Worship Wednesday
He Is… WITH US
“No one will be able to stand against you as long as you live. For I will be with you as I was with Moses. I will not fail you or abandon you.” Joshua 1:5
One of my favorite stories of the Old Testament is in the book of Joshua. The beginning opens with this setting: Moses, their longtime fearless leader, has died. The Israelites, who’ve wondered from God’s plan countless times and doubted Moses, are hopeless. And Joshua, Moses’ faithful assistant, is called. Here’s how it went…
“After the death of Moses the Lord’s servant, the Lord spoke to Joshua, son of Nun, Moses’ assistant. He said, ‘Moses my servant is dead. Therefore, the time has come for you to lead these people, the Israelites, across the Jordan River into the land I am giving them. I promise you what I have promised Moses: ‘Wherever you set foot, you will be on land I give you - from the Negev wilderness in the south to the Lebanon mountains in the north, from the Euphrates River in the east to all the land of the Hittites.’ No one will be able to stand against you as long as you live. For I will be with you as I was with Moses. I will not fail you or abandon you.’” Joshua 1:1-5
Can you imagine what must have been going through Joshua’s mind in this conversation with God? I wonder if it was anything like Moses’ response to God when he was first appointed this very task years before. Moses believed he couldn’t; that’s only because he wasn’t yet aware of what God could. But here’s what I love about God: He knew what Moses’ response would be. He knew he was afraid and unsure in his faith. God could have just blown him off and said, “Fine, I’ll choose another who will believe in me.” But instead, God chooses to use the person who doesn’t believe, He walks WITH HIM in his unbelief, and proves Himself to Moses. I think God knew Joshua had the same doubts about himself. In the next verse we hear God speak into that insecurity. He says: “Be strong and courageous, for you are the one who will lead these people to posses all the land I swore to their ancestors I would give them.” Isn’t that beautiful that God speaks directly into our insecurities?! I believe He wants to do that for you and I today.
Let’s go back to this passage and dig a little deeper. And maybe discover that this encounter with God was intended for someone else besides just Joshua. Maybe God wants to have this very conversation with you, with me.
“Therefore, the time has come for you to lead these people, the Israelites, across the Jordan River into the land I am giving them”
God calls Joshua. Just like he calls us - He says “the time has come!”
“I promise you what I have promised Moses: ‘Wherever you set foot, you will be on land I give you - from the Negev wilderness in the south to the Lebanon mountains in the north, from the Euphrates River in the east to all the land of the Hittites.’”
God reminds Joshua of what he has access to because of his lineage - he’s part of God’s chosen holy nation, the Israelites. The same applies to us. Ephesians 1:11 tells us who our lineage comes from - we are called “co-heirs with Christ”. Another interesting observation we can’t miss out on in this verse: the words “Wherever you set foot, you will be on land I give you” tells us that when we are obedient to God’s call to action, He Is… WITH US.
“No one will be able to stand against you as long as you live. For I will be with you as I was with Moses. I will not fail you or abandon you.”
The last portion reminds Joshua, and us, who our God is!
Guys, LOOK at the God we serve! Look at all the ways He is pursuing us and reminding us through His Word that He has called us, He has made the plan for us to walk forward, and He Is… WITH US. When He calls us and we respond with doubts or insecurities, He already knew that that would be our response. Yet He still goes through the conversation with us, reminds us of who we are, and assures us that He Is… WITH US.
Believe it or not, this element of self-doubt about God’s calling over my life is one I wrestle with frequently. The enemy loves to remind me of where God’s brought me from and tries to make me forget where He’s brought me to. What about you? Is God calling you to something today? Maybe He’s saying, “Be strong and courageous!” If that’s the case, I’m gonna ask you to do a little activity with me. We are going to actively believe that this passage of scripture applies to us just as much as it applied to Joshua. So fill in the blanks as we pray Mark 9:24 “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief.”
“Therefore, the time has come for you to _________________________. I promise you what I have promised Moses: ‘Wherever you set foot, you will be on land I give you. No one will be able to stand against you as long as you live. For I will be with you as I was with Moses. I will not fail you or abandon you. Be strong and courageous, for you are the one who will _________________________.”
