Happy New Year Lighthouse,
Be strong and courageous. This week I want to encourage you to read the first chapter of the book of Joshua. Moses is dead. He had finished his mission of leading the
people of Israel out of Egyptian captivity and to the very doorstep of the Promised Land all by God’s intervention and
direction. But now, as all of Israel stands at the river Jordan, the last barrier
to entry into the Promised Land - Canaan, Moses dies on the mountaintop overlooking that territory marked out as an inheritance
to the descendants of Abraham so long ago. With Moses dead, the people are without
their long time and trusted leader. The reins of leadership have been passed
to Joshua by Moses himself. A new era has begun.
A new generation stands before their destiny at the Jordan river once again.
One generation ago Joshua stood at the same spot
with the same hopefulness. He had been one of the spies sent out to survey the
land and evaluate if it could be taken by Israel. Only he and Caleb believed
it was possible. Everyone else said that it was futile. The people were giants, the land was too vast, the cities too strong.
So, it was that faithless generation that was sentenced to wander for 40 years until they died out and were replaced
by a generation of Israelites that were committed and who trusted their God in full.
So, Joshua waited and survived the wilderness. Now it was time to fulfill
his purpose in life.
I wonder if the people knew the significance
of their times. Certainly they knew their history - it was passed on from father
to son and mother to daughter throughout their nation. But I wonder if they knew
what planning and what care had gone into bringing them to this very moment in time.
I wonder if they knew that their children and their nation and ultimately the world would be shaped by their actions
after they set foot into this new land apportioned to them by God. I think they
did - and they were afraid.
The land was foreign to them. It was challenging. Their cities looked impenetrable. The people were strong and fierce. But
this generation was different from the last - they had faith. The knew their
God was with them. Still they were afraid.
This is only natural. The opposite of courage is not fear. No, fear and courage go hand in hand, in my opinion. There
is not shame in being afraid. The shame comes in when fear turns your resolve,
your drive, your action into cowardly retreat. The shame comes from inaction
and faithlessness. Rest assured, the nation of Israel and Joshua himself were
afraid and knew the odds were against them, yet they pushed on and trusted in God. They
crossed the Jordan and did not look back.
This year I’m asking you to do some things
that are difficult and scary. I’m asking you to commit to daily Bible study
and to daily prayer. Whether you do it through our New Testament reading outline
with accountability partners or not, I’m challenging you to get into the Word daily.
I’m asking you to develop accountability in your life. That means
letting someone in your defenses to keep you honest, keep you motivated, and keep you growing.
I’m asking you to break out of the herd of church-goers and become a disciple.
Stop settling for the mediocre and start holding yourself to a higher standard of spiritual maturity. I’m asking you to do all this and then help me and others around you to do the same.
Look again at Joshua 1:6-9, “Be strong
and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give them. Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the
law my servant Moses gave you: do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night,
so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous
and successful. Have I not commanded you?
Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged,
for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.”
Wow! This
year, don’t give up in your pursuit of righteousness. Though the deck be
stacked against you, hold fast to your trust in God. He fights for us. What then do we have to fear? Don’t rest on the gains
you may have made this year. Keep striving for more growth.
Once again, I wonder if we realize the significance
of our time. We hold within us the hope that can save the world. We must guard that hope with our faith in the One in whom we hope.
Then we must share this hope with others in love. (Check out I Corinthians
13:13) We stand before a land that is Godless this year. Our mission is clear - to evangelize and share the Word. But
again there is fear. But I tell you be strong and courageous. Allow the fear to walk hand in hand with your courage and take aim this year at growth and evangelism. Don’t let the Word depart from this world because of your inaction. God is with us wherever we go.
Jesus Christ is coming back to us to take us
to our true home. Until then, let’s accomplish the mission for which He
suffered and died here. I challenge you this day to cross the Jordan with the
rest of us this year. Let’s take our corner of the Enemy’s territory
back into God’s Kingdom. Join the Lighthouse in 2004 in shining the light
on the conquering path. Be strong and courageous.
I wish all your families peace and joy in 2004. You have been a great blessing to my family in 2003.
May we have another year of growth and God’s blessing. Happy New
Year!
Serving Him with you,
Evan
