Service & Experience

Israel served the Lord throughout the lifetime of Joshua and of the elders who outlived him and who had experienced everything the Lord had done for Israel.

Joshua 24:31

There is something almost mystical, almost magical about serving Christ. Somehow when we seek to serve the Lord he allows us to see his power, his faithfulness, his mercy, grace and forgiveness in ways we might not normally experience them. 

It's that place where God works in our lives in such a way that by faith we know that it is God. There is a difference from when you hear about God providing for someone else and when he provides for you. Your testimony is yours. Remember how God revealed his love for you to you, how he forgave your sins and you gave you life to him? That is where God became real. 

Lord, I pray that we would experience all that you do and that we would serve you throughout our lives. I pray that our children and their children, until you come again, will experience everything you do and serve you throughout their lifetimes too. Praise be to you in us today!

Keep Holding Tight

But you are to hold fast to the Lord your God, as you have until now.

Joshua 23:8

Sometimes we just need to remember to hold on to the Lord our God, not ourselves, not our own wisdom and understanding, just remember to hold on to the Lord. 

Joshua and the Israelites had been taking the land. Under Joshua's leadership they were learning that God was faithful to fight their battles for them. Joshua knew his time was just about up and he would soon go see the Lord. He gives the Israelites good advice. Keep holding fast to the Lord. 

Isn't it easy after you have had some victories to sort of take your foot of the gas? Maybe make a few "treaties" with the enemy, let down your guard. But, Joshua told the people to keep holding fast. Thanking God for the victories and remembering that it's all about the Lord's faithfulness. 

Hold tight because the Lord is holding on to you!

Remember, God is Great

Choose a Good Day

And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia. 

1 Thessalonians 1:7

A blessed Monday to you all.

I want to encourage you to continue in your efforts to follow Christ. Imitate Christ. Imitate those who humbly and faithfully seek to follow the Lord. 

At work I like to greet people with "Happy Monday!" I don't say that to be glib because I view it more of a choice. I choose to find a way to make this a good day. The way I know best to do that is to seek to glorify Christ and serve others. This is and act of faith, prompted by the love of Christ for me, that gives me hope. I think that's a good model to seek to live like. 

Be blessed today. Choose to have a good day glorifying and serving Christ and others. Be a model of faith, hope and love.

Drive Them Out

Joshua was telling the tribes of Joseph, Ephraim and Manasseh, that even though the enemy was well equipped and strong, with God's help, they could take them. Here's the deal: we often look at the strength of the enemy that is all around us and fail to know that God and his army is all around them. Greater is he that is with us than he that is in the world! Yes, the enemy will resist, but God will grant the victory.

Remember, there are areas of our lives that God wants us to live by faith in. Our marriages, families, finances and more, are areas that he should be reigning. There may be struggles but, his peace should reign. So, go ahead and take the land and through prayer and faithful obedience, drive out the enemy.

The Two Sides of Imitation

You became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you welcomed the message in the midst of severe suffering with the joy given by the Holy Spirit. And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia. 

1 Thessalonians 1:6-7

Imitation can have two sides. One one side you imitate someone you admire and on the other side someone imitates you. The Thessalonians first imitated Paul and his team and then naturally became examples to other Christians. 

When I was in elementary school I loved recess because we would play whatever sport was in season. I remember playing football and everyone would imitate whoever they thought was a good player. At the time, and I am dating myself here, there were a few people I liked to try to run like. One was Larry Csonka and the other was O.J. Simpson. Csonka had the power and O.J. the moves and speed. I would get the ball, call out the person's name I thought I was running like and then go at it! 

As a Christian there has been a few people I have found to be worthy of imitation. Humility and a servants heart are the two qualities I admire. Godly humility is knowing who you are in Christ, and that you are who you are by the grace of God. Christlike serving is serving others, even those who don't appreciate it. 

One last thought is that Paul said that the Thessalonians "welcomed the message in the midst of suffering". The implication is that following Christ is not always easy, rather, to the contrary, it is often difficult. There will be trials. There will be tests. Christ leads us to victory, but, there will be warfare. Paul, endured everything from shipwrecks to imprisonment, dealing with false teachers (seeking to undermine his work) to be stoned and left for dead. Yet, he pressed on and fought the good fight, spreading the gospel wherever he could. Who did he imitate? Christ. 

Battle Up