Facing the Challenges of Life...

"...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 1:7-9 (The Message)

Life is filled with challenges...that's just the way it is. Truth is, you won't know victory until you have faced defeat. You won't appreciate joy, until you have endured heartache. You will never understand compassion, until you have needed it from another. How we face the challenges of life will determine whether we are overcome or we become overcomers.

You are familiar with this stage in the book of Joshua. The spies had just returned from scoping out the "promise land," and their report was both good and bad. Yes it was a land of milk and honey, but the bad news is that there were some big and mean warriors who currently occupied the land. Ten of the spies concluded that they could never defeat these people. The other two spies, Joshua & Caleb, agreed with the report but their conclusion was much different. They said, "We should go up and take this land, because God is on our side.

As you know, unfortunately the majority sided with the ten. As a result of their decision to follow the ten, the children of Isreal would wander for 40 years in the wilderness. They wander until every one of the adults living at that time had died. Everyone except, Joshua & Caleb.

I am certain that many of you reading this blog are facing the daunting Challenges of Life.

• You are facing a major decision
• You are concerned about your finances
• You are concerned about your children
• You are struggling to overcome your past failures
• Perhaps you are single parent, or simply find yourself to be all alone
• You are facing the Challenges of Life!

I have good news! In this passage we see a Promise.

6Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them. 7Only be thou strong and very courageous. 9Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest. (KJV)

When I am filled with worry, it is no comfort when I receive that tid-bit of advice... "Stephen, don't worry." When a person is afraid, it usually doesn't help to say "don't be afraid." When people tell us to be strong when we are feeling weak, we want to scream at that peson.

Notice in this passage though that God says to Joshua three time... "Be strong and courageous." The difference though is that God also gives him a reason why he should be strong and have great courage. The secret is because God isn't telling Joshua what "Joshua will or can do," He is telling him what "God will do!" What a difference that makes in our lives!

• You will lead the people to inherit the land I promised you because I am going to do something great through you!
• I am the one who has commanded you!
• I will be with you through the entire campaign...so be strong because I've got your back!

God isn't just telling Joshua to quit crying and suck it up, He is telling him that he can have courage because God has already guaranteed victory. Though they didn't posses the land yet, God had already given it to them. God didn't say victory would be easy, or that it wouldn't cost anything, but he did gurantee they would succeed by the strength of the Lord.

You and I need to understand that God never changes. Listen to what the writer of Hebrews says: "I will never leave you or forsake you" (Heb. 13.5) John would also remind us "Greater is He who is in you, than he who is in the world." (1John 4.4) And Jesus would proclaim "In this world you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer for I have overcome the world!"

As we face the Challenges of Life, God wants us to know that He has not left us to "fend for ourselves," He is with us! We do not have to rely on our own strength...our own widsom...our own finances...because He is with us and He is in us and His strength is sufficient for us!

Truth is...we can face most anything life throws at us when we remember and rest on the fact that we are the Children of God. His strong arm holds us up...His matchless wisdom guides us, and His unfailing promises makes our victory sure.

At the conclusion of every MDA telethon, Jerry Lewis sits on a stool and sings a little song to the children. Though they are facing an uphill struggle he sings:

"When you walk through the storm, hold your head up high. Don't be aftraid of the dark. At the end of the storm is golden sky and sweet silver song of a lark. Walk on through the wind; walk on through the rain, though you dreams be tossed and blown. Walk on, walk on, with hope in your heart for you never walk alone. You never walk alone."

It is my prayer that for 2009, that you will be assured that due to your loving Savior Jesus Christ...you never walk alone as you face the Challenges of Life.

Many Blessings!