Life is a journey, and every day is a few miles/kilometres in.
Like any journey, there will be some bumps in the road.
Pesky, downright disruptive snags like pot holes, crazy drivers, traffic, sink holes, construction, bad weather, and for a bit of dramatic flare, raging seas.
And if you, like Moses are called to lead, then you understand that leadership is servitude, which is in itself a trek of humility served on a platter of boldness, and liberally salted with courage; for the journey of dealing with your stuff, and that of others, while walking the path of divine purpose is almost never a straight road. Lest you think I am only speaking of pastors and ministers, you also are a leader. No matter how little the corner of your world, and small your stage, your life is telling a story, and someone is reading, watching and listening.
In the book of Joshua, God gives a passionate speech. I suspect it was because He knew that Joshua’s heart may cave under the pressure of the journey he was about to embark on. No way was he not intimidated by the big sandals he was about to fill. I mean Moses was the real OG. From the burning bush to heaps of miracles, including the blockbuster parting of the red sea. I mean, come on! So ya, God in His Fatherly way eases him in, with these rousing, confidence boosting, back straightening, head lifting, shoulder squaring, faith strengthening, comforting words; 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 or abandon you. While reading these words, I inserted myself into the scene, wearing Joshua’s chosen footwear of the day, slippers or sandals, standing in the same spot he was in, listening to the words of a Father, and allowing it sink deep into the fertile soil of my heart. It’s a tear jerker. Here is YAHWEH, the God who called the seen and unseen to be, stretching His arms from His throne toward Joshua, to let him know hey, I see you. Yes, Moses was pretty extraordinary, but so are you because I, the same God that was with him, is with you. This journey is not without my presence, providence or provision. A manifesto of love to His beloved.
My mother once said to my brother (actually, more than once); I can see seating, what you cannot see standing. It’s a variation of an African proverb, ‘what an old man sees sitting down, a young man cannot see standing up’, or ‘an old man sitting on a stool can see farther than a young man who has climbed a tree’. For the sake of life preservation, I would stare blankly, but respectfully at her. The eyes at the back of my head though, had no manners, and would do their own dance, rolling in scathing annoyance. These proverbs were vexing to hear as a child, and they made even less sense in my teenage years. But as an adult, yup, I get it.
Getting into your car with no planned destination, no GPS, a dead cell phone, a car overdue for servicing, with the fuel tank on E, on a sunny day is foolish; and a death trap on a day forecasted for a heavy downpour of rain, a snowy storm or a hurricane. In the same way that boarding a plane running on one unserviced engine, with a drunk and/or high flight crew for a long-haul intercontinental flight would be reckless, and possibly catastrophic.
Which leads me to a series of questions. Who is in the driver seat of your car (Jesus or…idols)? Are you keeping up to date with servicing your car (Spending time with God or…nah)? Do you have a destination in mind (clarity of purpose/vision or…nah)? Are you paying attention to your GPS as her British voice directs you (the Holy Spirit or…the backseat drivers)? Are you defensive driving (being alert or… distracted)? If you haven’t figured it out, the car is a metaphor your life, and these are the sort of questions I ask myself often, especially when I am being tossed about mercilessly by the issues of life.
God said to Joshua, Study my word. Meditate on it day and night. Be obedient to my instructions. Sage advise! God is 𝗢𝗺𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁, meaning He is all-knowing, all-wise and all-seeing. You and I cannot out-know God. We cannot out-see Him, and we sure cannot be everywhere at once. The human intelligence is impressive, but is a drop in the depths of His, if even. So, for the one feeling lost, can I encourage you to stay in His word this week. Can I urge you to hold fast to your Father’s words in Joshua 1:3-5? We are all on a journey, created on purpose for a purpose. Those words are as much for you and I, as they were for Joshua. Meditate on it, chew on it, churn it over in your heart. personalize it, believe it, declare it. Only then can you prosper, and succeed in everything you do.
I am so rooting for you!
Happy monyaaaaay!
Xo, Mel.
Ｉｍａｇｅ ｂｙ： ＠ｃｅｌｅｓｔｅｃｃｌａｒｋ
WateredSeed 