Imagine receiving a commission from the Lord to lead his people - taking them into vast new areas, experiencing tremendous blessings, and facing 'giants' and 'difficulties' like they had not faced before. Now, imagine being a little overwhelmed by it all, kind of doubting your abilities, and fearing what was ahead of you on that mission. You are probably wondering if those who will follow you will continue to do so even if you mess up from time to time. You might even be second-guessing your every move up to this point, even though God says he will be with you. You aren't alone in your doubts, fears, or 'mess up' moments, my friends, but when God calls, he also equips. To hear from God is both a privilege and a tremendous responsibility. We must take both very seriously.
After the death of Moses the Lord’s servant, the Lord spoke to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ assistant. He said, “Moses my servant is dead. Therefore, the time has come for you to lead these people, the Israelites, across the Jordan River into the land I am giving them. I promise you what I promised Moses: ‘Wherever you set foot, you will be on land I have given you—from the Negev wilderness in the south to the Lebanon mountains in the north, from the Euphrates River in the east to the Mediterranean Sea in the west, including all the land of the Hittites.’ No one will be able to stand against you as long as you live. For I will be with you as I was with Moses. I will not fail you or abandon you. (Joshua 1:1-5)
After the death of Moses the Lord’s servant, the Lord spoke to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ assistant. He said, “Moses my servant is dead. Therefore, the time has come for you to lead these people, the Israelites, across the Jordan River into the land I am giving them. I promise you what I promised Moses: ‘Wherever you set foot, you will be on land I have given you—from the Negev wilderness in the south to the Lebanon mountains in the north, from the Euphrates River in the east to the Mediterranean Sea in the west, including all the land of the Hittites.’ No one will be able to stand against you as long as you live. For I will be with you as I was with Moses. I will not fail you or abandon you. (Joshua 1:1-5)
When God asks us to lead others, there comes this moment of tremendous 'weight' that somehow lands upon our shoulders. It is as though Satan knows God will be with us, but he wants to make the task ahead of us seem way too overwhelming. That 'weight' isn't meant for us to carry - if God is with us, he bears the burden - we are just his hands and feet! In those moments between the 'commission' to the fulfilment of the 'mission', we might feel more than a bit nervous, anxious, and even a little intimidated. Those are natural feelings, but we must never forget God is asking us to do more than 'natural tasks' - they are supernatural!
We can have one of two responses to God's calling - either we will embrace it and move into it, or we can sit there where we are and just 'drift along' as though God had never called us. The opportunities are set out ahead of us, but we often react to the circumstances rather than responding to the opportunities. We find the 'circumstances' daunting, but God wants us to see the opportunities he will guide us through. If we rise up when he calls, he will 'supernaturally' strengthen our feeble knees. If we will arm ourselves with the full armor of Christ, he will 'supernaturally' give us victory over the worst of our foes. We want to cower - he wants us to tower. Just sayin
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