitute named Rahab who intuitively knew the spies were not ordinary men.  The spies remained focused on mission while Rahab exposed her compassionate heart and open mind.  Because of this, their actions were each pleasing to God and beneficial to His people.  They paid her in conversation for her service of protection.  They spoke and trusted while she listened and believed.  A crimson cloth was the symbol of their covenant; an emblem of the spies’ safety and Rahab’s salvation.  1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 tells us, “Celebrate always, pray constantly, and give thanks to God no matter what circumstances you find yourself in.  (This is God’s will for all of you in Jesus the Anointed).” (Voice)

Joshua 3:1-5, in relevant part, tells us, “Joshua was up early and on his way…Then Joshua addressed the people: ‘Sanctify yourselves. Tomorrow God will work miracle-wonders among you.’ ”  He passed along instructions from God to the men of each tribe.  They dutifully followed the guidance and carried the Ark of the Covenant across the Jordan River near Jericho.  The entire nation was able to bear witness to God drying up a swath in the river wide enough for all of them to cross without one person getting even a toe wet.  After celebrating the Passover with a meal, Joshua sat aside in stillness.  Then God provided someone else to help him and to remind him that God is with him.  “13 And then this, while Joshua was there near Jericho:  He looked up and saw right in front of him a man standing, holding his drawn sword.  Joshua stepped up to him and said, ‘Whose side are you on—ours or our enemies’?”  14 He said, ‘Neither. I’m commander of God’s army.  I’ve just arrived.’  Joshua fell, face to the ground, and worshiped.  He asked, ‘What orders does my Master have for his servant?’  15 God’s army commander ordered Joshua, ‘Take your sandals off your feet.  The place you are standing is holy.’  Joshua did it.” (Joshua 5:13-15 – MSG)

Afterwards, with continued obedience, the faithful followed the instructions given.  As promised, God delivered Jericho to the Israelites.  It was a mighty battle fought with strength and courage by people who dreamed of freedom (from slavery, the desert, emptiness…).  Casting Crowns tells us in Courageous, “We were made to be courageous.  We were made to lead the way.  We could be the generation that finally breaks the chains.”    

My thoughts about this story have led me to question the following:

Do I follow the guidance from my leadership?  Do I serve where I am needed?  Am I willing to do the unconventional to provide a way for others?  Am I willing to obediently, dutifully and faithfully pursue His plan with excellence and honor?  Am I able to see the miracles that are worked out in front of me?  Am I thankful and prayerful in all circumstances?

Moreover, what role am I playing in His plan in this moment on this day?  [A person in a stretch assignment who, through obedience, led a nation to the Promised Land; An informant whose pursuit of excellence during reconnaissance provided safety and protection for God’s people; An empty soul who gained faith and then believed at the 11th hour; an honorable messenger masquerading as someone else.]  Have I ever been placed in a position that I believed exceeded my capacity?  Have I ever been two-faced?  Am I willing to give away what I have to get what I don’t need?  Have I ever been mistaken for someone or as something I am not?  I challenge you to answer these questions for yourself.  To the extent that any answer in the first set of questions is no or any in the second set is yes, remember this:

  1. Advancing His kingdom in our own neck of the woods is as important to God as the taking of Jericho.
  2. Now, as then, the people he calls upon are ordinary people who are able to do extraordinary things because they commit themselves to His plan.
  3. Our actions are the insignia of our covenant with Him.
  4. We come from all walks of life and have various talents.
  5. None of us is perfect.  Each has character flaws and developmental deficiencies.
  6. The things we have in common are dedication and dreams.

As the retelling of Psalm 126 says in Men Who Dream, “Captives came back into Zion; from their freedom came a scheme.  While the city, it lay in ruins; we believe they had a dream…When our souls were like the desert and we stumbled on the stream; and found revival in the water, we became like men who dream.  And yes our mouths were filled with laughter; and our songs rushed like the stream.  Where He washed our sorrows under; we became like men who dream.  It shall be said among the nations, [There’s a God who shares our dream.]  The Spirit moves our generation; Shed your tears, fill the stream – men who dream.  We are shedding tears that flood the thirsty waters – Men who dream!  We are planting seeds of Men who dream.  God has done great things among us.  Every eye now shines a gleam.  A spark of light reveals the wonder.  We became like men who dream…So let us go into the nations, plunging souls into that stream and singing songs that stir the angels.  We became the men who dream.”

What is your calling? What is your dream?  This is Jericho.  Let’s take it!

6 Comments   |  tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | posted in essay