This verse from Joshua is one of my favorites. It is a promise that always brings me comfort and encouragement. Joshua 1:9 is one of the first verses I memorized and it has given me courage and assurance in many difficult situations.
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
Promise: God promises to be with me wherever I go and his presence will dispel fear and discouragement.
God knows that I get fearful and discouraged as I face the trials of living each day. The people and circumstances that surround me often can lead to discouragement, depression, fatigue and despair. Without God to give me encouragement, direction and courage, I can easily become overwhelmed. God faithfully reminds me that He is with me and His Spirit indwells me. He gives me the power to preserve and serve Him.
What I can know from this verse: God is greater than anyone that I might fear, God’s presence dispels fear, God is omnipresent, God is sovereign, God does not want me to live fearfully.
Lenten Reflections: Where am I letting the fears of my life overwhelm me? Where do I need to turn to Him and trust in His presence?
Seek today to practice God’s presence. Send up arrow prayers when in need. Ask God to be present with you during your day. Because Christ died on the cross and rose from the dead, I can have God with me at all times and do not have to live in fear! Praise God, Thank you Jesus!
Linda
Related Verses: Deuteronomy 31:6, Psalm 139:7-10, Matthew 28:19-20.
My post from Sunday, the 3rd Sunday of Lent, was about our eternal home. This is something promised to us by Christ. Today’s scripture adds details that are significant to each of us as we look forward to our home in heaven with Christ. Revelation 21:3-4.
“And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”
Promises: God promises that one day we will live with Him and those things that have caused us tears like pain and death will no longer exist.
I can’t imagine living a world where pain and sorrow do not exist. There would be no more death, accidents, disease, anger, hatred, wars, greed, envy, evil, or selfish ambition. Wow! That will certainly be a place to look forward to, however, that is not the most important feature of this new home. It will be a place where we live in constant communion with God. We get a glimpse of this when we read the Genesis account of the Garden of Eden. There Adam and Eve walked with God, talked and lived in perfect harmony with Him. Our finite minds cannot even grasp a world without evil, but God promises it will come in His time. I hope that knowing a bit about our eternal home will bring a smile to your lips and hope to your heart. Be encouraged today as you ponder what God had in store for our future with Him.
What we know from these verses: God desires that I be with Him and He with me, God has a future planned where I will be with Him eternally, God knows the things in my life that cause me tears and suffering, sin causes pain in our lives and our home with Him will be a ‘sin free’ enviornment!
Lenten Reflections: What excites you the most about your future home in heaven? How can you know for sure you are going there? (Faith in Jesus is required- John 3:16, 1 John 1:9, John 11:25.)
We need to trust God for the future and walk believing in His Word. God keeps His promises and will deliver us to our heavenly home. Because Christ died on the cross and rose from the dead, I can be assured of a heavenly home that will be a joyous place with Him!
Who told you about Jesus and the salvation He offered? Was it your parents, grandparents, a friend or neighbor? Or maybe you were reading God’s Word and knew in your heart that what God said was true and believed. Scripture tells us that believing comes from hearing Romans 10:17 “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.’ Our promise today comes from Genesis 12:3b.
…”and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”
Promise: All believers are blessed by Abraham’s faith that led to Christ.
Paul gives us additional information about the blessing to Abraham in Galatians 3:7-9. “Understand, then, that those who have faith are children of Abraham. 8 Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: “All nations will be blessed through you.” 9 So those who rely on faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.” Abraham was considered by God to be a man of faith as he answered God’s call and followed him to a new land. God considered Abraham’s faith and counted it to him as righteousness. Genesis 15:6 “Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him asrighteousness.” Just as Abraham received righteousness through his faith in God so we too receive our righteousness though faith in Christ.
Knowing that we have to hear or see God’s truth to bring us to faith in Jesus, who do you have to thank for telling you about Jesus? Christianity is just one generation away from extinction as you cannot get to heaven on someone else’s faith. You need your own faith in Christ. Abraham was faithful to pass on his legacy of faith to his sons and daughters. Who do you need to tell about Jesus today so that the gospel message can live on?
What do we know from this verse: God has a plan of salvation for all believers, God intends for us to pass it on to the next generation until Christ returns, Abraham’s faith had an effect on all believers.
Lenten Reflections: What is my legacy of faith? Whom have I told? Who do I need to tell about Jesus?
Think about God’s precious blessing though Christ. Pray for those who brought you to faith and for those who do not yet know Him.
Linda
Related verses: Galatians 3:7-9, Romans 1:16-17, Titus 2:11, Matthew 28:19-20, Matthew 24:14.
Each Sunday during Lent I have been highlighting something we have because of Christ’s work on the cross and resurrection. Salvation and Christ’s Righteousness is ours as well as the promise of an eternal home with Christ.
Scripture tells us that death is not the end for us as God has a home for us in heaven. 2 Corinthians 5:1 “For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.’
Jesus said words to comfort his disciples as his time on earth neared the end. These are familiar words giving us hope for a home in heaven with Jesus and Jesus’ promised return. Our home in heaven is not random or thrown together at the last minute but planned and prepared for us by God. John 14:1-4 “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. 2 In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. 4 And you know the way to where I am going.” We know the way because we believe in Jesus. Remember his familiar words in John 14:6 “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” The way is through faith in Jesus!
Because Christ died on the cross and rose from the dead, I can be assured of my home in heaven through faith in Jesus.
Jesus gave us a very precious promise in John 14:27. It is only one verse but packs complete hope and peace in a world filled with turmoil. Jesus knew the disciples would need these promises in the days ahead and so do we!
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.“
Promise: Jesus promises His peace that will keep us from worry and fear.
On those beauty pageant shows they would always ask the candidate what they wanted. So many said ‘world peace.’ Peace is always desired by people but it is something no amount of money can buy. No person can purchase it for you or give it to you. Only Jesus could promise His peace that transcends this world and is heavenly in nature. His peace will keep us from being troubled or fearful. Since we are often troubled or fearful, how do we access this peace? Jesus said he gives it to us. That would suggest that we need to ask Him for it when we are in need. Knowing that His peace is available for the asking, we need to prepare our hearts and minds to receive it. Being anxious or occupied with the world will keep us from getting His peace 100%. Focus, mindset and and open attitude are essential to receiving His blessing of peace.
What we know from this verse: Jesus promises me peace, Jesus gives peace, His peace brings calmness of spirit that dispels worry and fear.
Lenten Reflections: Are you pushing peace away by craving the world? Do you seek peace and ask God for it?
When I am frazzled and wanting some peace, I need to stop and think about Jesus, ask Him to intervene and give me His peace. He will. Because Christ died on the cross and rose from the dead, I can have peace in the midst of the storms of life. Thank you Jesus!
Linda
Related verses: John 16:33, Romans 8:6, Philippians 4:7 and 4:9, Psalm 34:14.
John 14:25-26 holds precious promises made by Jesus while he was with His disciples. Since we are followers of Jesus too, they apply directly to us also!
“These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you. 26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you
Promise: Jesus promised to send the Holy Spirit to help, teach and remind us all things He had said.
We know that the Holy Spirit arrived at Pentecost and indwelt the believers. His Spirit gave them power and motivated them to fulfill Jesus’ great commission given in Matthew 28:19-20. “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Jesus told the disciples to go to Jerusalem after his ascension and wait for the Holy Spirit to come. Acts 2:1-4 “When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. 2 And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. 3 And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.” The disciples depended upon the indwelling Holy Spirit to witness and live for Jesus. He taught them and helped them recall all the words of Christ recorded in the gospels.
We too received the Holy Spirit when we accepted Jesus into our lives. As we depend upon Him, read God’s Word and pray, the Holy Spirit works within to teach us and help us to align our thoughts with God. He reminds us of what we have read or studied in God’s Word so that we can apply it to our lives. He convicts us of sin and leads us in a process called sanctification. As believers we are in the process of becoming more and more like Jesus!
What we can know from these verses: God sent the Holy Spirit to counsel, teach, and help us remember what we learn about God and apply it to our lives.
Lenten Reflections: Am I open to the teaching and leading of the Holy Spirit? Do I try to quench the Spirit and do things my way? Where do I need the Holy Spirit’s help?
Leaning into the Spirit of God and accepting His leading shows maturity in the Christian life. Because Christ died on the cross and rose from the dead, I can seek guidance from the Holy Spirit and trust Him to guide me in God’s ways.
Linda
Related verses: Acts 1:8, Ephesians 1:13, Titus 3:5, Luke 24:49, Acts 2:33, John 15:26, John 16:13, 1 Corinthians 2:10.
Today’s promise was given to the people of Israel through Moses after 40 years of wandering and countless adventures with God. They were poised to enter the Promised Land and God wanted them to know they could count on Him in so many ways.
Deuteronomy 1:29-31“Then I said to you, ‘Do not be in dread or afraid of them. 30 The Lord your God who goes before you will himself fight for you, just as he did for you in Egypt before your eyes, 31 and in the wilderness, where you have seen how the Lord your God carried you, as a man carries his son, all the way that you went until you came to this place.’
Promises: God will go before me, fight for me and carry me protectively as a good Father does.
I particularly cherish this promise as it shows the heart God has for me, and how He cares about my wellbeing. He does not want me to live in fear of the problems or difficulties I will face in life but to take strength and courage from His promised presence. He will not wait for trouble to be present but will go before me preparing the way. When troubles and trials do come, and they will, He promises to fight for me. He has my back and wants me to succeed. Lastly, I love and take comfort in the image of God carrying me as one cherished and loved by Him. He knows what I need and will carry me without my even asking as He is my loving heavenly Father. He will always uplift, unburden and comfort those He loves.
What we can now from these verses: God’s presence dispels fear, God goes before me, God will fight for me, God loves me as His child and desires to protect me, God will see me safely to my appointed destinations in life.
Lenten Reflections: Am I pre-praying for events and thanking Him for His protection? Am I trying to fight my own battles or am I asking God to assist?
I have known God’s care as He has given me courage in times of great fear, hope when faced with adversity and comfort when broken hearted or in need of care. Because Christ died on the cross and rose from the dead, I can depend upon God’s loving care and protection. He will never leave me nor forsake me!
Linda
Related verses: 1 John 4:18, Isaiah 49:16, 25, John 1:12, Psalm 41:2, 2 Timothy 4:18, Nahum 1:7, Psalm 91:1-2.
Have you considered the fleetingness of life? We look around and nothing seems to stay the same and is all so temporary. Seasons come and go and people are born and die. When we compare this to the eternalness of God and His kingdom we see a different picture. 1 Peter 1:23-25 gives a comparison for us to consider and examine.
“since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God; 24 for“All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, 25 but the word of the Lord remains forever.” And this word is the good news that was preached to you.”
Promise: God promises that my new life in Christ comes from a living, eternal Savior and His Word will never fail or fade but will stand for ever.
Unlike our temporal body, our spiritual body in Christ is eternal. Even though we die, we will live on with Him as our soul, the spirit God gave us is imperishable. It will abide just as God will abide forever and we will be with Him. The comparison that Peter uses about withering grass and flowers is poetic language that comes from Isaiah 40: 6,8. Peter wants us to know that even though the world around us withers and dies, we will remain with God forever. God’s Word and His promises from His Word are eternal. Peter desires that we believe this about our future and see this as good news. The Good News that Jesus has to offer from His suffering on the cross and His resurrection brings a saving faith to each of us. Through Christ we can see the true nature of who we are in Christ, for we are His eternality.
What we can know from these verses: Newbirth comes from God through Christ, God and His Word are eternal, Christ is the living word of God, things on earth are temporal, knowing Jesus brings good news to everyone who believes.
Lenten Reflections: Do I have this eternal life or am I still on the fence deciding if Jesus is right? If this is your question consider these verses in Romans 3:10-12, John 3:16, 1 John 1:9. After praying and confessing, ask Jesus to come into your life and then rejoice as He lives within you! Read these passages to confirm your new faith. John 1:12-13 and 2 Corinthians 1:21-22.
Knowing Jesus changes our lives and gives us an eternal perspective on life. Because Christ died on the cross and rose from the dead, I can trust in the eternality of God, His Word and my place with Him forever. Thank you Jesus for your assurances and the hope that they bring.
Linda
Related Verses: Romans 6:4, Psalm 90:1-2, Psalm 119:89, 160, Ephesians 2:5, 1 Peter 1:12, 2 Timothy 4:17-19, Ephesians 1:3 and 2:6.
This is a precious promise from Isaiah that we can claim over our lives and depend upon. Isaiah 51:15-16
I am the Lord your God, who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar— the Lord of hosts is his name. 16 And I have put my words in your mouth and covered you in the shadow of my hand, establishing the heavens and laying the foundations of the earth, and saying to Zion, ‘You are my people.’”
Promise: God promises to give me His words and protect me with the shadow of His hand.
Isaiah tells us that God is creator as He has established the heavens and laid the foundations of the earth. The waves, sky, sun, etc are all His. We are part of His creation established by Him. He has promised to cover and protect me with the shadow of His hand and give me the words I need when speaking about Him. I do not need to be afraid to tell others about Jesus as He will protect me because I belong to Him! Scripture often refers to the shadow of God’s wings as a place of safety. Psalm 91:1-2 “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. 2 I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” Anyplace guarded by God is safe for us!
What we can know from these verses: God is creator and knows His creation personally, God is Almighty and there is none greater than Him, God desires to use me for His work, God chose me to belong to Him.
Lenten Reflections: Am I actively praying for God’s protection and guidance in my life? Where has God given me opportunities to speak about Him?
I love to think of God’s protective hand over my life and His words guiding me as I speak about Him. It makes me feel loved and valued. Because Christ died on the cross and rose from the dead, I can trust that God is active in my life and will provide me with opportunities to speak out for Him. Thank you Jesus for your abiding faith and protection of me.
Linda
Related verses: Psalm 5:11-12, Psalm 121:1-2, Matthew 10:17-20, 2 Timothy 3:16-17.
Today’s verses are often quoted when speaking about the sacrifices missionaries make in choosing to go to foreign lands to preach and teach about Jesus. However, there are applications we can make for these verses to our own lives in the city, suburbs, country or wherever God has placed us.
Matthew 19:29-30 And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life. 30 But many who are first will be last, and the last first.
Promise: God promises generous blessings and eternal life to those who sacrifice and put Him first in their life.
These verses are about priorities and putting God first. This maybe harder, if say you choose to believe in Jesus, and your family rejects you. But, choosing to follow Jesus takes full commitment and rejection of the world and its ways that surround us. Jesus warned the disciples, in John 15:18 “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you.’ We are to be in the world but not of the world.
Keeping the mindset of Jesus first in our lives opens us to receive his promised eternal life and blessings upon blessing. Jesus is sovereign and controller of all things and circumstances and giving him our praise, honor and heartfelt devotion He promises will result in our blessing. The blessings Jesus refers to are both physical and spiritual! Romans 5:17 speaks of the difference, “For they were pleased to do it, and indeed they owe it to them. For if the Gentiles have come to share in their spiritual blessings, they ought also to be of service to them in material blessings.” The new Gentile believers were to share in Christ’s blessing through faith in Jesus. In Ephesians 3:1 Paul explains “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places,” Our blessings may be tangible- here on earth, but most assuredly they are spiritual. These spiritual blessings like salvation, righteousness, a heavenly home, a loving forgiving Savior, etc. are priceless. Putting Christ first takes prayer, commitment, study of His Word, faith, dedication but most of all a passionate love for Jesus and what He did for us on the cross!
The order of God’s kingdom is unlike the world’s kingdom. The best, most aggressive and accomplished will not be first. The humble with a servant attitude who love Jesus beyond measure- those will be the ‘first’ in God’s kingdom. Remember when thinking about this Isaiah 55:8-9 “For my thoughts arenot your thoughts, neither are your waysmyways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so aremyways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
What do we know from these verses: God honors sacrifices made in His name and for His purpose, God can bless beyond our greatest imagining, God is eternal and promises life with Him, God’s reward system is not like earthly man made plans and is at his direction.
Lenten Reflections: Where do I need my priorities adjusted? Are my goals more worldly or spiritually motivated? Where am I seeing God’s blessings in my life? Count away!
These verses hold me accountable for runaway goals that are worldly. They help to ground me and point me towards having Jesus’ as the main focus in my life. Because Christ died on the cross and rose from the dead, I can keep my priorities and focus aligned with Jesus and will open myself to untold blessings. His blessings will be for now and eternity!
Linda
Related verses: Jeremiah 29:11, Romans 5:17, Ephesians 3:1, John 5:24, Isaiah 55:8-9. Genesis 15:1.
Fearless Living 