Courageous Faith

Sunday morning Gail ended with the challenge to fear not, but be courageous. She used Joshua chapter 2 to develop this talk. In this chapter, Joshua sent two spies to explore the land. They found refuge in the home of Rahab the prostitute. She hid them from the authorities and helped them to escape. Gail pointed out that it might have been a temptation for the spies to be in the home of Rahab, however, God knew what they could handle and they were able to resist any inappropriate actions. This serves as a reminder for us that God knows what we can handle. Whatever He calls us to do, He will also equip us to do. We will never be tempted beyond what we can bear.

Rahab had heard about the Israelites and what God had done. She believed that God had given the land into their hands. Rahab asked if she and her family could be spared from the destruction that was to come. Because of her belief in God and her true friendship to the spies, God did spare her and her family. As a result, Rahab became the mother of Boaz who was in the lineage of Jesus. She is a true testament to God's saving power in our lives. Her past was forgiven and she was made new. We too can be transformed.

Photo Credit
The spies showed courageous faith in entering the enemy's land. Rahab showed courageous faith in helping the spies. We too can show courageous faith. Just as Joshua asked, we too should ask, "What does the Lord want me to do?" (Joshua 5:14) God's instructions are clear. We are to trust Him and follow His commands.

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go. -Joshua 1:9

 We ended the morning with the following poem and video:

God's Heart Psalm 37:1-6

I want you to stop worrying.
I want you to stop wondering what I am doing.
I want you to stop wondering why things are tough.
I want you to stop wandering away from Me, looking for other answers and lesser truths.
Stop wrestling. Stop wanting what someone else has.
Trust Me. You can trust Me.
Do good. Don't stop loving, teaching, serving. Don't stop giving. Don't stop obeying.
Dwell in the land and don't run from Me. Settle down in this life.
Settle in the ministry I have given you  right where you are right now.
Feed on my faithfulness - on Me. This is what you are hungry for.
Your fretting has depleted you - you are malnourished, dehydrated.
You need My living water.
You need Me, the living bread of life to nourish your soul; strengthen your spirit.
Open My Word. Read of My faithfulness. There is something for you on every page.
Remember the countless times I have been faithful to you in the past.
Realize My ways are above you, beyond you. My timing is different from yours.
Find your joy and delight in Me. Let it wash over you.
Let worship and praise to Me flow out of you; burst forth - 
As I give you, as you receive the true deep desires of your heart in Me and through Me.
Rest. I am your place of rest and peace. Enter into this relax in Me and wait for Me.
I'm coming again  - sooner than you think. I'm coming for you!
Nothing can keep Me from you.
Nothing can delay the day when I make you finally and fully mine!


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

5 Benefits of Being a Child of God

Image
In her book "Breaking Free", Beth Moore writes about five benefits God intends "to be the daily experience of every child of God." (p. 23) The first benefit is to know God and believe Him . Beth Moore writes that "one of your chief purposes on this planet is to know God intimately and with reverent familiarity. That intimate relationship begins, but was never intended to end, with what we call the 'salvation experience.' So the first question to ask yourself is, Have you received Christ as your personal Savior?" "One of the most beautiful elements of salvation is its simplicity. Christ has already done all the work on the cross. Your response includes four elements: 1) Acknowledge that you are a sinner and that you cannot save yourself. 2) Acknowledge that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and only He can save you. 3) Believe that His Crucifixion was for your personal sins and that His death was on your behalf. 4) Give Him your life and
Read more

Fuel Up with the Holy Spirit

Image
 “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.” John 14:26 Once we decide to get on the road with Jesus, we discover that the Bible is like a road map for our journey; helping us to live in a way that pleases God. If we spend time in the Word everyday, we will grow to be more like Jesus. A car needs gasoline in order to work. In order for you to keep going, you have to fill the tank up. Well, just like our physical bodies need food for energy, and cars need gasoline in order to go, our spiritual bodies need a kind of fuel too. This "fuel" is the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit gives us wisdom and energy for life. We know that God created us. We know that Jesus saved us. But you might wonder who the Holy Spirit is. In John 14:16-17 we see that before Jesus was going to die on the cross, He told the disciples that God would send another Helper to help them. This w
Read more

The First Four Commandments

Image
The first four commandments tell us how we are to conduct ourselves before God. We can fulfill these first four commands by praying about our needs, thanking and praising God, using God’s name respectfully and taking time to rest and meditate on God’s Word.  –Exodus 20:1-8 The basic code in Israel’s divine law is found in Exodus 20:2-17; elsewhere it is called the Ten Commandments. The Hebrew words for Ten Commandments literally mean “Ten Words”. (Study note for Exodus 20:1) The Ten Commandments begin with the statement “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.” (Exodus 20:1) Warren Wiersbe points out that the phrase “I am the Lord your God” is used five times in this section (vv. 3, 5, 7, 10, 12) to show that God is the authority behind these commands and they weren’t just Moses’ opinions. The study note for Exodus 20:2 tells us that the Ten Commandments reflect the structure of the treaties of the time period. First there was a preamb
Read more