Writing makes me lose track of time. On numerous occasions, I have been waiting for my husband will come home from work and I realize I haven’t started supper for Him. He will laugh and shame his head. And tell me that he’s not on a time schedule. I know that be it’s important for me to have supper ready for him after he’s put in a long day at work.
I also lose track of time when I’m reading God’s Word. Learning what He has to teach me through Him and His Word.
I lose track of time when I get to spend time with my children. They are so precious to me, even though they are adults. Life is short and I know that when the good Lord calls your number your time is up. I never take those precious times for granted.
There are some people who think their beliefs as 100% right. Which is fine. I believe that everyone has a right to believe whatever they want. But what bothers me the most is people trying to shove their beliefs down my throat.
If you don’t believe what you believe they call you names or tell you that you’re ignorant. Why can’t they accept that not everyone will accept their beliefs as truth? Why do they resort to name-calling and condemning and some times violence?
I think it comes down to a matter of trying to validate their own beliefs to themselves. It’s a mindset of “It’s not so much as I need other people to think I’m right, as I need other people to think I’m right.”
We live in a world today, where if you don’t believe what others believe, hate and violence ensue. Where unfortunately it seems a lot of people feel the need to validate their beliefs by getting others to believe them, and they can’t simply accept that others may have differing opinions.
We’ve probably heard about the Walls of Jericho and the Israelites. For Joshua and Israelite soldiers it seemed Jericho was impenetrable and impossible to overcome. However, Joshua led the soldiers to do what God had instructed. According to God’s promises and the Israelites being obedient. After 7 days of marching around Jericho the walls fell. I sure the people who lived in Jericho thought they were crazy. But Jericho fell in what led to an amazing victory for the Israelites by the power of God.
What lessons can we learn about Joshua the walls of Jericho, here are a few.
Follow God, even if the journey seems impossible or unexpected
The walls of Jericho should have been impenetrable. What Joshua and the Israelites were up against may have seemed impossible. But they followed God anyway with full trust and hope in His promise and faithfulness that He would indeed fight for them to claim the land that was promised to them. We can rest assured that even if the path seems impossible, or is not what we expected when we prayerfully follow God’s plan for us, it will be worth every step of the way.
It’s crucial to leans on God and put your trust in Him, because that is when the impossible can happen.
When we listen, we can hear God speaking to us.
God spoke to Joshua and Joshua listened. Because Joshua took the time to listen to God and seek His direction, he heard clearly from God what steps to take.
Today believers who spend time with God can use a valuable lesson about the importance of making the space to hear from God. When we stop and take time to listen, read scripture, spend time in prayer, be still, worship, and journal what we hear, we may hear from God and discern how the Holy Spirit guides our steps.
God is purposeful, not random.
God did not instruct Joshua and his soldiers to storm the city upon arrival. He had meticulous steps for them to achieve that outcome of victory. God was very specific and purposeful in how He orchestrated the walls of Jericho falling, if God has done this for Joshua and the Israelites then we should have confidence that God makes purposeful plans for our lives.
The ups and downs of life may feel unexpected and catch us off guard, but God knows what’s coming and will make good out of all circumstances for those who love Him (Romans 8:28).
The outcome may not be instant, but keep waiting on God.
Joshua and his soldiers were not given permission by God to simply storm the city. The people of Jericho were fierce fighters God knew if they did that they would die. They had to wait 7 days. They marched, camped, and waited for God to move. Some were undeniably wondering if this was the best way to win the city when they had a proven military strategy. We may find ourselves thinking similar thoughts when it comes to waiting on God,
The answer comes to us in Isaiah 40:31, “Those who wait in the Lord will renew their strengths.” waiting on God deepens our faith, and increases our trust in Him, and while we wait with faith, God will certainly transform and renew us.
An example of this is. About 2 weeks ago I had some medical tests done. The doctor wanted to put me on a medication that had a lot of side effects. I told him I would let him know, and that I needed to think about it. I have prayed over this and didn’t feel like God was answering. So I kept asking about this in my prayers, yesterday I felt God speak to me and told me not to take the medicine.
We are not sufficient in and of ourselves. We need God.
The Israelites could have marched around the walls of Jericho a million times, they could have blown a thousand shofars, and they could have shouted until they lost their voices, but without God’s power, the walls of Jericho never would have fallen. We are no self-sufficient; we truly need God. We need God to win our battles, to empower us to love others, to overcome obstacles, and make a lasting impact on the world. We need God in our marriages, friendships, careers, and families.
Obedience in God Matters
If the Israelites had resisted the instructions given by God to Joshua, the walls of Jericho would have not come down. The Israelites would have lost and been forced out of the promised land. Their obedience to God mattered. This is still true today. Living according to God’s ways rather than our own ways, make a difference. We find encouragement from the narrative to be obedient to God and the assurance that obedience will result in blessing (Luke 11:28).
What God promises, He will fulfill
God promised the Israelites this land. The fall of the walls of Jericho is a great reminder that God fulfills what He promises. A lot of time passed between when God initially promised the land to the Israelites, and when they actually came to enter and claim that land. Regardless of how much time passes, God will always make good on His promises. We can trust that God is faithful to His promises and be at peace while we wait for a promise to come to pass.
I have been praying for God to make a way for me to see my son. Last week I was able to spend 3 days with him. We had not seen in other in 5 years.
Whatever your situation, let the fallen walls of Jericho remind you of God’s power and faithfulness that you can believe in and put your hope in.
Sometimes we deliberately choose to ignore certain facts because they are difficult to accept. But there are some things we can’t run away from. Here are a few.
1. We are always replacable.
2. We all grow with time.
3. There is something higher than us.
4. We all experience feelings of frustration, disappointment, and sadness.
5. We can all change if we set our minds to it.
6. All human beings have something they’re passionate about,
When was the last time you looked in a mirror? We probably look in one every day. Why do we look in a mirror? We use it to evaluate ourselves and then we do something about what we see. Such as comb or hair are straightening our clothes.
The Bible says that God’s Word is like a mirror,
“Anyone who listens to the Word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like” – James 1:23-24; Jacob 1-23-24 (MES)
Just as a mirror reflects what we look like on the outside, God’s Word reflects what we’re like on the inside.
“For the Word of God is living advice and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow and is able to discern the thoughts and intentions of the heart” – Hebrews 4:12
I think that’s why many people won’t read the Bible. They are afraid to look into the mirror of God’s Word and see themselves as they are.
But if you are ready to use God’s Word to build a relationship with Him the book of James gives 3 practical ways to do this. A relationship with God is what gets us into heaven, not man-made religion.
First, don’t read it casually, read it carefully. Be someone who looks intently into the perfect law (James 1:25). Don’t be like someone who has just glanced into a mirror, walked quickly away, and forgotten the details of what they’ve seen. God wants us to spend time gazing into the mirror of His Word.
Second, James tells us not to just look once into God’s Word, but to continue to do so. Go to His Word. Look at it over and over. Jesus told His disciples,
“If you abide in My word, My teachings and live in accordance with them, you are truly My disciples. And you will know the truth and the truth will set you free“ – John 8:31
Finally, James 1:25 talks about people who, after reading God’s Word, remember what they have read. Nothing will do more for your spiritual life than developing the habit of memorizing scripture.
Psalm 119:11 says,
“I have hidden your Word in my heart, that I might not sin against you”
A way to remember God’s Word is writing down what God teaches you. Hebrews 2:1 tells us,
“Therefore, we ought to pay greater attention to the things that were heard, lest perhaps we drift away.”
Next time God teaches you something during a sermon or your personal God time, write it down. Give it “earnest heed” so that it doesn’t slip away.
Be the person who gazes on God’s Word by reading, reviewing, and remembering it.
People everywhere search for peace. We sing songs and travel to try and find it. We even wage war to protect it. Many wealthy and powerful people would trade everything for just a few minutes of peace. But, what they often find is false peace which is a completely different peace that if offered by Jesus,
“Peace I leave with you, My peace I give you. Not as the world gives do I give you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid” – John 14:27
The peace offered by the world is an empty promise and can only bring temporary comfort. God’s peace is permanent peace offered by the only One who can be trusted to keep His Word and heal our sins.
The world’s peace is fleeting and changes with every circumstance.
During times of prosperity, nations experience temporary peace. But when economies struggle, countries find themselves on the brink of civil war as well as war with their neighbors. The peace of the world is a precarious thing. Conflict erupts when people are hungry, peace disappears when circumstances turn ugly.
Think back to when covid 19 happened. The government told us how we had to live, where we could go, and what he had to wear on our faces, to time spend with family, we had to stay 6 feet away. If your anxiety was high and were afraid and thought you were going to die. You did not have peace with God. The world is good a trying to lead us astray and using our fear as a weapon against us. Don’t get me wrong, covid can make us very sick, but there was medicine to help it, medicine in which America has nearly been banned to keep us from taking it.
“The says the Lord concerning the prophets who lead my people astray; for those who feed their teeth, they proclaim, Peace!” and whoever doesn’t provide for their mouths, they prepare war against them” – Michah 3:5
The world’s peace is built on the weak foundation of compromise.
In the Old Testament, God warned the Israelites that if they intermarried for political reasons, they would face the temptation to compromise their love for the One true God and end up serving false gods. This compromise, though would create a temporary absence of conflict and would ultimately lead to destruction.
“Be careful not to make a treaty with the inhabitants of the land you are going to enter, otherwise, there will become a snare amount you” -Exodus z34:12 (NIV)
“Therefore do not give your daughters to their sons, neither take their daughters for your won’t, and never speak of peace or prosperity, that you may be strong and eat the good of the land and leave it for an inheritance to your children forever” -Ezra 9:12
Now many people intermarry and it’s not a problem unless they share your beliefs in God. In many cases it leads to trouble.
The world’s peace ignores the root of the problem.
When asked “What is wrong with the world today?” many will point out to the volatile stock markets, corrupt governments, climate control, poor diets, lack of healthcare, broken families, poor schools, and more. The world tries to fix these problems by doing good, feeding children, building wells, regulating stock markets, conserving wildlife, funding schools and thereby achieving a type of peace.
Worldly Peace tries to fix the symptoms of sin but fails to see how the root of the problem is the sin disease itself, something that can only be healed by God, not by money, regulation, or reform. Dealing with the symptoms of sin but failing to diagnose the sin itself is not new. In the New Testament, the false prophets treated sin lightly and proclaimed the problem ‘solved’ when it wasn’t.
“They have healed the wound of my people lightly saying, ‘Peace, Peace,’ when there is no peace” -Jeremiah 6:14
“Because, even because they have seduced my people, saying “Peace,” and there is no peace. When one builds up a wall behold, they plaster it with whitewash“ – Ezekiel 13:10
In contrast to the world’s promise of peace, God’s peace is permanent and firmly grounded in His Word. He doesn’t ignore sin -He heals it, making His peace a different kind of peace from what we find in the world.
God’s peace is permanent and secure.
When circumstances are free of conflict, we enjoy momentary peace. But when we face difficult relationships, health problems, and financial crises, the monetary quiet is disrupted and chaos rules the day.
God offers us peace in the midst of the chaos. His peace doesn’t change with the circumstances, it is secure in spite of the circumstances.
“For the mountains may depart and the hills removed, but My steadfast love shall not depart from you, and My covenant of peace shall no bet removed” – Isaiah 54:10
“I have said these things to you, that in my you may have peace. In the world, you will have tribulation. But take heart, I have overcome the world” – John 16:33
God’s peace is built on the sure foundation of His Word.
Young or old, male or female, we’ve all experienced the pain of broken promises. No matter how much our families, friends, and coworkers love us, at some point, someone will disappoint us. And despite our best intentions, we are likely to disappoint someone else by saying or doing one thing or another. God’s Word, however, can be trusted. He never contradict Himself or acts in a way that is our of character. He will never disappointed us.
“Great peace have those who love your law, nothing can make them stumble“ -Psalm 119:165
God’s peace is ours because Jesus heals our root of sin.
“You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in You” -Isaiah 26:3
All religions other than Christianity have one thing in common. They try to achieve peace with God by doing works and following rules. Christianity is different.
In Following Jesus, we are offered peace with God because those who “once were far off have been reconciled to God through Jesus’s death and resurrection. (Ephesians 2:13). Jesus’s sacrifice addresses the root of the problem that the world ignores. By His sacrifice, He bridged the gap that sin inserted between us and God. He took the punishment for our sin and in exchange He gives us peace with God.
When we experience eternal peace through reconciliation with God in Jesus, we also receive the Holy Spirit. Because of Him, we enjoy the blessing of peace in our daily lives -even when we find ourselves in the midst of turmoil.
I believe that until we learn hoe to follow God’s commandments, man’s laws will never work.
I have always been an adventure seeker. I have an insatiable curiosity, always eager to explore new places and new experiences. I am able to adapt to new things very easily. I have a keen awareness of everything around me. I don’t like to give up,
But as I am growing older being adventurous is getting harder to do.
When was the last time you thought about the consequences of sin? I’m not talking about the little moral compass you have that tells you what is right or wrong. I’m talking about the personal effect it might have on many different levels.
Scripture tells us over and over that sin leads to death and destruction because there are consequences with going against the grain regarding how God has designed us to live.
Physically –Sin can cause an internal conflict between God and us, leading us to health issues and taking a physical toll on our bodies. Depending on the sin you battle with, it can affect your blood pressure, sleeping patterns, or destruction of your body depending on your lifestyle choices because of sin.
Emotionally –The Bible tells us that walking the wide road or the easy way leads to destruction, interestingly, this goes beyond physical death and results in emptiness, hopelessness, and brokenness. Many people go down this path of sin because they are hoping it will fulfill them emotionally. Unfortunately that is not the case. Many people have experienced guilt, depression and even suicidal thoughts due to emotional consequences of sin.
Spiritually -The most common consequence we understand is spiritual death. You may understand that sin breaks off our relationship with God, which affects us spiritually. On another level, many people at not feel they aren’t “good enough” to be in any relationship with God due to their sins. So, they never attempt to turn to or turn back to God.
Psalm 36:3
“The words of his mouth are wickedness and deceit; He has ceased to be wise and do good.”
Jesus described the wicked man’s character in Matthew 15:19
“For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, slanders.”
With transgression we meet an unusual character in the evil have a voice. This evil voice speaks to the sinner in his heart. The wicked person has no sense that the terror of the Lord will come upon him because of their sinful deeds. There is no anticipation of God’s coming judgment because this voice deludes their sin and flatters them.
As believers in Messiah, each of us is a warrior of God. There are characteristics of being a warrior for God. There are actions we need to take to grow in that role.
What It Means To Be A Warrior For God
Being a warrior for God we need to realize how important and life changing it is to walk in that role. Matthew 5:9 tells us,
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons (daughters) of God.”
Once we understand what a warrior for God does, we realize that this scripture does not nullify that position. A warrior for God is not a person who seeks conflict, nor do they fight every battle they see. They listen to the Holy Spirit so that they know when they are to fight and when they are not. Spiritual positioning is their center of operations.
Remember when Jesus was tempted in the desert? He resisted the devil, and fought him with the Word of God -the truth and the devil had no way of winning against Him. But it’s important to remember that the devil attempted ti battle Jesus with the Word. Yet, because Jesus is the Word and because He battled as a warrior of God -with Godly wisdom nothing the devil tried to do to twist God’s Word worked. A true warrior has the Holy Spirit inside them, guiding them in His Word, so that they can battle with God’s Word as Jesus did.
“Haven’t I commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Don’t be afraid. Don’t be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go“ –Joshua 1:9
When I was a new believer, I was helping a woman get out of a marriage full of domestic violence. The woman’s husband had a friend that he sent to harass and terrorize her. She couldn’t go anywhere with this lady causing her fear. Her relentless harassment was unbelievable. I probably used my new faith in the wrong way, but every time i seen her when I was with the woman she tried to insight fear. She would say something threatening I would come back a her with a Bible verse. Eventually she stopped harassing the woman all together. And the husband
Godly characteristics and behaviors stand deep in the hearts of God’s warriors. A few of the habits and characteristics that warriors of God ought to have include:
A Prayer life
Understanding and use of intercession (praying for others)
Love of Justice, truth, and righteousness
Strengthening your faith through God’s Word
Peace found through God
Worship and praise
Heavenly direction regarding which battles to engage in or ignore
Unity and fellowship with other believers
A relationship with God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
The full armor of God
Kingdom-based goals
These things are vital, however, the list, while long, should not intimidate you. Each of us is a work in progress. God does not choose us because we are perfect. He chooses ys because He sees something in us,
Jesus is a carpenter selecting wood. He understands not only the process and hours it will take to transform the raw material into something spectacular, but He envisions what is hidden inside the finished work. He sees not only who we are now, but who we will become when He all allowed to take His tools and shape us.
At this time maybe we are great at maintaining a spirit of praise within us. Or perhaps we realize deep within our spirit God is a God of justice and so we love justice, yet other areas may be lacking. We may have a spirit of praise within us, but we do not understand that we are daughters and sons of God. We make love justice but we don’t fellowship with other believers.
We may not be “finished products” yet but God stands ready and willing to shape us.
Following God is a big step. Building a relationship with Him the next. Because as relationship and understanding of He is develops, our character changes. We begin to behave more like Him, because we spend more time with Him.
Galatians 2:20 says, we have been crucified with Christ:
“I have been crucified with Messiah, and it is no longer I that live but Messiah lives in me. That life that I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself up for me.”
Being a work in progress doesn’t mean we are not to press onward and upward toward our call to God. It does not mean that we will not have battles or victories because we have not arrived. By the time Jesus was tested in the desert, He was hardly in his prime physical condition. He had been 40 days without food, He was hungry, and He was not at home where He could have a fire at night or shelter in the day…it was in that place where the devil attacked Him, it was there He was tested.
Doubt as David did, going to face the giants in our life when we are led to do so, even if in the natural the weapons we carry and our own size seem inadequate – this us the obedience and faith that leads to victory. It is where God moves with power and receives all the glory.
How To Know Your Battles
Listening to the Holy Spirit is key to achieving victory. It is He who tells us what battles we are to engage in, how we are to fight, and what we need to do.
Battles, even those that happen in the natural, are spiritually driven. We never fight against flesh and blood, and the weapons we typically use need to be chosen accordingly.
“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places” – Ephesians 6;12
The battles we fight can often be accomplished by praying and intercession. But some may require additional weapons, such as praise and worship. Or even taking territory on the mountain of influence that God has put us in.
Yet, in all of these things, we need to remember that the battle belongs to the Lord. We need to seek Him and His will first and foremost. He needs to be the one who chooses what battles we are to face and which weapons we are to use. The Lord is our General, (Our commander in chief), and choosing to follow His commands is the surest way to achieve victory. Remember God sees the whole picture, He has the maps information, and vision to see us safely through any challenge,
When God tells us to face our against, we are going to be like David, stepping out in obedience and faith, trusting God to do the rest. To do the big thing.
It is time for us to stand as warriors of God, to pray, to listen, and to battle as God directs us.
It is time for us to realize that victory comes not through usm but through God. Let’s boast in the Lord because it is He who gives us victory.
“Some trust in chariots, and some in horses, but we trust the name of the Lord our God.” -Psalm 20:7
If you could host a dinner and anyone you invite was sure to come, who would you invite?
If I could invite I would invite my father. I still have many questions to ask him. I would of course have fresh halibut and asparagus for him with Miller Light beer. It was my fathers’s favorite meal, and beer.
My questions would be about the repressed memories I have about childhood trauma’s. I only recall experiences because of dissociating amnesia. I remember a deep fryer being poured on top of me when I was four. I remember being locked in a long hallway with the doors being locked and told to shut up and not make a sound, or I would regret it. I remember having nightmares so bad I would vomit, and my mother coming in and telling me I was disgusting and tearing off my pajamas and blankets and my sleeping naked freezing until morning.. I remember being scalded with water when give a bath. These I have come to grips with and healed from. But I know there’s more, that I have repressed. At times I still get flashbacks of certain experiences but I would like to ask my father about them. Just so I could heal from them and move on.
There are good things about being old, such as increased confidence, less stress, and deep friendships. You won’t hear this often because people tend to focus on the negatives of aging.
We become wiser. With age comes wisdom because of the trials we’ve gone through and learned through. We also have emotional intelligence because the wealth of experiences we have a better emotional understanding and control. Or friendships get deeper with age. You learn it’s about quality not quantity. A few very good friends is better that a lot of shallow friends.
We have clearer priorities. The more I experience in life, the more I know what I like and don’t like, and what I need and don’t need. When you realize that life is short, and am less likely to waste my time with people or activities that are not worthwhile.
From Pity to Praise 