MasterTruth

Keep Your Story Alive

Do you have any stories in your life, maybe from the past year, in which God did something remarkable in your life? Maybe He came through for you in a way you never thought possible. Have you thought of a way you can keep that memory alive? It’s important to think of some way not to lose that wonderful testimony. What God did for you is not only for your benefit, but for the benefit of those who come after you—children, friends or those you disciple or mentor. Let’s call it oral tradition. God thinks it’s important to keep the flame alive. He deserves glory from you recounting what He did, not only in the early hours after He did it, but at each memory and retelling of it.

Before the children of Israel were done crossing the Jordan River on dry ground in Joshua 4, God told Joshua to call on 12 leaders to go back to the dry river bed and each gather a huge stone and take it to the place where they were lodging that night. After this was accomplished, God caused the waters to return to the river, and all that remained of that miracle was the 12 stones and the memories of those who crossed the river on dry ground.  

Here were God’s thoughts spoken through Joshua. “And Joshua said unto them, Pass over before the ark of the LORD your God into the midst of Jordan, and take ye up every man of you a stone upon his shoulder, according unto the number of the tribes of the children of Israel: That this may be a sign among you, that when your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What mean ye by these stones? Then ye shall answer them, That the waters of Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD; when it passed over Jordan, the waters of Jordan were cut off: and these stones shall be for a memorial unto the children of Israel for ever.” (Josh. 4:5-7)

This time, the memorial was a pile of large rocks. After God led the Israelites out of the bondage of Egypt, God had them set up an annual passover feast, that is kept to this day. “And it shall come to pass, when your children shall say unto you, What mean ye by this service? That ye shall say, It is the sacrifice of the LORD’S passover, who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt, when he smote the Egyptians, and delivered our houses. And the people bowed the head and worshipped.” (Ex 12:26-27)

A pile of rocks, an annual feast… what about you? If you’re artistic, you could paint a picture depicting what God did. I’m a writer, and more than 30 years ago, I started a notebook to record the amazing things God does in my life. I like to re-read stories from that book, and many awesome works of God written in there I would have otherwise forgotten. The stories are also for those I read them to, sometimes at the Juvenile Detention Center, where the teenage girls need to know there is a God who loves them.

Again, let’s think of ways to keep the oral tradition alive. And while we are thinking of it, why don’t we stop and thank God right now for choosing to keep much of His testimony alive through the Bible. He orchestrated the writing and preserving of the 66 books with 40 authors written over a span of 1,600 years from three continents using three languages. We can still read and rejoice over what He did hundreds of years ago. But there are more stories to be told…the story of your life with God. I hope you have some stories to tell. 

God Thinks Multi-dimensionally

After 40 years of wilderness wandering, the day came for the Israelites to make their grand entrance into the Promised Land. God’s method of bringing them into that first city across the Jordan River was divinely strategic in a few ways.

The story of the plan and execution of crossing the Jordan on dry ground is found in Joshua 3 and 4. Rather than lead the Israelites around the river, God chose the river-crossing miracle, knowing it would build the nation’s esteem for their new leader Joshua (3:7); It would scare the pants off the enemy Canaanites (5:1); and it would be fodder for the Israelites’ conversations with their children for years to come (4:21-22).

That is how awesome God is. He doesn’t think like we do. The Israelites thought in only one dimension. “How are we going to get across this river?” God thought three things at once.

First, there was Joshua. God told him the grand river-crossing plan by first saying to him, This day will I begin to magnify thee in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that, as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee. (Josh. 3:7) The Israelites needed to see his leadership as they saw Moses’, similar to when Moses led them across the Red Sea on dry ground.

Second, let’s look at the enemy nation they were going to enter. In Josh. 2, before the grand crossing, Joshua dispatched two spies to Jericho on the other side of the river. They stayed in the house of Rahab the harlot. When the Jericho rulers heard of the spies, they knocked on Rahab’s door demanding that she hand them over. She lied and said they were gone. After the rulers left, she told the spies she was on their side, because she knew God was on their side. For we have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red sea for you, when ye came out of Egypt; and what ye did unto the two kings of the Amorites, that were on the other side Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom ye utterly destroyed. And as soon as we had heard these things, our hearts did melt, neither did there remain any more courage in any man, because of you: for the LORD your God, he is God in heaven above, and in earth beneath. (Josh. 2:10-11)

So we know the inside story. The enemy became fearful of the Israelites years earlier after Moses led them across the Red Sea on dry ground. Wouldn’t you know… God chose that same intimidating miraculous circumstance to keep the enemy fearful. And it worked, we learn after the fact. And it came to pass, when all the kings of the Amorites, which were on the side of Jordan westward, and all the kings of the Canaanites, which were by the sea, heard that the LORD had dried up the waters of Jordan from before the children of Israel, until we were passed over, that their heart melted, neither was there spirit in them any more, because of the children of Israel.

Finally, that crossing served as a testimony for the Israelites to pass on to their children. More about that next time.

But for now, let’s be amazed at the mind of God. In His all-knowingness, He orchestrates people and events on many levels for many benefits. Here are the conclusions we must come to:

Man's goings are of the LORD; how can a man then understand his own way? (Prov. 20:24)

O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps. (Jer. 10:23)

The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way. (Psa. 37:23)

Who Will Win the Big Game Today?

It was football game day for Joshua. He was the new quarterback. Moses was gone, and Joshua took his position. Israel had the ball. This was Joshua’s first play ever as quarterback. He went to the huddle—made up of just him and God.

Did you ever wonder what they say in huddles? In this one, God did all the talking. We read about it in Joshua 1:1-9.

First, God had Joshua envision winning. In fact, He assured Joshua of victory, simply because God was going to be with him. The Promised Land was the end zone they were aiming for. God told Joshua how big that zone was “From the wilderness and this Lebanon even unto the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and unto the great sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your coast. There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.” (Josh. 1:4-5)

From there, God had one thing He wanted to convey to Joshua. It was important, because He stated it three times in the next four verses: “Be strong and of good courage.” God knew the apposing team would be intimidating. Imagine playing your first game against a scary bunch of men. Simple survival might become your goal. But really, the objective was bigger than that. The goal was to win.

For us, isn’t every day a new game? The sun rises to a new field with new, as-yet-unseen challenges. It’s a good idea to start the day in a huddle with God. Let Him speak to you through His word and His Spirit. He wants to encourage you, and He has the same promise for you as He had for Joshua. “There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with thee. I will not fail thee nor forsake thee.”

God knows the challengers you will face, and some might be scary. He would tell you three times, “Only be thou strong and very courageous.”

The requirement of you (and of Joshua) is in verses 7-8. “Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest. This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.” (Josh. 1:7-8)

In summary, God’s advice in your morning huddle is to trust and obey. Trust your loving, victorious God, and obey His word.

Joshua had a huge team of Israelites to lead to the Promised Land. God knew it would be tough. Joshua’s team would not always work together. And the opposing team would be sly and brutal at times. But he had God with him. So there was no need to fear, even though it would seem there was plenty to be afraid of.

God has the same message for you today. Be strong and courageous, no matter what comes up. God is with you. Keep your heart on God and His word. Apply what you know from the playbook. Your goal is not to just survive. Your goal is to win. That means you have to be courageous.

How? Read Eph. 6:11-18. Three times in Eph. 6:11-14, Paul tells his readers to stand. As you are courageous today, don’t shrink. Don’t fall down. Stand.