Tag: Bible study

Passing the Torch

I love it when God reveals something to me in scripture that I have never seen before! So let me share it with you.

In Joshua 1:9, God declares, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

I have heard this verse quoted so many times. In fact, I even have a plaque on my wall with it. It is a great verse that shares one of God’s promises, not only to the Israelites but also to us. I love this verse, so I decided to dig deeper into it and study it in context. Here’s a quick summary:

Moses has just died, and the Lord is declaring Joshua as the Israelites’ new leader. He tells them that they are about to cross the Jordan River into the land He has promised them, and He reminds Joshua of all His promises. He says He will be with Joshua as He was with Moses and never leave him. He also gives a short warning that they must obey God’s law and meditate on it, but he ends with the exhortation to be strong and courageous because He will be with them.

When I think of all the things God could have told Joshua, it warms my heart to think of the tenderness of God. He could have given Joshua a long list of commands and strategies. “Ok, Joshua, get out some paper, and write down this list of things to do and what to pack.” He could have used scare tactics to convince Joshua he better obey. “I am the Lord of the earth. I can smite you down with one breath, so you better do exactly as I say.” He could have given him a “Suck it up, buttercup” type of speech, reminding Joshua that things could always be worse.

Instead, God gave Joshua a pep talk. He knew what Joshua had to do was hard and terrifying, so God chose to encourage him. Our Lord wants to be our encourager, too. Our God is not unaware of the challenges we face. He knows our struggles and our temptations and does everything He can to move us in the right direction, guard us from our own sinfulness, and give us what we need for each moment.

So what happens after this pep talk? That’s the part I never really noticed. What did Joshua do in response? He shared this message with his people. He told the people to get ready, and he reminded them of all that the Lord would give them. In fact, he talks about the Lord giving them or having given them something five times in the next few verses…

  • “Take possession of the land the Lord your God is giving you for your own” (v 11)
  • “The Lord your God will give you rest by giving you this land.” (v 13)
  • “Until the Lord gives them rest, as he has done for you” (v 15)
  • “Until they too have taken possession of the land the Lord your God is giving them” (v 15)

Joshua doesn’t just give the people orders. He reminds them of the Lord’s hand in their mission.

I’ve read this passage so many times in my life, but this time, what stood out to me was this “passing of the torch” aspect of our walk with God. God whispers to us, mentors us, and reminds us of HIS promises to us. Then our response should be to turn around and share that with others in our lives. We don’t keep that to ourselves. We remind all those we meet about how faithful God is in keeping His promises and how he will “be with us everywhere we go.”

On a more personal note: I know that if you were to hand-pick a scripture about sharing your faith with others, the first chapter of Joshua is not the one you would choose. In fact, I wouldn’t even say that the purpose of this scripture is to remind us of that aspect of our spiritual journey. But God’s Word is powerful and speaks to us individually in amazing ways.

Earlier this week, I read a book about studying God’s Word in more depth. It inspired me to look at scripture with new eyes. It reminded me to explore the original context of the passage and always search for what the verse reveals about God and His character. So I did that very thing with Joshua 1:9, a verse so familiar it had almost lost its impact. This blog post is a result of that newly inspired study technique. I hope it has encouraged you to read God’s Word with fresh eyes, eagerly anticipating Him to speak to you in new and exciting ways.

Training the Voices in Your Head

Whether we want to admit it or not, we all hear voices in our head. For some of us, those voices are encouraging and motivating. For others, they are condemning and negative. The voices you hear can be a good indicator of who or what you are allowing to speak to you on a regular basis. The good news is that you have the power to train those voices in your head–turning down the volume to the discouraging ones and tuning in to the ones guiding you to the Truth.

Right now in your life, who are you listening to? Are you listening to the voice of society convincing you to do whatever makes you happy, no matter the consequences? Are you listening to the voice of the Enemy trying to condemn you, shame you, or tempt you? Are you listening to the voice of your past, reminding you of huge regrets and lost dreams? Are you listening to the voice of a negative person in your life, telling you that you are not good enough or not worthy of love? Are you listening to social media, telling you how you wonderful your life will be if only you do _________? Whoever you are giving your attention to will be the one that gets the most airtime in your head.

When I was young, I often heard the voice of my mom or dad in my head. When I would go out with friends, I would hear my mother remind me to “Be sweet.” When I would be in a dark parking lot, I would hear my dad caution me to pay attention to my surroundings. When kids would pick on me at the playground or tease me during high school, I would hear them both encourage me with, “They’re just jealous,” or an acknowledgement that these difficult years are hard but won’t last forever. Even when my parents weren’t around, the words they spoke to me filled my mind and influenced what I did and how I thought.

As I matured and grew in my relationship with Christ, studying the Bible and filling my head with the Lord’s words, the voices of my parents were often replaced with the voices of my Heavenly Father. Now when I am exhausted and overwhelmed, I hear him say, “Come to me and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28) When I feel tired from fighting a battle in my life, I hear him say, “I will fight for you. You need only to be still.” (Exodus 14:14) The more I actively listen to God’s word and let Him have my attention, the more I hear His voice above all the others.

There are times when people in my life say hurtful things, filling my head with doubts and condemnation. It is easy to let those discouraging words echo in my mind all day long until I am so beaten down that I want to give up or run away. On those days, the best thing for me to do is go out onto my porch, look out on God’s creation, and cry out to Him, asking Him to drown out those voices with His. It works! Scripture after scripture fills my head and those hurtful words from others fade to the background.

The voices you allow to speak loudly in your head can have a huge impact on your life, either deflating you and leading you to feel hopeless, unimportant, or lost or, in contrast, building you up and helping you feel empowered, worthy, useful, and loved. Don’t allow those voices to train you. Take the initiative to train them. Spend time with God and in His Word. Surround yourself with people who will remind you of His Truth and encourage you in your relationship with Him.

In John 10:27, Jesus, our Good Shepherd, reminds us, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.” Let’s all make sure we are listening to our Shepherd’s voice and allowing only His to lead us through our lives.