“This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.” —Joshua 1:8

George Shinn grew up on welfare checks and hand-me-down clothes. He struggled in school and was the last person anyone thought would find success in this life. In fact, he finished dead last in his graduating class in high school. But early in life he made one wise decision that changed everything and set his life on a whole new path. It’s a decision that he credits as the foundation for all his later business success and even in his eventual career as a professional sports franchise owner.

“Personally, the wisest decision, I ever made, was to put God first, in my life,” said Shinn. “And, I just want to urge you, that, if you partner with God you better think big.”

In Joshua 1, Israel was facing a huge transition. Moses had just passed away, they were still in a wilderness place, and now Joshua had taken over as the new commander-in-chief. Their Promised Land still stood off in the distance. There were still many giants to face, battles to win, and conquests to point to God’s glory. It would’ve been nothing to God to simply eliminate their enemies with a mere thought, but He calls Israel into partnership with Himself to see His will brought to fruition. Because they partner with God, they are to think BIG and aim BIG.

The Lord says to Joshua:

“Now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, into the land that I am giving to them, to the people of Israel. Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you, just as I promised to Moses. From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun shall be your territory. No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you. Be strong and courageous, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land that I swore to their fathers to give them. Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go. This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. 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.”

God’s recipe for Israel’s success was found in the Holy Scriptures—the Word of God. It was not to depart from their mouth. It was to be the object of their meditation both day and night. The Hebrew word in this passage for “meditation” implies more than just pondering, musing, or rehearsing in the mind; it implies a muttering with audible and verbal declarations. The word is translated elsewhere “to roar, or growl,” like in Isaiah 31:4 when it says “For thus hath the LORD spoken unto me, Like as the lion and the young lion roaring on his prey.”

I love that picture—when we open our mouths, is God’s word roaring off of our lips? Are God’s faithful promises growling from within us? Victory and success were assured to Israel not because Joshua was a great leader, or because Israel was a great nation, but because God IS a great God. Our continued meditation of His greatness will cause us to roar and growl in a whole new way. It will give us boldness. Think about that as you seek to abide in Him this week.

PRAYER

God, thank you for your words of life… words of promise… words of truth that roar over the lies that the enemy wants to penetrate into our lives. Your truth sets us free to live as children of promise and people of destiny. Holy Spirit, teach us to meditate on these sacred Scriptures day and night. We pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Questions for personal reflection, small group discussion, or dinner table conversations:

1. When have you experienced a major change in your life?
2. What prepared Joshua to lead the nation of Israel into the Promised Land? (Joshua 1:1) What promise did the Lord give to Joshua? (v5)
3. What specific steps did the Lord instruct Joshua to take in order to be successful? (v7) What did God say meditation on the Book of the Law would accomplish? (v8)
4. What does this passage teach you about how to deal with negative emotions, such as fear, self-doubt, and discouragement?
5. What rhythms can you put into practice to meditate on God’s Word more consistently day and night?

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The post God’s Plan For Roaring Success appeared first on Jimmy Larche.

“Cease striving and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” —Psalm 46:10 (NASB)

My first child was born two weeks before 9/11. As we watched those fateful events unfold in our nation that day, I remember feeling a tremendous amount of anxiety about this new venture called parenthood. I looked down at that little tiny life in my arms and fretted over the kind of world that she would grow up in. I became overwhelmed at the thought of ensuring that nothing bad would ever happen to her. I needed to protect her. I needed to be in control of circumstances and be able to manage the future, so that every outcome would be entirely—safe.

I learned quickly that parenthood brings with it an enormous weight of responsibility to protect, provide for, and nurture. What I didn’t learn so quickly was that my quest to be in control of the future was nothing more than an illusion. Sure, there would be many sensible things that I could control in setting my kids up for success, but so much of life’s unfolding drama would be beyond the grip of my control.

It can be a haunting feeling for many of us to not be in control—especially those of us who feel the incessant pressure to fix everything for those we love. Truth is, sometimes we just can’t fix the brokenness of life, or the madness of this world. As much as we’d love to be in control, it’s a mere fallacy.

That reality doesn’t have to be haunting for us. In many ways, it can be very liberating to let go of the illusion of control. Such was the case for Joshua when faced with a challenge greater than his ability to overcome. Joshua became the leader of the Israelite tribes after the death of Moses, and was responsible for leading God’s people into the Promised Land. Standing in his way is the mighty city of Jericho, with seemingly impenetrable walls. This general finds himself under-resourced and ill equipped to take such a fortress by human accounts. Victory won’t come from mustering up enough will power or digging down for more grit—it comes from a place called surrender.

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The passage says that when Joshua was by Jericho (Joshua 5:13-15), he lifted up his eyes and saw a man standing before him “with a drawn sword in hand”—clearly a militant posture of readiness. A man with a sword in his hand is usually prepared to use it. He’s ready for a fight! Joshua went to him and said, “Are you for us or for our enemies?” And he said, “Neither, but as commander of the army of the Lord I have now come.” This is an “aha!” moment for the general. It’s a theophany—a visible manifestation of none other than God himself, and the drawn sword is not just the sign of impending victory, it’s the demonstration that God alone is in control of the affairs. It’s an expression of His sovereignty.

Joshua’s response is the only kind appropriate for such a revelation: “And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped,” conceding himself in a posture of—surrender (Joshua 5:14). Then Joshua gets some very unorthodox instructions from God about how to approach the problem—things like marching around walls for seven days, blowing loud trumpets, shouting, and watching walls inexplicably fall down!

Right now, you might be in a place like that Old Testament general at Jericho, where God has brought you face-to-face with something bigger than you are so that you could come face-to-face with Him. Maybe it’s time to relinquish that illusion of control, that fallacy of being the general in your own universe, and give it all up to God. Maybe it’s time to surrender. Maybe it’s time to get out of the way and let God take charge. Maybe it’s time for real worship—that which yields ourselves in utter reliance and absolute dependence upon Him for everything concerning our past, present, and future.

PRAYER

Heavenly Father, I acknowledge that I am not giving you control. I can’t give you something I never had to begin with. I surrender my illusions of control—the fallacy of thinking that I ever was in control. Forgive me for trying to be the general in my own universe. I give back to you what is rightfully yours—Lordship over everything in my life. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Questions for Reflection and/or Family Discussion:

1. Do you enjoy thrill rides in which you have no control? Why or why not?
2. When has something in life scared you because it was beyond your control?
3. When have you experienced a peace that comes with giving up the illusion of control?
4. In the context of Joshua’s encounter, how would you define the word worship?
5. Is there an area of your life that God has revealed that you need to surrender?

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The post The Illusion of Control appeared first on Jimmy Larche.