Timid people don't get the answers they desire

Give it everything you have, heart and soul. Make sure you carry out The Revelation that Moses commanded you, every bit of it. Don’t get off track, either left or right, so as to make sure you get to where you’re going. And don’t for a minute let this Book of The Revelation be out of mind. Ponder and meditate on it day and night, making sure you practice everything written in it. Then you’ll get where you’re going; then you’ll succeed. Haven’t I commanded you? Strength! Courage! Don’t be timid; don’t get discouraged. God, your God, is with you every step you take. (Joshua 1:9)

As we contemplate these words spoken to Joshua after the death of Moses, I want to focus on just a couple of things today. The instructions to never let God's Word be out of mind seem mighty important to me - God emphasized this a couple of times in one conversation! Anyone ever get 'off track' in life? I don't think I have ADHD, but I can be headed out to the shop to do one project, see something else that piques my curiosity or interest, and almost without any further thought, I am my headed to take on a totally different project. As a woodworking hobbyist, that isn't all that unusual - creative folks tend to 'wander' a bit in their creativity - almost allowing the wood to dictate what they will create. If I were to tackle life like I tackle some of my woodworking projects, I would be in a total mess! God focuses so intently on his Word because he knows we need a 'guide-book' of sorts to help us make life decisions. There are times I am at a loss when it comes to a family issue, or some niggling feeling that I am about to do something that will not turn out so well. If I didn't have God's Word to help me when I am squarely facing these issues, I would be sure to go down a wrong path more often than not! Why? I am not all that wise on my own! I need God's wisdom working in me and through me - so I 'digest' his Word on a very regular basis. 

The other thing that seems quite clear to me from this passage is that we all desire to succeed at things in life. I don't think this is a wrong ambition at all, but when pride gets in the way of us asking for help when we don't know what to do on our own, we can find ourselves in a muddle of a mess without any idea how we will ever get out of it! There are times I have been too 'timid' to ask for help - thinking others just expected me to know exactly what to do or how to respond. Timidity is really fear - the fear we will appear weak may just keep us from seeking the very help we so desperately need. There have been times when I just kept plugging away at the same old thing, wondering why I wasn't getting 'results'. Success evaded me, not because I didn't pursue it, but because I wasn't open to any other way of obtaining it! Courage is one thing, but the stubbornness that keeps us from admitting we don't possess all the answers will stop us dead in our tracks. We can have all the courage (determination) to see something through but lack the wisdom (know how) to get it done. If you are anything like me, asking for help may not come easily. When we stop long enough to recognize we cannot get new results by doing the same old thing, we may just stop long enough to ask for the help to see how we can do things differently. Just sayin!