Battle Plans

When Joshua was near the town of Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with sword in hand. Joshua went up to him and demanded, “Are you friend or foe?” “Neither one,” he replied. “I am the commander of the Lord’s army.” Joshua 5:13-14 (NLT)

Joshua was near Jericho. Perhaps he was scouting out the terrain before the big battle that was before him and the Israelites. Maybe he was looking at the huge wall that surrounded the city. It seemed impenetrable. Could he be wondering how they were going to win this battle? Was his mind racing trying to figure out how to do the impossible?

Suddenly he looked up and saw a warrior standing in front of him ready for battle. "Are you for us or against us?" he asked. And I love what the Warrior says next.  "Neither."

How often do we face our day, our tasks or our problems and stand there staring at them trying to figure out how we are going to fix it. Just like Joshua, we are looking at the wrong thing. When Joshua finally refocuses, he sees Jesus standing there. And when he tries to pull Jesus into his focus by asking "Are you for us or against us?", Jesus says "Neither. I am with God."

Jesus basically says to Joshua, "This isn't your battle to fight. It's not for you to carry alone. All you need to get through this is standing in front of you. Refocus. Remember who is in charge." And immediately, Joshua is reminded of why he is doing what he's doing and where his focus should be. He drops to his feet and worships.

I don't know about you but I pull a Joshua on a pretty regular basis. I get up in the morning, have my time with God and align my thinking. Then, as I go through my day, I start focusing on what isn't working and how I'm stuck. I get frustrated and complain.  I forget that this is God's battle and that he has a battle plan. 

Maybe when we find our gaze drifting to something other than the Commander of the Lord's army, we should pause and ask "God, what is your battle plan?" 

Perspective

This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. Joshua 1:9 (NLT)

Be strong and courageous! Boy, there are days when I need to do that. The projects that loom seem to be more than I can handle. I don’t feel like I have enough of what it takes to get the job done.  Oh heck, I don’t feel like I am what it takes.

There are decisions to be made that will impact business. Should I make them? Should I call that client and ask for a different method? Should I tell my employee that they aren’t measuring up? Be strong and courageous.....

And what about personally? Is now a good time to spend the money on the home project? Did I reach out to my friend who needed support or did I get too busy with my list of to dos? Am I supposed to speak at that engagement? Be strong and courageous......

Here’s the thing.  I’m quoting a Bible verse to give me encouragement but, I’m missing the best part. I’m quoting the part where I do something....be strong and courageous. But the reason I am supposed to be strong and courageous is missing.

I am not supposed to be strong and courageous because I can make awesome business decisions. I am not supposed to be strong and courageous because I have good ideas or because I am a good friend or a good speaker. I am supposed to be strong and courageous because of what it says in the second half of the text.

For the Lord your God is with you where ever you go.

So next time you come up against a decision or a thought that has you feeling weak and afraid, repeat to yourself "The Lord your God is with you wherever you go."

That’s the reason for strength and courage. You are not alone and what he brings with him is way better than what you’ve got.

I Wanna Be Like You!

So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image. 2 Corinthians 3:18 (NLT)

I spent the week last week with a couple of toddlers.  Once each day we sat and watched movies. They were usually Disney or Pixar movies. As I watched with them, I remembered the line in the Jungle Book song "I Wanna Be Like You" that says:

Ooh-bi-doo, I wan'na be like you
I want to walk like you, talk like you, too  

And I thought about God.  Shouldn't this be our goal?  To walk like Jesus and talk like Jesus?  How do we do that?  How do we start to walk like him and talk like him?

The thing is, we have to spend time with him to facilitate that change. We become what we behold. Truly, each day the goal is to represent Christ in a way that inspires people to know him. We can't do that if we don't reflect his image well.

So, as you walk through your jungle today sing the song:

Ooh-bi-doo, I wan'na be like you
I want to walk like you, talk like you, too

And remind yourself what it's really all about.

Gone, Gone, Gone!

Where is another God like you,
    who pardons the guilt of the remnant,
    overlooking the sins of his special people?
You will not stay angry with your people forever,
    because you delight in showing unfailing love.
19 Once again you will have compassion on us.
    You will trample our sins under your feet
    and throw them into the depths of the ocean! Micah 7:18-19 (NLT)

As I stood with my great-nephew with our feet in the surf, the waves rolled in and out. Back and forth. Eventually, our feet were buried underneath the sand. We were unable to see them they were covered so completely. And, it happened so quickly. Before you knew it, we were buried.

As we moved our feet to another part of the beach, holes were left where our feet had been. As the water continued its rhythmic motion washing over the indentations we left, the holes were soon gone. Nothing was left but a smooth, undisturbed surface. 

Made me think of God’s forgiveness. When we sin, indentations in our lives are left. But, when we change our position by changing our behavior or changing our course, God wipes the slate clean. He simply says, “You are forgiven.” There are no residual comments, no lingering accusations. Nothing is held over our head until we get it perfect. He doesn’t say “I’ll forgive you if you do this, this and this.” Once we say I’m sorry, once we ask him for his forgiveness he says “Done!”

And, just like the sand doesn’t differentiate by the size of the feet or the weight of the person, God doesn’t offer forgiveness only to those that have sinned “less.”  In God’s eyes, all sins are the same. No matter what you’ve done, forgiveness is still immediate and complete.

God tells us that he throws our sins into the depth of the ocean.  How appropriate. In the depths of the ocean, you won’t be able to find it again. It is gone. Forever.

How Dare They!

Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone. Romans 12:18 (NLT)

We went on a family vacation to the beach. There were lots of us there which meant lots of laughter, lots of love and lots of attitude. You know how it goes. Family dynamics are messy and no matter how hard you try, it’s ..... well... messy. 

One day, someone did something that sent my heart to grumbling. I wasn’t mad but indignant. Why would they do that? Didn’t they understand that I needed to be treated with more respect than that? And the thoughts kept pushing through my head until....I stepped aside and said “Lord, what is wrong with me?” 

And this verse popped into my head.

Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Philippians 2:3

That was the problem.  I was thinking of myself as better than others....like I deserved some treatment because of my position in the family. As I pondered this, I understood how easy it is to get side-tracked from how God is calling us to be. No matter where we are, what we are doing, who we are with, our job is to stay focused on Jesus. 

Staying connected and having refocused, I was able to let go of the me-first attitude and stay firmly planted where God wanted me....living life in my family as a servant. It was a much better day after that.

What Is Your Sign?

Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.”Matthew 22:37-40 (NLT)

A few weeks ago I was driving home from a weekend away and I saw a sign in front of a church that read "What If God Asked You For A Sign?" Made me pause.

What kind of sign do you think he'd ask for? Would he ask for some heroic act? Would he want me to do something really incredible to show him that I love him? Would he say to me "If you love me, you will do this one thing for me."? Would he say "I will love you forever if you only......"?

Wait. I think that's what we say to God, right? We ask for proof that he is there. We ask for proof that he is who he says he is. All the while, God is there providing for us and loving us just because.

God does ask us for a sign.  But it’s subtle. When you do it, it’s quiet and sometimes not even noticed. But, it speaks volumes. Everyone will eventually see it but it might take them years. This sign says we are who we say we are, Christians. It is the sign of Love. It’s when we live like we love God more than anything. It’s when we live like we love each other more than ourselves.

That folks, is the sign that God would ask us for. If he asked you for this sign today, would you be able to give it to him?

A Minute In It - Praising God!

A minute in Gods' word will change your life.  Read through the Bible text and notice all the reasons there are to PRAISE God!

1  I will praise the Lord at all times.
    I will constantly speak his praises.
2 I will boast only in the Lord;
    let all who are helpless take heart.
3 Come, let us tell of the Lord’s greatness;
    let us exalt his name together.

4 I prayed to the Lord, and he answered me.
    He freed me from all my fears.
5 Those who look to him for help will be radiant with joy;
    no shadow of shame will darken their faces.
6 In my desperation I prayed, and the Lord listened;
    he saved me from all my troubles.
7 For the angel of the Lord is a guard;
    he surrounds and defends all who fear him.

8 Taste and see that the Lord is good.
    Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him!
9 Fear the Lord, you his godly people,
    for those who fear him will have all they need.
10 Even strong young lions sometimes go hungry,
    but those who trust in the Lord will lack no good thing.

11 Come, my children, and listen to me,
    and I will teach you to fear the Lord.
12 Does anyone want to live a life
    that is long and prosperous?
13 Then keep your tongue from speaking evil
    and your lips from telling lies!
14 Turn away from evil and do good.
    Search for peace, and work to maintain it.

15 The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right;
    his ears are open to their cries for help.
16 But the Lord turns his face against those who do evil;
    he will erase their memory from the earth.
17 The Lord hears his people when they call to him for help.
    He rescues them from all their troubles.
18 The Lord is close to the brokenhearted;
    he rescues those whose spirits are crushed.

19 The righteous person faces many troubles,
    but the Lord comes to the rescue each time.
20 For the Lord protects the bones of the righteous;
    not one of them is broken!

21 Calamity will surely destroy the wicked,
    and those who hate the righteous will be punished.
22 But the Lord will redeem those who serve him.
    No one who takes refuge in him will be condemned.
Psalm 34 (NLT)

Remembering The Bottom Line

For the Lord your God is living among you.
    He is a mighty savior.
He will take delight in you with gladness.
    With his love, he will calm all your fears.
    He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.” Zephaniah 3:17 (NLT)

There are days....I know you may have them too...where the voices in your head bring all kinds of fears and inadequacies to the forefront. Yesterday was like that for me.  I kept hearing that the things I am doing are going to fail. I even imagined how that would look and it was frightening. 

It's not so much that I am afraid to fail, God knows I've done that quite a bit. It's more that when I hear these disconcerting thoughts, they are direct attacks on me. You are not smart enough. You don't know what you are doing. Anyone can see that this is above your pay grade. What makes you think you can pull that off? You know, those kind of happy thoughts.

And then I remember.....I'm not supposed to do this.  God is.  And I remember that I am loved. That love is not dependent on whether I succeed or not. It is not dependent on whether I get everything exactly perfect or even if I get it all wrong. God's love isn't dependent on me at all! Praise the Lord! It's who he is. 

What I need to do is remember the promises like the one in Zephaniah 3:17. I need to remember what this walk is all about. It's about Jesus. It's about his unconditional love for me that happened before I was even born. It's about the sweet, perfect love that is my gift. It's your gift too.

Today, I will rejoice in that, just like he rejoices over me.