Preparing for the Promise (Part 1)

As stated previously, while much of my writing is targeted to the nation as a whole, I am shifting my focus for the next few articles to address those who are Christian Americans particularly.  It is by no means meant to exclude the non-believer, nor imply that they will not be able to benefit from both considering and applying the following principles, however, unless they are open to knowing and pursuing a relationship with a loving God, the benefits will be limited at best.  If however, the loving God to whom I am referring is not the God which you have been presented with, then on behalf of the body of Christ I ask your forgiveness.  By His grace, I will do my best to present Him for who He truly is based upon his Word to humanity, namely the Bible.  So, regardless of what your experience may have been, I invite you to come along in order to better know the God of the universe, the one who has transformed my life, and the true God whose grace we depend upon as a nation. 

Preparing for the Promise…(part 1) 

When God speaks, things take form and come into being; the heavens, the stars, the earth, and all the living creatures. For Him it’s easy, right? As Christians, we have come to expect and acknowledge that God can do more with one spoken word than we are able to accomplish in several lifetimes (if it were possible) of toil, labor, and our greatest efforts apart from Him. 

When God does something He always makes it seem so easy. 

And while this may be true from His perspective we need to be cautious not to read the stories of His mighty deliverances and victories throughout history as stories in which man was not involved. From the beginning, even before the fall of Adam and Eve, they were required to labor in cooperation with what God was doing. They were to fill the earth, subdue it, and rule over all the living creatures. They were to tend and cultivate the garden. Work was required even in the very midst of God’s miraculous provision. So, with that in mind let’s take a moment to consider another such story of God’s mighty provision. 

EASY PEASY, ENTERING’S EASY! 
In the book of Exodus, we read of God’s miraculous deliverance of the Israelites with signs, wonders, and undeniable power. We know that in the midst of this not only did God deliver them, but He promised to take them to a land flowing with milk and honey (Ex 3:8). The rest of the book goes on to tell of God’s dealings with His people, their stubbornness, pride, and general waywardness. An entire generation ended up needlessly perishing in the desert before God could get them to a place spiritually whereby He was able to bring them into the Promised Land. They finally made it and entered under the leadership of God’s newly appointed man Joshua. So then…entering in was easy, God paved the way, and all that Joshua and the people had to do was to wait on God, watch Him move, follow His directions, and then enjoy the fruits of their new vacation resort with sunshine and frolicking camels, right? I must admit that this has always been the ethereal picture in my mind of how things went down. As a result, I have often grumbled to God and asking Him “why hasn’t it been as easy to enter into Your personal promises (click here to learn more about God’s promises for believers as well as for you personally) for me as it seemed to be for Joshua?” I would find myself questioning this in spite of the fact that I had read this story numerous times and knew all of the details. Well if you too have been frustrated in your attempt to enter into the promises of God for your life let’s take a closer look at the details of Joshua’s story together. 

RECEIVING IN PART 
God’s first words to Joshua at the beginning of chapter 1 are some of the most encouraging and edifying words a leader could receive when starting out. 

“Every place on which the sole of your foot treads, I have given it to you, just as I spoke to Moses… No man will be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I have been with Moses, I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you.” (Joshua 1:3, 5) 

BAM! Looks like smooth sailing, right? Well, sort of. While these words are truly from God and can be relied upon by Joshua as well as reflecting God’s heart for the walk of the believer, they are also incomplete. They are among some of the most frequently and ill quoted words in some Christian circles. Pastors and leaders have to lead their people on prayer walks, outreaches, and out into the world around them telling them that all they need to do is to walk, and their footsteps will be established. Well as true as that may be it is only a partial truth. To stop and lean upon this small segment of God’s word to Joshua by itself fails to give the full perspective of what God is doing both for and through Joshua and the people of Israel. 

While RECEIVING any Word from God is of the utmost importance, to think that this is all that is required in order to step into His promises is to set oneself up for disillusionment, discouragement and a plethora of unfulfilled promises. 

For a more complete perspective, we need to read further and take into account God’s full council to Joshua as well as his response to God’s word. 

And that is exactly what we will begin to do in part 2…