Skip to main content

Strong...

             Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee, he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee, (Deuteronomy 31:6)

 

            The most important aspect of remembering forward is remembering that we do not go alone, and the One who goes with us will not fail or forsake us. I don’t tend to remember this well. I struggle to focus on one of the few promises I’ve grasped – that God will guide me; He won’t let me miss my next exit or turn. At the very least, I’d like Him to be more like a GPS, which tells you how far away your next turn is, which way you’ll have to turn, and what highway or street you’ll be taking. God doesn’t necessarily give you much warning. We’re supposed to trust that He will give us as much warning as we need.

            But the thing about GPSes is that they’re made for the weak, timid, and comparatively independent. They tell you the next turn well in advance, so you feel in control. You know what you’re supposed to do, sometimes hours before you need to do it. The only strength or courage you need is in dealing with those relatively short distances in which traffic or traffic patterns get complicated.

            When you’re traveling with God, He sometimes takes you on detours, or down long, lonely highways that seem to lead nowhere, or on mountain paths that require that you leave your Jeep behind and go on foot, carrying everything on your back with no guarantee you’ll ever see the “vehicle” you paid so much for again.

            That’s really what remembering forward is about: courage and strength when things, we, or God are not as we want. And the good news is that each of us has areas in which we are strong and can grow in strength and courage. This is especially hard for those who are timid (and over-compensate in some areas as a result). But my prayer for myself and all of you is that we will be strong and courageous in 2023. That will reduce the difficulty of our lives because fear and weakness cost us more than strength and courage are likely to.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

"Especially to those who belong to the family of believers."

Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers. (Gal 6:10)   “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.   By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:34-35)           Joshua grinned when he saw Rex standing by the door, studying something on the ground. "Hey, man! Are we ready to do this thing?"          Rex looked up. "Josh, I can't do it. We're still best buds, but I can't stand your fiancée."           I've met "Rex" many times. I've been Rex. Joshua (Jesus) loves the Church. He's not a fool. He knows the Church is far from perfect, but she is His chosen bride. The Rexes of this world, who think themselves His friend, turn away from her. "You don't need the Church to...
Post a Comment
Read more

Ssssssubmmissssssionnn

Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ . (Ephesians 5:21)             "Ssssssubmmisssssssionnn." Can't you just hear the serpent hissing this most horrible of words? If you listen to the serpent or the world, submission means groveling, allowing yourself to be abused, denying yourself your own humanity. Nothing could be worse than submission, could it?             Submission has never been a problem for me, as long as things are going the way I want them to. The rest of the time? Well, let's just say that while I don't know how to fight physically, I don't know how to not fight mentally. One of the fights I've been having with myself for years is about submission.             My first breakthrough took place on a trip to a bookstore. As I walked into the store, my thoughts were very clear. 1) I was goi...
Post a Comment
Read more

Shark Fins, Triple Dog Dares, Heroes, Villains and Sidekicks

Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12)            There's a scene in Jaws in which someone sees a shark fin and starts a panic. As   all the swimmers scramble to shore, boats surround the fin, which falls over to reveal two kids. With several guns pointed at them, one of the kids points at the other. The message is clear: it was his idea. In Christmas Story, there's a scene in which one kid "triple dog dares" another to do something stupid. Since it's a triple dog dare, well, what choice does the boy have? There doesn't seem to be any end to the trouble that peer pressure can cause. ...
Post a Comment
Read more