Sometimes in the quiet hours of early morning the Lord blesses me in the most unexpected ways.
Every morning of late Jackson, my three-year-old son, has been getting up incredibly early and I find myself grumbling from the struggles of the day before or worse even dreading the struggles of the day to come.
But not Jackson. The very FIRST thing he does each morning is find the light. Sometimes the light gets in through the expected places and sometimes it gets in through the unexpected places.
Regardless, he goes to it, he squats down and he basks in it. After he rests in this light, he then goes and get his “friends for the day” and he holds them up in the light too. He share this light with those closest to him.
What a beautiful picture of the grace God gives us each day. Grace that enables us to give grace to others. A picture of how His mercies are new each morning. This morning I stopped and rested in the light with Jackson. We prayed and I paused, humbly accepting that I once again have began to rely on myself more than Jesus to get through the hard. I grabbed my Bible and spent some time in the light. I found rest at the feet of Jesus, I found rest soaking in HIS word.
Children are a blessing from God in profound ways.
Jackson has a way of reminding me what is important when I forget. For a season I found myself sitting with him (still do) for long hours through the night – often beside the bathtub trying to soothe him. During that season the Lord impressed on my heart, “If you cannot even be still for your son, how than can you be still for me?”.
This season the Lord is using Jackson to remind me that life is found in the light of the world. In the life and grace of Jesus.
Lord forgive me, and help me to not resent these moments and days and months of intense pressure. Help me to recognize the gifts of these moments to help me to strive to enter the rest that is coming. Help me to do all things in the strength that YOU Lord provide.
“Jesus called a little child to him and put the child among them. Then he said, “I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven. So anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven. “And anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf is welcoming me.” Matthew 18:2-5 NLT
Studying in Joshua this morning and it gave me a great opportunity to reflect on how we (society) define leadership and success in the world, versus how we define these two things Biblically as Christians.
God gave success to the Israelites when they obeyed His plan and not their own.
Victory came when they trusted in the Lord; not in their own military or material wealth.
Just this week I had the opportunity to present for a speaking engagement as the Executive Director of the non-profit I work for. The group we were speaking for had chosen three non-profits to present and one of those would be awarded a nice donation to their program.
Leading up to this event I found myself asking the Lord to use this as an opportunity to glorify Himself in some way. I asked the Lord to help me lead with grace and humility and for His Will to be done EVEN IF that meant my program not being chosen.
In the past, I had the tendency to only consider an opportunity successful based on the accolades gained. I would burn myself out from exhaustion and the pressure to perform perfectly to a standard that no human is capable of. Thankfully, Christ has freed me from all of that. It is not through I but in Him that all things are accomplished.
I did lead with grace, the Lord blessed me with wisdom, and my program DID NOT get chosen for the award but the program who had the greatest need DID. After the presentations and awarding I was able to genuinely congratulate and celebrate the winner, something that I noticed not every leader did. As I was packing to leave several individuals came up with personal donations of their own to my program and while this amount was less than what the award would have been, the hearts behind the giving was MORE.
Isn’t that just like God to double the blessing, to take what little we have to give and to fill our cups until they are overflowing.
It is key that we pursue God’s standard for success rather than the world’s. Worldly success is subjective and never satisfied, success in the Lord is true and never changing.
D.L. Moody wisely said, “Our greatest fear should not be of failure, but of succeeding at something that doesn’t really matter.”
Success equates obedience! Success is not controlling others but it is allowing yourself to be controlled by God! Our examples of success comes from God’s word. Biblical success is evidenced by humility, grace, wisdom, and patience.
This mornings passage also gave me some reflection on leadership. Joshua is an example of an excellent leader. Joshua was confident in God’s strength and this made him courageous in the face of opposition and kept him seeking God’s advice!!
Strong leaders are led by God.
Joshua taking over as leader following Moses’s death had to be difficult for the people; as it is for any of us when we go through leadership changes. As a society we have seen the difficulties of leadership changes nationally – and locally. With this we have seen how those of the world have responded and the contrast of how those who are in Christ have responded. Christians have the hope that is stored up in Christ, Christians have the cross.
A few Biblical principles that we can remember when we are struggling with what the world is calling “leadership” and “success”.
1. God’s leadership can always be trusted. (Isaiah 48:17-18).
2.Whomever He appoints over us, we are called to pray for them. (1 Timothy 2:1-3)
3. We are called to submit to God’s Word as the ultimate authority, be subject to our governing authorities, (Romans 13:1) and follow godly leaders as they follow Christ. (1 Corinthians 11:1)
Act today on what you know God has said, and He will assure your success in carrying out His purposes!
Joshua 24:15, “But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve… But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord”.
Joshua 9:1-18, “7The Israelites replied to these Hivites, “How do we know you don’t live nearby? For if you do, we cannot make a treaty with you.” 8They replied, “We are your servants.” “But who are you?” Joshua demanded. “Where do you come from?…14So the Israelites examined their food, but they did not consult the Lord. 15Then Joshua made a peace treaty with them and guaranteed their safety, and the leaders of the community ratified their agreement with a binding oath. 16Three days after making the treaty, they learned that these people actually lived nearby!
Reading through this passage in Joshua made me consider the amount of times that I am caught up with myself and what I think is best or right – that I FAIL TO CONSULT THE LORD!
There is a ton going on in this passage. We have a group of Kings joining together to come against Joshua and the Israelites, then there is the people who are in the land afraid, and then we have Joshua who is now leading the Israelites and constantly assessing their state of affairs and their next moves, both militarily and practically.
When the Gibeonites came proclaiming to be from a distant land, the Israelites sampled the provisions BUT did NOT consult the Lord (Joshua 9:14). Because they failed to consult the Lord they were unable to see through the deception. Israel’s leaders were deceived. Despite the fact that God had already specifically instructed them not to enter into any treaties with the inhabitants of Canaan (Ex. 23:32; Deut. 7:2; 20:17-18).
Joshua knew enough as a strategist to consult the Lord before going into battle – but the peace treaty (covenant) seemed innocent. However, by failing to go to God for guidance they ended up dealing with a lot of angry people and an awkward alliance.
Joshua failed to consult the Lord.
How often do you do the same?
For me personally, I struggle in new situations or changing situations to take the time to slow down and consult with the Lord. So much so, that sometimes I do not even realize the situation at hand is the vehicle God is using to answer my prayers. I forget about the promises God has already given me. I start hustling and depending on my self before I even realize it.
I do not intentionally not consult the Lord.
However, I can fail to be Intentional in consulting Him.
Therefore, I must be intentional with my attention, and actively look for, wait on, and be still for the Lord.
In the example we see here in Joshua, God uses this situation for good even still! Just like He has done for me and probably you too so many times! Such a merciful God!
Romans 8:28-29, ” And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. 29For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn.
Joshua reminds us that even the best human leaders are fallible and fall short. God was setting the foundation for His Son Jesus, whom would come to be the perfect Prophet, King, and Priest.
Because of the treaty entered into between the Gibeonites and Israelites, the Gibeonites had
The opportunity to come to know God.
The Gibeonites got to experience God’s grace by the security and protection they now had from the Israelite nation.
Because of this covenant the Gibeonites turned from their false gods and came to know the God of Israel.
We share something with the Gibeonites in that we too experience God’s mercy and grace – through our salvation found in Jesus Christ. While we were still sinners He sent Jesus for us (Romans 5:8).
We have the opportunity to know Jesus Christ as our Savior. (see John 3:16)
We get to experience God’s grace when we accept His Son, Jesus, as Lord of our life. This grace is sufficient in all things. (see John 1:16; 2 Corinthians 12:9).
Because of the fulfilling of the law, through the death of Jesus on the cross, completed in His resurrection, we are no longer slaves to sin and death but have been born again through the Spirit (see Romans 6:11).
While Israel needed to be made right with God again and again (Jos. 24), Jesus died for all who would trust in Him to be made right with God forever (Jn. 3:16).
The work has been finished (Jn. 19:30); when life gets busy or your mind is overwhelmed by the chaos, in ALL things, go to the ONE who holds ALL things together.
When we consult with the Lord, we find peace. In His word we find life and wisdom. When you intentionally seek Him – He will direct your paths.
Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”
But you are a God of forgiveness, gracious and merciful, slow to become angry, and rich in UNFAILING love… this is your God who brought you out of Egypt.
Just a few days ago I found myself in the book of Nehemiah. This is not a book that I am familiar with and I was struck by the people’s prayer and confession of their sins in chapter 9. Their confession comes AFTER reading God’s law, for three hours they read and for three hours they confessed. Then they prayed! It was during their prayer that I felt tears well up in my eyes. My tears began to fall as I read the history of Israel and of the works God had done, this was an efficient way to remind the people of their great heritage and God’s promises. Isn’t it just like US to forget?
I was humbled by the reality of God’s goodness, ready to pardon our sins, when we appropriately come to Him in humility and repentance. I was taken back in my memory to the times God has pardoned me; taken back to times before I knew Him personally and I was relying on my SELF. The Israelites were no stranger to periods of intense rebellion and sin, yet they also were no stranger to God’s unfailing love, goodness, and mercy either! The same for me. Perhaps, this is true for you too?
Nehemiah 9:33, “Every time you punished us you were being just. We have sinned greatly, and you gave us only what we deserved. Wow! Feeling convicted? I know I was! I unknowingly often forget the amount of times God has forgiven me, and how reckless I can be with that forgiveness.
Ruth Schwenk puts it this way, “Yes, sometimes my experience of God doesn’t match my expectation of God, but that is not evidence of the absence of God.
I have a deep history of trauma that includes sexual abuse, trafficking, drug addiction, and self harm. I have been clean and sober for 14 years now thanks to the GOODNESS OF GOD! But the journey to get here, like the journey of Israelites, could have been so much shorter had I been obedient and faithful; had I been trusting the Lord FULLY. It took me a long time to understand why when I prayed to be free from drug addiction I did not receive a radical transformation; yet, when I prayed for deliverance from my self-harm I did receive a radical deliverance. I received FREEDOM. This is by no means a blanket statement on the greatness of God’s sovereignty, I share as a caution. A caution to reflect on yourself and posture before the Lord. Are you wanting deliverance in order to step more fully into God’s design for you or are you seeking deliverance so your life can be easier.
For me, drug addiction was a nuance and a complication, I could see it hurting others around me in a practical way. I could also hide it and excuse it away. For self harm, my posture was very different. I was afraid I would loose my life, I was afraid of the scars and marks it was leaving all over my body. I was afraid that the act of self harm was more offensive to the Lord because of the work He done on the cross to PARDON ME! I prayed consistently for a year solid, I offered the Lord all I had at the time and that was humble, raw, and honest prayer. I lamented, I yelled, I pleaded, and I BOWED down. I remember very clearly when the Lord gave me a message, dropped right into my heart.
I have come to learn that this is called a Rhema word, in Greek this literally means an “utterance” or “thing said”. He gave me a word and after, in His sovereignty, it was confirmed even more when a stranger gave me a verse.
He spoke into my heart, in the firmest but gentlest voice, “Were my wounds not enough for you?” What seemed like the next day someone handed me a folded piece of paper with 2 Corinthians 12:9, “But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” That day my soil became more fertile, the seeds of the yester-years sprouted forth. I never self harmed again. I would continue to struggle with drug addiction and relapses after that, but I can now see how my choices put me in the wilderness and how the Lord worked those things for my good. I grew in grace, I learned to trust in Him more fully, I learned WHO my Heavenly Father was. And let me tell you, He is so much more than I realized! I also learned that the Lord truly will provide all we NEED. Notice I said “NEED” not want.
Like the Israelites, it serves us well to remember our personal history. This will help us to avoid making the same mistakes of our past and equally important, I think it serves as a reminder to our spiritual growth and can help us identify patterns, recognition of these things will help us to become the kind of person God wants us to be.
God puts no limits on the amount of times we can come to Him to obtain His mercy – BUT – WE must Come, in order to receive it.
Psalm 40:1-3, “I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry. 2 He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. 3 He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear the Lord and put their trust in him.
We serve a gracious and merciful God – this should cause you to take a look at your own life, sometimes we take for granted today’s provisions and today’s grace.
If you have something in your life, a addiction like me or a reoccurring difficulty continue to to ask God for help AND be prepared to make changes! Changes in BOTH attitude and behavior. God will meet us where we are BUT He does not expect us to stay there… your hurt or your trauma may not have been your fault but it is your responsibility to go to God for healing, to receive the grace, mercy, and most importantly the freedom He has for you.
I like the way Matthew Henry puts it in his commentary on Nehemiah 9, he says, “Let all remember that pride and obstinacy are sins which ruin the soul. But it is often as hard to persuade the brokenhearted to hope, as formerly it was to bring them fear…”
Jesus paid it all on the cross. Your sins have been paid for in full. Approach His throne today and receive the grace and the healing – THE LIFE – He has for you!
We have a God who is ready to pardon, the ransom has been paid, do not let your sense of unworthiness keep you away.
Hebrews 4:16, “Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
The Meek Momma 