God's Commission

"Moses my servant is dead.

Now then,

you and all these people,

get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land

I am about to give them--to the Israelites.

I will give you every place where you set your foot,

as I promised Moses. . .No one will be able to stand

against you all the days of your life.

As I was with Moses,

so I will be with you;

I will never leave you nor forsake you."

Joshua 1:2,3,5

As much as I didn't care for our newly elected leader, I was touched by the thought that such a change of command could take place so peacefully.  Despite the spirit of opposition that exists among our elected leaders and the arguments that regularly take place between them, this country still enjoys a peaceful transfer of power.  The history books as well as the international news is full of stories where kings were deposed, rebels forcefully took power or the people rose up against an unpopular ruler.  Thankfully, this is not the case in the United States. 

Similarly, the death of Moses could have been a tumultuous time for the nation of Israel.  They had been faithfully led out of Egypt and through their desert wanderings for forty years by one man and he was the one through whom God had spoken to the masses.  They depended upon Moses.  It must have been a scary thought, then, to enter into the unknown of this Promised land without Moses at the helm.  God, however, planned for a smooth transition and had chosen the one who would take the place of their great leader upon his death.

Just as God sent forth Joshua to lead His people, He is also commissioning me for His work (Ephesians 2:10).  Therefore, there are some truths the Lord taught Joshua which I will need to take to heart.

Courageous

He was a legendary general who led the Confederate troops during the civil war.  As a man of faith, he believed his destiny was set by God, giving him a bold persona on the battlefield.  Thus, Thomas Jonathan Jackson was given the nickname "Stonewall."

While you would probably never catch me walking around such a dangerous place as a war zone, I can boldly commit to following God's lead, courageously dong things I never thought I'd be able to do.  How can I possibly live in such a way?  I can walk fearlessly into the unknown because I know without a doubt that God is with me.

In the same way that God reassured Joshua with the thought that He would go with him, I can take heart by the same promise.  Before Jesus ascended into heaven, He left His disciples with the promise that I can grab hold of as well.  He said, "I am with you always, even to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:20).

Therefore, if this ever-present God of absolute power is for me, who can stop His plan for me from coming to fruition (Romans 8:31)?  My Enemy can try to discourage me, duping me into believing I am without hope when in reality I have the hope of eternity secured by faith in the blood of Jesus (Titus 1:1-3).  The weakness of my flesh can lead me to believe I cannot accomplish the mission to which God has called me when in reality God's power is manifested in me because of this frailty (2 Corinthians 12:9-10).  The world can seem like it's closing in on me, enticing me to give in to its tempting ways, but God is ready to transform my thinking to give me a clearer view of His will if I would only cooperate with Him (Romans 12:2).

In the same way that Joshua was instructed to be strong and courageous, so I am given the same boldness of spirit in the job God has prepared for me to do (Joshua 1:6, 2 Timothy 1:7).

Pursue Righteousness

I love watching the Olympics.  It is not so much the competition and the metal count that gives me such a desire.  Rather, it is the inspiring stories of personal struggles and triumphs that draws me to tune in each night.  

While I do love a physical challenge and am spurred on by the athletes' dedication and self-discipline, it is the spiritual call to run the race laid out for me that inspires me as of late (Hebrews 12:1).  In order for these athletes to compete at such a high level, their dedication to training must be strong: They must eat, sleep and breathe their sport.  There is a level of laser-sharp focus that few of us can truly understand.

If I want to walk with Jesus, however, I am called to adopt a similar attitude.  Instead of simply going through the motions, I am to actively pursue right living, disciplining myself to turn away from what comes naturally and pursue faith, love and peace with others which is quite unnatural to me (2 Timothy 2:22).  This kind of life takes dedication to God and His ways.  It will not come without some effort, but takes purposeful training, similar to what it takes for the Olympic athletes to reach such an elite competitive level (1 Corinthians 9:24-27).

It is important to note as well, that this kind of discipline to staying the course will not earn eternal life for me.  Salvation is a free gift given by a loving and gracious God that is secured through Christ's sacrifice on the cross (Ephesians 2:8-9).  Instead, this life-long process of sanctification is one in which I must take part, cooperating with God as He transforms me into the woman He created me to be (Romans 12:2).

When I read His Word, then, it cannot be taken lightly, mindlessly going through the motions so I can check the task off my daily list of things-to-do.  Instead, I must search for the meaning found there, applying it to my heart and letting God use it to teach me His ways, rebuke my actions, correct my thoughts, and train me to live purely (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

When I am tempted to give into my selfish urges, I must stand firm, purposefully choosing to turn toward God and His righteous ways (James 4:4-10). When I get distracted from the race I am running, wasting time in mindless pursuits or veering off the path in an effort to gratify a sensual pleasure, I must keep my eyes on Jesus who joyfully pursued the prize that was set before Him, enduring torture and death on a cross in order to reach this goal of obedience (Hebrews 12:2).

In the same way that Joshua was instructed to stay the path, so I am given this same command to keep on the straight and narrow (Joshua 1:7, Matthew 7:14).

Resist Fear

It is perhaps the most common phrase uttered by God, "Do not fear."  He often sent His heavenly messengers to spur His people on, reminding them not to give in to this common emotion.  Fear is deadly because it can cripple my forward progress, paralyze my faith and blur my thinking.

I remember getting stuck at the top of a 15-foot cargo-net wall while testing out an obstacle course.  As the netting shifted beneath my feet, I tried the power of positive thinking to picture myself throwing my leg over the narrow board and descending successfully down the other side.  Unfortunately, the instability of my position only fed my fear of heights.  Regretfully, I found I could not move my leg to follow what my mind so optimistically imagined so I ended up retreating back down the way I came.

Fear had prevented me from carrying out the goal I had set for myself; to climb over that wall.  In a similar way, fear can work against faith, keeping me from answering the call God has placed on my life.  

It could be that the guilt of my sin weighs heavily upon me, deceiving me into thinking God will not empower me to live His way because of my sin.  The ensuing fear of His wrath, then, prevents me from walking the path He has laid out for me.  Who do I think I am, anyway?  How could I love others when I'm such a failure at loving myself (1 John 4:18)? In my delusion, I'm forgetting the forgiveness I have in Jesus Christ and the resulting overwhelmingly conquering power of God Who lives within.

Maybe I doubt God's ability to prevail when I take note of the direction my life is taking.  How could anything good come out of such I mess, I wonder. Instead, I can stand firm in the knowledge that God holds the blueprint for my life and His way will prevail (Jeremiah 29:11-13).

Other times I could feel the weight of the world on my shoulders, mistakenly thinking I've been left all alone to bear such burdens.  In reality, however, He is calling me to lay my burdens at His feet, taking strength from His very presence (Matthew 11:28).

In the same way that Joshua was instructed to resist fear, so I am given this same command to let God's presence inspire greatness (Joshua 1:9, Philippians 4:4-7).

I sometimes feel God has given me a tall order to fill.  Instead of getting discouraged, however, and give up, I can take to heart the instructions given to Joshua.  I can live boldly and courageously, pursue righteousness and resist the temptation to let fear rule my life.  All because of the Lord's faithful presence in my life, I'll be able to fulfill His commission.  

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can keep my eyes on Jesus, the only hope I have to stay on the straight and narrow.

When do I let fear rule my life?

How am I easily distracted from my mission in life?   


Originally published on February 17, 2014