One of the greatest gifts God has given us is vision for the future. Call it dreaming, hoping, or planning-it’s that powerful sense that says,”There is more.” Joshua was a faithful visionary-acutely aware of his need for strength to fulfill his calling. The weight of his task heightened his dependence on God.
A new year is here! What’s your vision for yourself, your family, your church, or your business? It will require actively facing forward, not dwelling on the past, & leaning into God’s strength. The God of history has a plan for your future. His plan for you will be good!!
All of us have to learn to follow Christ ALONE. I was 19 when He posed the question to my heart:”Will you FOLLOW Me?” I was a young sanguine whose life revolved around public opinion . In that moment, I knew exactly what He meant. Would I choose Him over people, loneliness over coolness, and the awful state of being misunderstood over being approved & celebrated? I still remember that moment-my heart sank at the cost & my fearful mind cowered at the prospect of walking away from my constructed life into the total unknown. Yet, in that moment, I remembered His companionship & His identity as One Who Knows Best. That day, in February 1988 & ALONE at the edge of a Brady Bunch green couch, I prayed (no Christian jargon had been learned yet!) “God, I want to give you a shot at running my life!” He flooded my puny heart with peace & wonder at what He might do with my handed-over life!
He’s given overwhelmingly to me & He wants to give do this for you ! First things first, you must sit ALONE with Him. Realize there’s cost. Others may not go with you. You’ll feel ALONE at many points of your trail. But let this sink deeply into you…the cost is minimal in light of the astounding plan He’s saving for you! His joy-yours. His power-yours. His constant friendship-yours. Ready? It’s your turn now, friend. Tell the King-Who-Stays-With-You that you want to follow Him! 😊
This has been a full & just plain hard week. So many people suffering & exhaustion settling in for all. What to do? How do you find strength? How do you smile again? I think it’s two-fold: Hope in God & celebrate the people He’s given you. In the midst of the downpour, lean in to Him. When surrounded by chaos, hold your people close. Tragedies-personal & corporate -always refine us to remember what’s most important. Strangely, we can sense a new peace. Ironically, pain brings perspective. We remember what we were made for: God & people.#lovegod#lovepeople#hurricane#hurricaneharvey#tragedy#pain#perspective#truth
