"Blessed are those whose strength is in you, who have set their hearts on pilgrimage" (Psalm 84:5)
“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. 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” (Joshua 1:1-9, MSG).
The people of God were about to take a journey into the land that had been promised to them. Under the leadership of Joshua, they would cross the Jordan and take the land from people who were fierce giants, with huge and well fortified cities (Numbers 13:28). They were like grasshoppers, in the sight of the people of the land (Numbers 13:33).
When the previous generation of Israelites had heard about the people who lived in the land, they shrunk back in fear. They even threatened to stone Moses and Aaron. And after this initial response of quaking in fear, they then tried to possess the land by their own strength. They went up against the Amalekites and Canaanites who lived in the hill country and were totally defeated. They did not have the power in their own strength to take the land.
Having learned from the mistakes of this earlier generation, this new generation of Israelites would cross over the Jordan and take the land in faith and obedience. Rather than focusing on the enemy and their own ability to take the land, this generation had their eyes on God – His strength and power to achieve His promises. And they had willing hearts to follow God into all that He had for them.
“Blessed are those whose strength is in you, who have set their hearts on pilgrimage. As they pass through the Valley of Baca, they make it a place of springs; the autumn rains also cover it with pools. They go from strength to strength, till each appears before God in Zion” (Psalm 84:5-7).
The Reubenintes, Gadites, and half-tribe of Manasseh told Joshua, 'Whatever you have commanded us we will do, and wherever you send us we will go. Just as we fully obeyed Moses, so we will obey you. Only may the Lord your God be with you as he was with Moses. Whoever rebels against your word and does not obey it, whatever you may command them, is to be put to death. Only be strong and courageous!'”
Courage For The Journey
Moses had confronted the temptation to fear, preparing this generation for what was ahead. He told them, “When you go to war against your enemies and see horses and chariots and an army greater than yours, do not be afraid of them, because the Lord your God, who brought you up out of Egypt, will be with you. When you are about to go into battle, the priest shall come forward and address the army. He shall say: 'Hear, Israel: Today you are going into battle against your enemies. Do not be fainthearted or afraid; do not be terrified or give way to panic before them. For the Lord your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory.'” (Deuteronomy 20:1-4)
There was also an invitation for the people of God to demonstrate courage and exercise their faith. One article notes, courage is “the ability to act in spite of fear and overwhelming opposition. It's the ability to act in spite of hardship, despair and sometimes, imminent personal physical danger.” As quoted by Mansfield, courage "cannot be taught, though it can be inspired. And it normally springs from something like faith or resolve — a commitment to something larger than oneself. It can burst forth instantly as though awakened by a sudden jolt. But, more often, it waits in silence until aroused by some pressing challenge. What is certain of courage, though," he says, "is that true leadership is impossible without it." 1
Preparation helps one to have courage. As the previously mentioned article notes, “It's apparent that we can become more courageous with enough preparation. If we venture, we do so by faith, because we cannot know the end of anything at its beginning. Isn't this the ultimate reason that doubt and fear are able to eat away at our courage? We're fearful because we cannot know the end of anything at its beginning, and we start imagining the worst possible scenarios. So, it seems our best chance to overcome fear and become courageous is to prepare and then have faith.” 2
Courage is something we need to exercise. Just like using certain muscles, as we put it into action over and over again, it becomes easier each time to exercise courage. As we step out in faith in small things as we are going along our regular ordinary days, we exercise courage and it grows. Exercising our courage helps to prepare us for the times we really it.
When David went against Goliath, he was fearless. Everyone else was terrified of Goliath and David asked, “What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and removes this disgrace from Israel? Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?'” (1 Samuel 17:26)
David explains where his courage came from in 1 Samuel 17:34-37 when he tells Saul, “Your servant has been keeping his father's sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it. Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of the Philistine.”
David was faithful in the small things he encountered day to day which built his courage to step forward in faith when it really counted. He did not sit back in comfort, ease and complacency. He was actively engaged in the purposes of God in the middle of the mundane of life. No matter how little or insignificant the small act of obedience seemed, David stepped forward in faithfulness (and faith). Mike Bickle writes, “Each time he stepped out of fear and into the strength and boldness of God, a new page was added to his personal faith book.” 3
A quote from Mother Teresa says,” Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies.”
As David exercised his faith, he learned that God strengthened him to accomplish all that He asked of him. Mike Bickle writes, “He fills our souls with strength that we might stand in confidence.” David wrote in Psalm 27:1, “The Lord is the strength of my life.” 4
In the same way that as we exercise courage and it grows, if we act on our fears, they will continue to grow and become a stronghold in our lives. 1 John 4:18 notes that fear has to do with punishment. In some translations, it says where there is fear, there is torment. Where one is in fear, they anticipate negative and harmful consequences for their actions. As one continues to act on their fears, they grow stronger.
Mike Bickle also notes that fear will not just go away by itself, we have to resist it. We are not to cave in to fear but to arise in confidence and assert belief in God's goodness. We need to assert the opposite of what fear is telling us. 5
We find the strength to resist fear by growing in intimacy with God. 1 John 4:18 says, “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear.” Perfect love casts out fear because we can trust in the goodness of the one who loves us (God). When we can trust in and rely on the love of God for us, we become free to act accordingly.
How the disciples gained their courage was through intimacy with God. They stood in the middle of tremendous difficulties with great faith and courage. Jesus overcame the trials of His life on earth through having an intimate connection with the Father. 6 Seeking intimacy with God, as Mike Bickle notes, is how we overcome fear and step forward in courage, having confidence in God's love.7
David fully relied on the love of God and lived his life out of this place of intimacy. Mike Bickle notes that he used his time as a simple shepherd not only to grow in faithfulness to God in day to day responsibilities, but to grow in intimacy with God. He writes, “He knew he had great value from his relationship with God... Every ounce of David's identity, value, and success was established in his being loved by God and being a lover of God -nothing more, nothing less. That rootedness would help him to be a successful king many years later.” 8
Entering Into God's Promises
As God takes us into His purposes for us, He does not want us to obtain our worth or find our identity in the land He brings us in to. Rather He would have us find our worth in Him. Mike Bickle notes that when we fully embrace the revelation of God's heart for us, we no longer seek importance in our job, other people, marriage, children, ministry or service. “We know our great value is hidden in Him.”9
As we are faithful in dealing with trials and difficulties, we will often also be tested by success.10 Mike Bickle writes that most people are completely thrown off by a little praise, money or success.11 This happened to the Israelites as they had their first great victory with Jericho. After their first success, some of the people were unfaithful in regard to the things that were devoted to destruction (Joshua 7:1). They took some of possessions and hid them.
They became overconfident in their abilities. After spying out Ai, the men said to Joshua, “Not all the army will have to go up against Ai. Send two or three thousand men to take it and do not weary the whole army, for only a few people live there” (Joshua 7:3). To their surprise, the army was routed by the men of Ai and struck down on the slopes (Joshua 7:5).
When Joshua cried out to the Lord about it, the Lord told them that they were defeated because they had lied and stolen, and this was why they could not stand against their enemies (Joshua 7:11-12). Proverbs 25:28 says, “Like a city that is broken into and without walls is a man who has no control over his spirit.”
We cannot expect to stand strong against the enemy in faith and courage when our lives lack character. Jesus says in Mark 3:25, “If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand.”
Mike Bickle writes that our greatest private agenda must remain to be loved by God and to be a lover of God – intimacy. If our success, image or occupation before man motivate us, we will be led off course by it.13
When David met challenges and difficulties, he chose faithfulness to God over the kingship God was giving Him. He refused to seek after or grasp to be king. He saw the treasure, not as kingship but in His relationship with God. Because of this, David was free to worship God through his God given purpose rather than strive and manipulate to attain or maintain what God had given him.
Mike Bickle notes that people who work hard and strive to attain a position may get what they want, but they lack the confidence to stand in it. He writes, “They are consumed with fear that somebody will take over their territory or steal their position. They live with anxiety because they can't be sure God gave the ministry or position to them in the first place.” 14
When we enter into our destiny, there is a risk we will take credit for getting ourselves there and become proud. Moses warns the people in Deuteronomy 8:17-18 about thinking they obtained their destiny by their own might. He tells them, “Beware lest you say in your heart, 'My power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth.' You shall remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth, that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your fathers, as it is this day.”
When we strive to obtain our destiny, we are making it about the destiny rather than the Destiny Maker. In entering the promises of God, there is the risk that we will seek fulfillment of the promise to satisfy our thirst rather than the God who has been with us along the whole journey.
Moses warns against this in Deuteronomy 8:11-16: “Take care lest you forget the Lord your God by not keeping his commandments and his rules and statutes, which I command you today, lest, when you have eaten and are full and have built good houses and live in them, and when your herds and flocks multiply and your silver and gold is multiplied and all that you have is multiplied, then your heart be lifted up, and you forget the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, who led you through the great and terrifying wilderness, with its fiery serpents and scorpions and thirsty ground where there was no water, who brought you water out of the flinty rock, who fed you in the wilderness with manna that your father did not know, that he might humble you and test you, to do you good in the end.”
Mike Bickle notes that God placed him in his position as king, not for fame or power, but to be a blessing to others. He writes that arriving at our destiny is about serving the kingdom of God. We will still experience pressures, pain and persecution.15
However, we will have a sense of rest as we possess the land God calls us to (Joshua 22:4). We know it is what we were made for and God brought us into it and will sustain us in it. Ultimately, it is not about reaching a destiny but our relationship with God along the way. As Mike Bickle writes, “the only real satisfaction comes from being loved by God and loving him back.”16 It is in laboring with God that we are fruitful for His kingdom in fulfilling our destiny. However, like a small child with their parent, the joy is found in the relationship.17
So what can I learn from this?
First, I realize that too often I can easily sink into my comfort zone and not exercise my faith or courage. I am not always fully engaged in the present moment. I am not listening for God's invitation and seeking to be faithful in the small things. I fail to fully embrace the opportunities given to me because I sink into my comfort zone.
There are other times I am not engaged out of discouragement or fear. I don't want to take risks. When I lose an opportunity to exercise courage and faith, I am not being faithful in the small things to enter into all God has for me. I am not trusting in His goodness and love for me or not truly resting in my relationship with Him.
At the same time, resting in my relationship with Him means not striving or working hard at getting everything right. It is not by self-efforts or striving that I will please God. Rather, I enter into what God has for me in the moment by by faith and obedience. Hebrews 11:6 say that without faith it is impossible to please God. As I trust His goodness and His love for me, I am free to obey God from the heart rather than through legalistic works of striving.
“I want to lose myself in Your love, so let it rain down over me, as I fall down to my knees, let the ocean rise to meet me, I need you to bring me to life” sings
Second, entering into the promises of God for our lives requires complete dependence. When God presents to us the purpose that He has for us, it will be way beyond our capacity to achieve in our own abilities. When we first hear of it, there is a temptation to cower and shrink back in fear in light of our own inadequacies. The other temptation is to try to make it something smaller, more controllable and manageable so we can achieve it in our own strength. In both cases, we fail to enter into the promises God has for us and trust Him that He knows how He made us and how to make us fruitful. We need to be willing because we trust in His love and goodness rather than willful or fearful. God is more than capable of bringing us into His purposes in His time.
“Savior, I am overcome by Your great love for me” sings in the background.
Third, the purposes and plans God has for us center around our gifts, passions and values. 18 God created and wired each one of us in a specific way with a great deal of thought put into it. We are just perfect for the calling that He sought us for.
David says in Psalm 139:13-14, "For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well."
It is when we fully utilize our gifts, passions and values in line with His purposes that we find a place of contentment. We have rest in our labors with Him because we were made for them. Ultimately, it is not about obtaining a certain destiny but the joy partnering with God in what He has called us to do. We feel most alive when we fully embrace those things He has called us to.
"You have given me more than I ever have wanted and I want to give you my heart and soul!... I'm alive, I'm alive, I'm alive" sings.
Lord, Forgive me for where I have failed to excerise courage and faith and instead have exercised fear and complacency. I am so grateful for the gifts that you have given me and the opportunities to utilize them. Would you help me to see all you have for me in the moment? And would you help me to see those in need around me?
Lord, we are so thankful for You. You are the only true Treasure. May our lives be filled with moments with You. Open our eyes and hearts to all that You are all that You have for us in every day and every moment.
"Wherever You are, wherever You've been, He's been there, so let His people sing!"
1-2. Conant, Vic. Can Courage Be Learned? Available at: http://www.nightingale.com/AE_Article~i~164~article~CanCourageBeLearned.aspx
Last Accessed: May 11, 2010.
3-16. Bickle, Mike. After God's Own Heart: Becoming a David Generation. Charisma House, Lake Mary, Florida. 2004.
17. Wiens, Steve. A Three-Year-Old's Guide to Being With Jesus. May 9, 2010. Available At: www.thedoor.org. Recent Sermons. Last Accessed May 12, 2010.
18. Leider, Richard. The Art and Practice of Leaders Coaching Leaders. Carlson School of Management, Executive Education. University of Minnesota. May 10-12, 2010.
The people of God were about to take a journey into the land that had been promised to them. Under the leadership of Joshua, they would cross the Jordan and take the land from people who were fierce giants, with huge and well fortified cities (Numbers 13:28). They were like grasshoppers, in the sight of the people of the land (Numbers 13:33).
When the previous generation of Israelites had heard about the people who lived in the land, they shrunk back in fear. They even threatened to stone Moses and Aaron. And after this initial response of quaking in fear, they then tried to possess the land by their own strength. They went up against the Amalekites and Canaanites who lived in the hill country and were totally defeated. They did not have the power in their own strength to take the land.
Having learned from the mistakes of this earlier generation, this new generation of Israelites would cross over the Jordan and take the land in faith and obedience. Rather than focusing on the enemy and their own ability to take the land, this generation had their eyes on God – His strength and power to achieve His promises. And they had willing hearts to follow God into all that He had for them.
“Blessed are those whose strength is in you, who have set their hearts on pilgrimage. As they pass through the Valley of Baca, they make it a place of springs; the autumn rains also cover it with pools. They go from strength to strength, till each appears before God in Zion” (Psalm 84:5-7).
The Reubenintes, Gadites, and half-tribe of Manasseh told Joshua, 'Whatever you have commanded us we will do, and wherever you send us we will go. Just as we fully obeyed Moses, so we will obey you. Only may the Lord your God be with you as he was with Moses. Whoever rebels against your word and does not obey it, whatever you may command them, is to be put to death. Only be strong and courageous!'”
Courage For The Journey
Moses had confronted the temptation to fear, preparing this generation for what was ahead. He told them, “When you go to war against your enemies and see horses and chariots and an army greater than yours, do not be afraid of them, because the Lord your God, who brought you up out of Egypt, will be with you. When you are about to go into battle, the priest shall come forward and address the army. He shall say: 'Hear, Israel: Today you are going into battle against your enemies. Do not be fainthearted or afraid; do not be terrified or give way to panic before them. For the Lord your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory.'” (Deuteronomy 20:1-4)
There was also an invitation for the people of God to demonstrate courage and exercise their faith. One article notes, courage is “the ability to act in spite of fear and overwhelming opposition. It's the ability to act in spite of hardship, despair and sometimes, imminent personal physical danger.” As quoted by Mansfield, courage "cannot be taught, though it can be inspired. And it normally springs from something like faith or resolve — a commitment to something larger than oneself. It can burst forth instantly as though awakened by a sudden jolt. But, more often, it waits in silence until aroused by some pressing challenge. What is certain of courage, though," he says, "is that true leadership is impossible without it." 1
Preparation helps one to have courage. As the previously mentioned article notes, “It's apparent that we can become more courageous with enough preparation. If we venture, we do so by faith, because we cannot know the end of anything at its beginning. Isn't this the ultimate reason that doubt and fear are able to eat away at our courage? We're fearful because we cannot know the end of anything at its beginning, and we start imagining the worst possible scenarios. So, it seems our best chance to overcome fear and become courageous is to prepare and then have faith.” 2
Courage is something we need to exercise. Just like using certain muscles, as we put it into action over and over again, it becomes easier each time to exercise courage. As we step out in faith in small things as we are going along our regular ordinary days, we exercise courage and it grows. Exercising our courage helps to prepare us for the times we really it.
When David went against Goliath, he was fearless. Everyone else was terrified of Goliath and David asked, “What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and removes this disgrace from Israel? Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?'” (1 Samuel 17:26)
David explains where his courage came from in 1 Samuel 17:34-37 when he tells Saul, “Your servant has been keeping his father's sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it. Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of the Philistine.”
David was faithful in the small things he encountered day to day which built his courage to step forward in faith when it really counted. He did not sit back in comfort, ease and complacency. He was actively engaged in the purposes of God in the middle of the mundane of life. No matter how little or insignificant the small act of obedience seemed, David stepped forward in faithfulness (and faith). Mike Bickle writes, “Each time he stepped out of fear and into the strength and boldness of God, a new page was added to his personal faith book.” 3
A quote from Mother Teresa says,” Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies.”
As David exercised his faith, he learned that God strengthened him to accomplish all that He asked of him. Mike Bickle writes, “He fills our souls with strength that we might stand in confidence.” David wrote in Psalm 27:1, “The Lord is the strength of my life.” 4
In the same way that as we exercise courage and it grows, if we act on our fears, they will continue to grow and become a stronghold in our lives. 1 John 4:18 notes that fear has to do with punishment. In some translations, it says where there is fear, there is torment. Where one is in fear, they anticipate negative and harmful consequences for their actions. As one continues to act on their fears, they grow stronger.
Mike Bickle also notes that fear will not just go away by itself, we have to resist it. We are not to cave in to fear but to arise in confidence and assert belief in God's goodness. We need to assert the opposite of what fear is telling us. 5
We find the strength to resist fear by growing in intimacy with God. 1 John 4:18 says, “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear.” Perfect love casts out fear because we can trust in the goodness of the one who loves us (God). When we can trust in and rely on the love of God for us, we become free to act accordingly.
How the disciples gained their courage was through intimacy with God. They stood in the middle of tremendous difficulties with great faith and courage. Jesus overcame the trials of His life on earth through having an intimate connection with the Father. 6 Seeking intimacy with God, as Mike Bickle notes, is how we overcome fear and step forward in courage, having confidence in God's love.7
David fully relied on the love of God and lived his life out of this place of intimacy. Mike Bickle notes that he used his time as a simple shepherd not only to grow in faithfulness to God in day to day responsibilities, but to grow in intimacy with God. He writes, “He knew he had great value from his relationship with God... Every ounce of David's identity, value, and success was established in his being loved by God and being a lover of God -nothing more, nothing less. That rootedness would help him to be a successful king many years later.” 8
Entering Into God's Promises
As God takes us into His purposes for us, He does not want us to obtain our worth or find our identity in the land He brings us in to. Rather He would have us find our worth in Him. Mike Bickle notes that when we fully embrace the revelation of God's heart for us, we no longer seek importance in our job, other people, marriage, children, ministry or service. “We know our great value is hidden in Him.”9
As we are faithful in dealing with trials and difficulties, we will often also be tested by success.10 Mike Bickle writes that most people are completely thrown off by a little praise, money or success.11 This happened to the Israelites as they had their first great victory with Jericho. After their first success, some of the people were unfaithful in regard to the things that were devoted to destruction (Joshua 7:1). They took some of possessions and hid them.
They became overconfident in their abilities. After spying out Ai, the men said to Joshua, “Not all the army will have to go up against Ai. Send two or three thousand men to take it and do not weary the whole army, for only a few people live there” (Joshua 7:3). To their surprise, the army was routed by the men of Ai and struck down on the slopes (Joshua 7:5).
When Joshua cried out to the Lord about it, the Lord told them that they were defeated because they had lied and stolen, and this was why they could not stand against their enemies (Joshua 7:11-12). Proverbs 25:28 says, “Like a city that is broken into and without walls is a man who has no control over his spirit.”
We cannot expect to stand strong against the enemy in faith and courage when our lives lack character. Jesus says in Mark 3:25, “If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand.”
Mike Bickle writes that our greatest private agenda must remain to be loved by God and to be a lover of God – intimacy. If our success, image or occupation before man motivate us, we will be led off course by it.13
When David met challenges and difficulties, he chose faithfulness to God over the kingship God was giving Him. He refused to seek after or grasp to be king. He saw the treasure, not as kingship but in His relationship with God. Because of this, David was free to worship God through his God given purpose rather than strive and manipulate to attain or maintain what God had given him.
Mike Bickle notes that people who work hard and strive to attain a position may get what they want, but they lack the confidence to stand in it. He writes, “They are consumed with fear that somebody will take over their territory or steal their position. They live with anxiety because they can't be sure God gave the ministry or position to them in the first place.” 14
When we enter into our destiny, there is a risk we will take credit for getting ourselves there and become proud. Moses warns the people in Deuteronomy 8:17-18 about thinking they obtained their destiny by their own might. He tells them, “Beware lest you say in your heart, 'My power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth.' You shall remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth, that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your fathers, as it is this day.”
When we strive to obtain our destiny, we are making it about the destiny rather than the Destiny Maker. In entering the promises of God, there is the risk that we will seek fulfillment of the promise to satisfy our thirst rather than the God who has been with us along the whole journey.
Moses warns against this in Deuteronomy 8:11-16: “Take care lest you forget the Lord your God by not keeping his commandments and his rules and statutes, which I command you today, lest, when you have eaten and are full and have built good houses and live in them, and when your herds and flocks multiply and your silver and gold is multiplied and all that you have is multiplied, then your heart be lifted up, and you forget the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, who led you through the great and terrifying wilderness, with its fiery serpents and scorpions and thirsty ground where there was no water, who brought you water out of the flinty rock, who fed you in the wilderness with manna that your father did not know, that he might humble you and test you, to do you good in the end.”
Mike Bickle notes that God placed him in his position as king, not for fame or power, but to be a blessing to others. He writes that arriving at our destiny is about serving the kingdom of God. We will still experience pressures, pain and persecution.15
However, we will have a sense of rest as we possess the land God calls us to (Joshua 22:4). We know it is what we were made for and God brought us into it and will sustain us in it. Ultimately, it is not about reaching a destiny but our relationship with God along the way. As Mike Bickle writes, “the only real satisfaction comes from being loved by God and loving him back.”16 It is in laboring with God that we are fruitful for His kingdom in fulfilling our destiny. However, like a small child with their parent, the joy is found in the relationship.17
So what can I learn from this?
First, I realize that too often I can easily sink into my comfort zone and not exercise my faith or courage. I am not always fully engaged in the present moment. I am not listening for God's invitation and seeking to be faithful in the small things. I fail to fully embrace the opportunities given to me because I sink into my comfort zone.
There are other times I am not engaged out of discouragement or fear. I don't want to take risks. When I lose an opportunity to exercise courage and faith, I am not being faithful in the small things to enter into all God has for me. I am not trusting in His goodness and love for me or not truly resting in my relationship with Him.
At the same time, resting in my relationship with Him means not striving or working hard at getting everything right. It is not by self-efforts or striving that I will please God. Rather, I enter into what God has for me in the moment by by faith and obedience. Hebrews 11:6 say that without faith it is impossible to please God. As I trust His goodness and His love for me, I am free to obey God from the heart rather than through legalistic works of striving.
“I want to lose myself in Your love, so let it rain down over me, as I fall down to my knees, let the ocean rise to meet me, I need you to bring me to life” sings
Second, entering into the promises of God for our lives requires complete dependence. When God presents to us the purpose that He has for us, it will be way beyond our capacity to achieve in our own abilities. When we first hear of it, there is a temptation to cower and shrink back in fear in light of our own inadequacies. The other temptation is to try to make it something smaller, more controllable and manageable so we can achieve it in our own strength. In both cases, we fail to enter into the promises God has for us and trust Him that He knows how He made us and how to make us fruitful. We need to be willing because we trust in His love and goodness rather than willful or fearful. God is more than capable of bringing us into His purposes in His time.
“Savior, I am overcome by Your great love for me” sings in the background.
Third, the purposes and plans God has for us center around our gifts, passions and values. 18 God created and wired each one of us in a specific way with a great deal of thought put into it. We are just perfect for the calling that He sought us for.
David says in Psalm 139:13-14, "For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well."
It is when we fully utilize our gifts, passions and values in line with His purposes that we find a place of contentment. We have rest in our labors with Him because we were made for them. Ultimately, it is not about obtaining a certain destiny but the joy partnering with God in what He has called us to do. We feel most alive when we fully embrace those things He has called us to.
"You have given me more than I ever have wanted and I want to give you my heart and soul!... I'm alive, I'm alive, I'm alive" sings.
Lord, Forgive me for where I have failed to excerise courage and faith and instead have exercised fear and complacency. I am so grateful for the gifts that you have given me and the opportunities to utilize them. Would you help me to see all you have for me in the moment? And would you help me to see those in need around me?
Lord, we are so thankful for You. You are the only true Treasure. May our lives be filled with moments with You. Open our eyes and hearts to all that You are all that You have for us in every day and every moment.
"Wherever You are, wherever You've been, He's been there, so let His people sing!"
1-2. Conant, Vic. Can Courage Be Learned? Available at: http://www.nightingale.com/AE_Article~i~164~article~CanCourageBeLearned.aspx
Last Accessed: May 11, 2010.
3-16. Bickle, Mike. After God's Own Heart: Becoming a David Generation. Charisma House, Lake Mary, Florida. 2004.
17. Wiens, Steve. A Three-Year-Old's Guide to Being With Jesus. May 9, 2010. Available At: www.thedoor.org. Recent Sermons. Last Accessed May 12, 2010.
18. Leider, Richard. The Art and Practice of Leaders Coaching Leaders. Carlson School of Management, Executive Education. University of Minnesota. May 10-12, 2010.
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