We all like some of the ruts we are in, don’t we? They can be just a comfortable habit, a safe routine, or simply the easiest way to live. Quite often we don’t even recognize when we are stuck in a certain way of thinking or living. It is easy to become complacent and rather comfortable with our existence even when we know there could be so much more to experience. New challenges and opportunities often feel risky and scary and so we hold on to the status quo rather than considering other options. It is all too natural to pretend that we are content in the “wilderness” when Jesus is calling us to move on to the Promised Land – the place where He will give us the courage and strength that we need to defeat the enemies that we are facing, the place where we can experience so much more of His blessings and provisions of peace and joy and purpose.
When God spoke to Joshua, he was ready and willing to move on. His immediate response to God’s call was to order the Israelites to get ready. They were finally going to claim the land that God had given them title to many generations before then. What do you think made Joshua so eager to respond to the Lord even though he knew that they would be facing very powerful enemies after they crossed the Jordan River? No doubt it was because of the amazing promises that God gave to him. He had learned over his life time that Jehovah could be trusted to do what He said He would do. He knew that God would make Him strong and courageous and successful if he continued to obey and to take seriously the Book of the Law which Moses had given to him. He knew that the Lord, his God, would be with him wherever he went, giving them victory over the Canaanites. His confidence was contagious and the whole nation got ready to move into the place where they would find God doing amazing things for them.
Could the Lord God be calling you to move on to a new way of thinking or a different way of living life? Do you think the Holy Spirit might be encouraging you to trust Him and accept a new challenge or opportunity? “Courage is not the lack of fear. It is acting in spite of it!” (Source unknown) Maybe it is time for you to GET READY, GET SET, and GO!
