Thursday, June 9, 2011

The Challenge

Day one hundred sixty

Today I had the opportunity to teach seminary.  I chose to teach a lesson on the power of spirituality.  We had fun talking about super heroes and what super powers we would like to have.  And then we talked about our spiritual gifts or spiritual powers and how much greater they are than any super hero powers.  We talked about how spiritual power changes people’s hearts and makes them a better person, something super powers can't always do.  We talked about ways to feed our spiritual powers and how to prevent ourselves from becoming super villains instead of super heroes.

I know that it is important for the youth to recognize the goodness within them and to realize they have more power than they think they do.  So my prayer this morning was directed towards the youth and their need to rely more on their spiritual gifts.  I asked the Lord to bless them with the ability to see themselves as He does and to help them recognize their potential.  I asked that His Spirit might be with them today and guide them in the right direction.  They had a good start today, because they already left a great impression with me! 

Joshua Chapter 1

Yesterday I talked about the call to claim the land of Canaan, today I would like to talk about the challenges given so that the Israelites could prepare to go into the land.

The Challenge (vv 10-15)

After Joshua receives his challenge from the Lord, without hesitation, he goes to the people and tells them that the time has come to take their land. First, he challenges the nation as a whole and then he addresses a specific group within the nation of Israel. 

A challenge to be ready (vv 10-11) - Joshua tells the heads of the families and the tribes to get the people ready to go into Canaan and claim the land. These were the words they had been waiting to hear for 40 years. The people of Israel are told that God wants them to prepare some food. You see, the manna was about to stop. God had told them that He would give them manna while they were in the desert, but it would cease when they entered the Promised Land (Ex. 16:35). The manna was desert diet, now they were about to move up to something a whole lot better. They were going to a land flowing with milk and honey. What had worked in the wilderness would not suffice in the land of blessing!

The same is true for us today. Before we can enter our Promised Land or achieve spiritual victories, we have to prepare. This might require us to change the way we live.  We need to think about the things we "feed" on.  Are we allowing only the good in?  For some the entire scope of their lives must be altered to adjust to life in Canaan.  It means letting go of certain negative aspects of their lives and replacing them with positive influences.  This is hard and one reason why so many never enjoy the blessings of a Christian life. They simply refuse to make the necessary changes to adjust to living in spiritual victory. The fact is, if you expect to walk in victory, you will have to learn to walk by God's set of rules (Rom. 6:4; Col. 3:1-10.)

What will you have to do to get ready for Canaan? 

A challenge to responsibility (vv 12-15) - Now, Joshua addresses the tribes of Reuben, Gad and half the tribe of Manasseh. These tribes had sought, and gotten, permission from Moses to remain east of the Jordan, just outside the Promised Land. Their reason for making this request? The land east of Jordan was a land that was good for raising cattle (Num. 32:1, 4, 16). Still, Joshua reminds them that they had promised to fight alongside their brethren until the land was conquered (Deut 3:12-20). These people are challenged to remember their promise and to aid the nation until victory was secured.

What promises have you made to God that you need to keep?  Are there people in your life that need your aid so that they can have the blessings of spiritual victories in their lives?  These verses are a good reminder that we cannot sit back and enjoy our blessings while others are in need.  We have a responsibility to each other. We are called to lift each other up and to share each other’s burdens.  We have responsibilities and God expects us to fulfill them!

The big question today is:  Are we up to the challenge?  I hope so.  It will take some work, but we know we don't have to do it alone and that God is already putting the things we need in our lives to help us. If you are feeling a little overwhelmed with the challenges the Lord is giving you right now, here is something I recently read that might help you to understand why you have these challenges:

"Life's challenges are not supposed to paralyze you; they're supposed to help you discover who you are!" ~ Bernice Johnson Reagon

Good luck with your challenges and I hope you enjoy discovering who you are today!

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