_________________________________________________ JOSHUA 1:5-7a
_________________________________________________ ““No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you. Be strong and of good courage, for to this people you shall divide as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law…”“ There’s a rule at work in our lives and in our walks with the Lord that we would do well to heed. There is a reality with God that says true power and life is found in a strength that can only come out of weakness. In Matthew 5, Jesus said, “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” If we desire the Lord’s blessing, then we must learn what it is to be meek, for the proud will not inherit anything from Him. In this eternal truth, we see Joshua who learned real power for living a real life in his weakness. This is contrary to what our world demands. The world tells us that in order to be strong and powerful we must first build ourselves up and seek strength and dominance over others by being number one. However, the Bible says that this wisdom is worldly and is of the wicked one. Today, Christians everywhere are keenly interested in how to be increasingly relevant and that is a good thing. But for us to be relevant we must be power-filled and biblically authoritative. But whose power and authority are we talking about? Not ours – that is for sure, because blessed are you if you have come to the devastating reality that you have no power of your own to live the Christian life. Power and authority must come from God. Listen again to God’s Word to General Joshua, “…I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you.” By these words, I submit to you that Joshua suffered with a bit of timidity and was prone to fear. “Be strong and of good courage, for to this people you shall divide as an inheritance the land…” Did Joshua battle with a lack of courage? I think so. And again God says to him, “Only be strong and very courageous…” This tells me that there is hope for me. Here is our confidence: that we never look to methods, formulas, and techniques for becoming a powerful believer. If we do, the results will be very disappointing. The Lord has a different approach for us to take. He invites us to accept weakness in order to be strengthened. We do not become strong by embracing strength, but by embracing weakness! This is the secret of all spiritual power. When Joshua learned this secret he was able to say like Paul, “For when I am weak, then I am strong.” The secret of power is finding it outside of yourself and in the power of God the Holy Spirit. Believe on Him. Pastor Jack Have you been blessed by Pastor Jack’s Devotions? Email us now: CLICK HERE |