THE PATH OF CONFIDENCE

Joshua 1:1-9 is an incredibly enriching passage. These verses contain the instructions God gave to Joshua as he assumed the leadership of Israel, and together they prepared to possess their future. In these verses we find timeless principles given to guide Israel and all of us who follow along “afar off” as we step into our future with a confident, expectant spirit.

When Moses died, the man God chose to take his place and lead the Jewish nation into the Promised Land was not a novice. Joshua had been an aide to Moses for at least 40 years and was very likely close to 80 years old when God spoke to him and said:

“Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them” (Joshua 1:2, NIV).

It is important that we not skip over the first verses in order to get to the heart of the instructions. The path of confidence starts in these verses! They tell us something extremely important and if we miss it, then the rest of the passage doesn’t take us where we want to go. They tell us that Joshua had an open and personal relationship with God, a relationship that allowed God to speak to him, and allowed Joshua to hear and understand His directions.

Joshua had not simply leaned on Moses all those years of being an aide. He had learned from Moses that he, too, could have a relationship with God. Building a relationship is never easy; it takes time and patience; and it takes a determination to see the relationship grow and flourish. For 40 years before Moses assumed the leadership of the Jewish nation he was “away” learning to walk with God, to have a relationship with Him. For the next 40 years Moses led and Joshua learned.

So much victory, so much success in life, in marriage, in business is squandered because people don’t take time to build relationships. Our culture is in such a hurry to succeed that shortcuts are invented. Instead of building relationships, people “hook up” for mutual pleasure and then quickly move on. Carol and I have a strong marriage because we have built a good relationship.

Joshua had a relationship with God that had been cultivated over the years and now he was faced with a major challenge. How would you like to wake up one morning and suddenly have God declare, “Moses is dead and now you are in charge of this unruly bunch; it will be your responsibility to lead them into their future”? Joshua was ready, in large part, because he had a relationship with God and recognized His voice.

Far too many Christians today have such a casual relationship with the Lord that they cannot tell when He is talking; they don’t recognize or understand His voice or His directions. The fruit of a casual, distant relationship is never sweet!

In the late 1980’s I was in Virginia Beach, Virginia, at the 700 Club with an evangelist I was doing work for. While the evangelist was being interviewed on live TV, I waited in the Green Room and talked with the next guest, a Christian psychologist. I had met this doctor years earlier when he was a pastor in Ohio. We began to talk about current happenings in the church and the impact of several very widely-known moral failures among prominent ministers. (The Swaggart and Bakker scandals were in full bloom at that time.)

The pastor/psychologist made the following comment: “Our ministry has been involved in counseling several hundred ministers and missionaries who have gone through moral failures. They come from all walks of life, many nationalities, and different denominations but they all have one thing in common. At the time of their moral failure, not one of them had a consistent personal relationship with the Lord.” I have never forgotten that statement: “Not one of them had a consistent personal relationship with the Lord at the time of their moral failure.” That’s a sobering and revealing statement.

The road to confidently possessing our future must have as its starting point, as its cornerstone, our personal relationship with God. The seeds of our defeat in possessing our future also lie here, because if the cornerstone is not kept in place then the seeds of failure can sprout and take us in directions we never intended to go. It is my personal belief that our spirit is hungry for a relationship with God and if we do not keep the relationship with Him, and we let it drift and become distant, then that unfulfilled hunger in our human spirit will seek solace in other places.

“Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross . . . into the land I am about to give.”

IT WAS TIME TO TESTIFY!

  

I wonder how I would feel if I had been running from the threat of death for seven years. The man I’m writing about today was not a career criminal and had not broken the law. His only crime was being a good soldier and supporter of his country and his leader. His skill and faithfulness made him popular—and that’s when the trouble began. His leader was a jealous man and he grew increasingly envious of the young warrior’s popularity. One day in a fit of rage, King Saul tried to kill David and he had to flee to preserve his life.

David ran for his life for about seven years. Not only were Saul and his mercenaries on David’s trail but so were Israel’s archenemies, the Philistines. Israel was in a protracted war with the Philistines, and David’s rise to fame began when he killed one of the Philistines’ all-time bad guys. At times during the years of flight, David was able to forge temporary truces with the Philistines for him and his small band of warriors. These truces never seemed to last, however, because the Philistines never trusted David, nor did David trust them.

Imagine seven years of pressure, of expecting that at any moment Saul’s killers might strike. Seven years of constant moving and looking over your shoulder, wondering if someone might betray you.

I believe it was during these years that David’s character and integrity were forged. At one point David and his men were hiding in a cave (1 Samuel 24) and Saul and some of his soldiers came to rest in the same cave. David and his men were hidden deep in the back of the cave and Saul did not know they were there until after he left. David had a perfect opportunity to get the pressure off by killing Saul—and who would have faulted him? The depth of David’s character showed in this encounter as he restrained himself and his men from harming Saul in any way.

David showed respect when Saul demonstrated jealousy. David was truly a king and Saul was a disobedient failure. It was during these turbulent years that David’s walk with God was deepened and expanded. David was waiting for deliverance to come and he didn’t waste the waiting (see Psalm 119:67.)

When Saul died by his own hand, David was able to come out of hiding—finally removing the pressure of being hunted. God had protected David and his men, and with the threat of death from Saul finally gone, David wanted to praise God for His faithfulness. He needed to “testify”—and so he did.

“I love you, O LORD, my strength.

The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;
       my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge.
       He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

I call to the LORD, who is worthy of praise,
       and I am saved from my enemies.” (Psalm 18:1-3)

The whole of Psalm 18 (and the parallel passage 2 Samuel 22) is David’s testimony of God’s faithfulness, provision, protection and guidance. It was written to express his praise for being released from the nightmare of being hunted down.

The word “strength” is speaking of prevailing, of being made strong. The Apostle Paul understood this well and said, “For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:10). Strength comes from the Lord who bares His arm on our behalf.

One of the descriptive words that David uses twice in these verses and four times in the chapter is “rock,” as in, “The Lord is my rock,” meaning that God is our secure refuge. “The Lord is my rock, in whom I take refuge” (v. 2).

“Fortress” refers to a strong castle and speaks of our security. God is our fortress and our defense!

“Deliverer” is a word rich in meaning and refers to God providing a way of escape, a way of deliverance from our pain, suffering, hardship or death (see 1 Corinthians 10:13.)

“Refuge” speaks of a place of shelter and also speaks of trust. We are to trust God and His refuge. If we don’t trust Him, there is no refuge.

“Shield.” The Lord is the protector of His people so that the adversities of life cannot destroy His child.

“Horn” is a symbol of strength, power and victory.

“Stronghold” is a highly fortified defensive or military structure. One of the words frequently used to describe a stronghold is security and this speaks of the security that we have in Him.

David is giving thanks that the season of his life of running and hiding is over. He is giving thanks for all the ways he experienced the care and love of God during this difficult time in his life. There is almost a euphoric element to his testimony and, frankly, it sounds good from here. 

Thank you, Lord, for preserving David and thank you, David, for sharing your testimony. It encourages me!

BECAUSE OF MY CHAINS

 I can only imagine what the Christians in Rome thought when they heard that the apostle Paul had been arrested and was being brought to Rome to be tried before Caesar. The church in Rome was already under heavy persecution and now one of the most well-known leaders of Christianity had been arrested.

For two years Paul was kept in confinement in Rome while he awaited trial. He was imprisoned by the Praetorian Guard, the power elite of the Roman military. The Praetorian Guard was responsible for protecting the Emperor and policing the city of Rome. Over the centuries, the Praetorians became a force to be reckoned with. More than once they removed an Emperor from power (which means they killed him). It is reported that once they removed an Emperor, their power was such that they “sold” the Roman Empire to the highest bidder. These were the men who were charged with imprisoning Paul.

Paul was chained by the wrist to a soldier every moment of every day. The soldiers were there as Paul visited with his guests; they heard him share the gospel; heard him as he prayed for his friends and their needs; heard him in his private moments as he communed with the Lord in worship and prayer. I am sure that Paul had lengthy witnessing conversations with the soldiers who rotated through this duty.

Paul saw his imprisonment not as a defeat but as a victory. “Now I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel” (Philippians 1:12, NIV). Paul then goes on to explain that because of his chains, the Praetorian Guard and all who lived in the Emperor’s palace had been touched by the gospel of Jesus Christ.

A little background is helpful here. Prior to Paul’s imprisonment, the Roman church had come under increasing persecution. The Emperor Nero, who set fire to Rome, falsely blamed the Christians for the fire and persecution began to intensify. Many Christians fled to other cities and other countries where the persecution was not as intense. 

Those who remained in Rome were largely silenced. Out of fear, they stopped sharing the good news. They literally went underground, and to the world around them they were silent.

Paul explains in Philippians 1:14: “Because of my chains, most of the brothers in the Lord have been encouraged to speak the word of God more courageously and fearlessly” (NIV).

Because of Paul’s positive response to his chains, the Roman believers broke their silence and began to share the message of Christ to those around them. I think it’s entirely feasible that one of those with Paul, perhaps Timothy, was serving as a liaison between Paul and the remnants of the church. As Paul’s imprisonment wore on, the messenger began to share stories of the soldiers and others who were coming to faith in Christ through Paul’s witness. At first the church may have been stunned by what they were hearing, and possibly rather skeptical. Over the weeks and months, however, that all changed and the remnant church began to understand what God was up to. They stepped out of their fear and silence and again began to share the Good News.

What had appeared to be a horrific defeat with Paul being imprisoned was now being seen as a circumstance that God had turned into a victory. Paul led the way with his understanding of “because of my chains.” We understand that Paul was not really talking about physical chains but about the circumstances that brought bondage into his life. The word used here for chains means anything that is used for tying—a band or a fetter.

Paul surrendered to God what appeared to be circumstances that limited him, and He turned it and used it all for good (Romans 8:28).

The Bible establishes this as a pattern of God’s working early on. In Genesis chapters 37-50, we read the fascinating story of Joseph. His jealous brothers faked an accident and sold Joseph into slavery to get rid of him. Bought by nomadic traders, Joseph was then sold to one of the high-ranking officers in Egypt. Working as a household slave, he was falsely accused of rape and thrown into prison. His circumstances went from bad to worse but after several years, Joseph was again freed and went on to become one of the most important men in Egypt. It was through his wisdom and the unwavering favor of God that he ended up being the savior/deliverer of his family and his nation.

After reuniting with his brothers, Joseph said to them, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives” (Genesis 50:20, NIV).

A selfish, harmful plan had been conceived but God turned the shameful act into a glorious victory!

The greatest demonstration of faith is not when everything is going well but real faith is seen when, in the natural, everything is going wrong. It’s in a time of pain and confusion that real faith is displayed and that’s what Paul was modeling for us when he used the phrase “because of my chains.”

Paul finishes his powerful teaching in Ephesians about the armor of God when he says, in speaking of his ministry of the sharing of the gospel, “I am an ambassador in chains” (Ephesians 6:19). Paul didn’t see his chains as a negative but rather as a way for him to continue his ministry of taking the gospel to others.

LIFE IN THE VINE

“I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides [lives] in me and I in him, he it is that bears much [abundant] fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5, ESV).

When John wrote the fourth gospel, he was not writing for the saints at the headquarters church in Jerusalem or for the leaders of this new group of people called Christians. John lived in Ephesus, in what then was known as Asia Minor (Turkey), and was the pastor of the growing church there. The focus of his writing was to assist the newly saved grow in faith while living in a community that was overtly hostile to Christianity.

John begins this verse with a clear declaration of identity: “I am the vine; you are the branches.” The question and struggle over identity goes right back to the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:5) and the struggle of man wanting to be like God. John highlights Jesus’ statement because he understands that until the identity issue is settled, there can be no meaningful forward progress. There can only be one vine but there is room for lots of branches. So this is an issue that has to be settled: “He is the vine and I am the branch! He is God and I am not!”

Fruitfulness, in our life as a Christian, comes from our relationship with Jesus. Before a branch in a vineyard can be fruitful, it must be in continual contact with the vine. The vine feeds and nourishes the branch. This is how we grow and become fruitful as followers of Jesus. We draw life from Him, and from that fruitfulness we are able to give out to others.

Try this experiment! Get a knife or a pair of scissors and go into your yard. Pick out a plant and cut off one of the smaller branches. Put that little cutting on a piece of paper in a safe place and see what happens over the next couple of days. Some of you are shaking your heads, saying, “This is silly. I know exactly what will happen. Once the cutting is disconnected from the plant, it will begin to die,” and you are exactly right. The point is very clear—Jesus is the Vine and we are the branches and disconnected from Him we are helpless. We cannot survive; we will wither and die, because “apart from me you can do nothing.”

The little cutting that we set aside is now dead. Within hours dryness began to set in and within a few days the cutting dried up and withered. The possibility of its ever being fruitful is over and gone. So it is with the man (or woman) who habitually neglects his personal communication with the Savior. Jesus said, “Apart from me you can do nothing.” The original meaning for the word nothing is there is no prospect of success, none! Apart from the Vine there is no fruitfulness that counts.

Dryness in us does not begin as quickly as it does in that little plant, but don’t fool yourself, it will start and continue unless we maintain our communication with Him.

I am concerned for the casual Christians who think that going to church once a week carrying a Bible, singing loudly, putting a few dollars in the offering, smiling, and shaking hands is all that is needed to fill up their spiritual batteries. It is encouraging and strengthening to be in lively teaching and worship services but that does not, I repeat, does not, replace the importance of your regular personal time with Him.

I am convinced that it is extremely important for a believer to prioritize his devotional life. Everything else in the believer’s spiritual life is secondary; other things may be important but not as much as being tightly connected to the Author and Finisher of our faith. The devotional life makes or breaks the success of our walk with God.

It is also of great importance to understand that John was telling his friends that in order to handle the pain and pressure of persecution, they had to be connected to the Vine; otherwise, they had nothing that would sustain them. This is an important lesson for us in 2016 as the world around us grows progressively darker and more hostile to followers of Jesus Christ.

“Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me” (John 15:4, ESV).