Live as a Conqueror

"The priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD

stopped in the middle of the Jordan

and stood on dry ground,

while all Israel passed by until the whole nation

had completed the crossing on dry ground."

Joshua 3:17

I wonder if Joshua stood at the banks of the swollen Jordan River, the only thing standing between his people and the land God had promised them, and wondered how he would lead his people across?  Sure, the two spies were able to negotiate the raging river, he might have thought, but they were young, strong, and unencumbered.  The multitudes I am responsible for carry all their belongings with them.  There are mothers with young children and tiny babies, livestock and inexperienced men and women; so much to make us vulnerable.

Then the words of the Lord must have fortified his heart as he reminded himself of the truth.  Be strong and courageous.  Don't be discouraged or afraid because God is with me. He told me I would lead these people into the promised land.  He didn't tell me how I would lead them; He only said I would lead them.  I must trust God to negotiate this obstacle for me. (Joshua 1:1-11)

Like Joshua, there is much in life to dishearten me and cause me to question.  How will I make it until the next paycheck?  When will the pain stop?  What will it take to mend my broken family?  It's easy to have many questions but no answers.  I want to trust God but I may think, I just don't see how He can work this out.

There is no obstacle so great that it can separate me from the promises of God.  Just as He went so far as to stop the flow of the flooding Jordan River in order to deliver His people to the land He had given to them, there is nothing so great a barrier as to keep me from my promised land. As Moses reminded the people of Israel when they were trapped between the approaching Egyptian army and the Red sea, "The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still" (Exodus 14:14). 

No Enemy Too Great

He must have felt like the world was out to get him.  First, he was sold into slavery by his own brothers.  Then, his master's wife falsely accused him of rape and he was thrown into prison.  As if that weren't enough, he languished there for 8 years when he finally thought he'd get a break.  He interpreted the dreams of two prisoners, pleading with them to put in a good word for him, but they obviously forgot about him.  Finally, a couple years later, Joseph was summoned to the Pharaoh to try to decode the message of the ruler's haunting dreams.  Finally, his day had come! (Genesis 37, 39-41)

Joseph didn't do anything to deserve the treatment he received.  He must have sometimes felt as if he had an enemy too great to resist.  How else could so many bad things happen to him?  Someone must be waging war against him.

While this was not the case for Joseph, it is for me.  As a follower of Christ, I do have an enemy; a foe who is prowling, ". . . around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour" (1 Peter 5:8).  Satan's mission here on earth is to, "steal and kill and destroy" (John 10:10).  As he wages war against me, planting seeds of doubt in my heart, sending people to rise up against me, setting up obstacles designed to dishearten me, I can take courage with the truth that, "If God is for [me], who can be against [me]" (Romans 8:31)?

God went so far as to send His beloved Son to the earth He created, placing Him in the hands of wicked men in order to conquer sin and death for me.  If He was willing to go to such lengths in order to defeat such formidable enemies, is anything impossible or off-limits for Him (Romans 8:32)?

Therefore, I can trust Him to fight my battles for me.  Even though the doctors say I have two months to live, cancer is no match for the Great Physician.  If the mounting debt threatens to bring me down, I can take heart in the thought that my heavenly Father has resources about which I know nothing.  When strife seems to rule my home, driving out the peace, I can trust God to soften the brittle hearts of those I love.

There is no enemy so great that God is not stronger still.

No Charge too Formidable

I wanted to defend myself against the ridiculous rumors floating around the neighborhood.  A couple of the kids in our afterschool program alerted me to the gossip they had heard about me.  "Mrs. Boose, the story is that you are having an affair with another man and have been meeting him up at the pool."  

At first I laughed at the absurdity of the idea.  "If I were going to cheat on you," I asked my husband, "why would I do it at the neighborhood pool?"  Clearly, this was a tale cooked up by a child, but the fallout could be disastrous.  My name could potentially be slandered to the point that I could lose credibility as a neighborhood volunteer and teacher in our home-based outreach program.  What if people believe this lie?  It could really bring damage to my reputation and ultimately bring shame upon the name of the Lord.

Thankfully, God protected me from harm, shielding both my good standing and His holy name.  I never had to say a word in my defense.  Instead, God revealed the truth over time and the lies faded away.

God is the only One who can justify.  Since He is in charge of fighting my battles for me, there is no need for me to try to prove my innocence when accusations fly.  Instead, I can rest in the hands of my perfect Defender. 

Furthermore, since I have Jesus as my defense lawyer, I never need to worry that my sin might condemn me to death.  There is no transgression so great that the blood of Jesus cannot cover.  Through his sacrifice, then, I find peace with God even though I've been convicted as one who has fallen short of His standard. (Romans 8:33-34, 2 Corinthians 5:21)

What, then, can man say to diminish my standing with God?  If I've already been pardoned from the worst, what more can be said or done against me?  Let the accusations fly because I've been appointed the best defense Counsel ever known to mankind (1 Timothy 2:5)!

Therefore, what's a little heartache at the hands of another in the here and now?  Even if I land in prison based on the word of another, my eternal reward is still intact.  Despite the fact that I may lose my job due to the false testimony of a coworker, my place in God's kingdom is not diminished in the least.  Regardless of whether or not my loved ones believe in my innocence, my Father only sees the purity of heart He originally created for me and is now possible through the blood of Jesus.

There is no charge so formidable that God cannot justify.

No Hurdle too High

I wanted nothing more than for the struggle to be over.  I was tired of living a frugal life and looked forward to a day when money would be plentiful, when a trip to the grocery store was not an exercise in restraint and when gifts for others didn't have to be homemade.  I had grown weary of the fight.

As I sat with the Lord one morning, asking Him again to deliver us from the latest problem, He showed me the error of my ways.  To state it more accurately, He showed me the corruption of my heart.

Instead of seeing all I could buy without money, I chose to pay attention to what I couldn't have.  While God had prepared a veritable feast for me, I still preferred to dine at the pauper's table (Isaiah 55:1-2).  Even though I am abounding in the love my Father has lavished upon me, I focused mainly on the difficulties(1 John 3:1). Although God's mercies are new every morning, making it possible for me to live a rich and meaningful life filled with peace, I ignored those treasures and looked mainly at my disappointments(Lamentations 3:22-24).

It's easy to get caught up in a cycle of seeing what I don't have instead of what I do.  Through faith in Jesus Christ, I not only have the assurance of eternal life, but I also have the security of knowing there is nothing that can separate me from the astounding love of God.  This love can propel me through any hardship, satisfy in ways the world cannot, and bolster my faint heart in the midst of calamity (Romans 8:35-36). The love of God should be my most prized possession because it is what best defines Him(1 John 4:16).

There is no hurdle so high that the love of God is not higher still.

Life is hard.  I am constantly faced with those who seem out to get me, with accusations that seem impossible against which to defend, and difficulties that threaten to block God's love from my life.  Thankfully, there is no obstacle so great that God is not bigger still.  This day, then, I desire to live the life of a perfectly protected, eternally justified, and wholly loved conqueror!

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I will focus on what God has done instead of what I think is lacking.

When does my enemy seem formidable?

How do I live as a victim instead of as one who has God as her Warrior?


Originally published on February 18, 2014