Being Prepared?
Last night I couldn't sleep; something was bothering me and I couldn't quite put my finger on it. I reached out for my Bible and did a random reading (just flipping it open and reading whatever) and it just happened to land on Joshua 11 and Psalm 3, which both have a lot to do with trusting God in difficult and seemingly impossible situations.
I know it sounds wierd, but I had a wierd stressed feeling, almost fear, while I was reading this. I felt uneasy with my surroundings and I had the distinct feeling that God was giving me this scripture to prepare me for something, although I can not say what. It just seemed like God was preparing to charge me with something diffiuclt, or at least uncomfortable, and that I would need to put my trust in Him to persevere. I spent a lot of last night worrying and contemplating, but I'm realizing today that by worrying I am rejecting the very lesson God wished to teach me.
In Joshua, Israel has to face an army that is "as numerous as the sand on the seashore." I can't even imagine what it would be like to be Joshua facing an alliance of kingdoms that far outnumbered me in everyway. But God said to him, "Do not be afraid of them, because by this time tomorrow I will hand all of them over to Israel, slain." That was the most impacting verse for me. Joshua will not just out-perform his enemy, or beat them, or drive them away, but he will be so victorious against his mighty enemy that he will slaughter every one of them. And God is faithful; He delivered just as He said. And in Psalm, David is being conspired against by many people he trusted, including his own son, but God pulled him out of it.
If God was faithful in these situations, why would He not be behind me 100 percent? Why should I fear anything on this Earth? Chances are whatever God has in store for me, it's going to be something far less extreme than battling an epic army, so why fear?! Why worry?!
A note about me before I conclude - this whole episode sounds strange, and when I verbalize what happened and how I think God is preparing me because I read a random Bible chapter it sounds silly, but I truly believe that it is in these ways that God speaks to us. I believe God speaks through his Word, and through manipulating the objets on this Earth, or our perceptions of them, to deliver messages to his people. This is not the first time I've had an experience like this, and I encourage everyone to be open to ways that God can speak to you.
I know it sounds wierd, but I had a wierd stressed feeling, almost fear, while I was reading this. I felt uneasy with my surroundings and I had the distinct feeling that God was giving me this scripture to prepare me for something, although I can not say what. It just seemed like God was preparing to charge me with something diffiuclt, or at least uncomfortable, and that I would need to put my trust in Him to persevere. I spent a lot of last night worrying and contemplating, but I'm realizing today that by worrying I am rejecting the very lesson God wished to teach me.
In Joshua, Israel has to face an army that is "as numerous as the sand on the seashore." I can't even imagine what it would be like to be Joshua facing an alliance of kingdoms that far outnumbered me in everyway. But God said to him, "Do not be afraid of them, because by this time tomorrow I will hand all of them over to Israel, slain." That was the most impacting verse for me. Joshua will not just out-perform his enemy, or beat them, or drive them away, but he will be so victorious against his mighty enemy that he will slaughter every one of them. And God is faithful; He delivered just as He said. And in Psalm, David is being conspired against by many people he trusted, including his own son, but God pulled him out of it.
If God was faithful in these situations, why would He not be behind me 100 percent? Why should I fear anything on this Earth? Chances are whatever God has in store for me, it's going to be something far less extreme than battling an epic army, so why fear?! Why worry?!
A note about me before I conclude - this whole episode sounds strange, and when I verbalize what happened and how I think God is preparing me because I read a random Bible chapter it sounds silly, but I truly believe that it is in these ways that God speaks to us. I believe God speaks through his Word, and through manipulating the objets on this Earth, or our perceptions of them, to deliver messages to his people. This is not the first time I've had an experience like this, and I encourage everyone to be open to ways that God can speak to you.
Labels: Christianity
posted by Matt Andrews at 11:52 AM
2 Comments:
Nice! It's weird how God speaks sometimes. I agree, we need to try and be more open to the ways God can speak. I also think that God speaks in different ways, so we don't need to feel invalidated like our faith isn't real or something. I believe God has spoken to me through scripture before - the most intimate times came when I was reading The Raggamuffin Gospel by Brennan Manning. Some of the scriputre that I went to through that book moved me in a way I can't begin to describe. Blog on man!
HMMM, nice, sometimes the armies we slain are not necessarily people or cirsumstances, but ideals we have had and things we have struggled with...and God says, hey that's not what I had planned for you and if you allow me to slay this through you, you may experience freedom in the land as you Trust me. I am not answering on behalf of God as to what you will face, but sometimes Our armies aren't what we think they may be...I just like God's words to Joshua in chapter 1:
" 6 "Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give them. 7 Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. 8 Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. 9 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."
Whatever the army is or may come to be, we must be strong and courageous...for the LORD OUR GOD will lead us.
Post a Comment
<< Home