rest in Him... Joshua 1:9...

"...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."

Joshua 1:9 ESV

After wrestling with Him...
over too much to do...
I find myself today...
resting in His call...

His call feels great...
and I feel small...

Joshua comes to mind...
called to fill the shoes of Moses...
(talk about a great call...)

Joshua called to seemingly impossible tasks...
lead hundreds of thousands across the flood stage Jordan...
defeat a great walled city with trumpets and shouts...

Along the way... in the midst of the call...
over and over... God assured...
Be strong... be courageous...
do not be dismayed... do not feel small...
I will be with you... wherever you go...

My call... not near as great as Joshua's...
but still... today... seems almost impossible...

And like Joshua...
I choose to rest in His call...
rest in His leading...
and the knowledge... wherever He calls me...
He will not leave me...

wait on Him... Psalm 31:23-24...

Love the Lord, all you saints!

The Lord preserves the faithful but abundantly repays

the one who acts in pride. Be strong, and let your heart take courage,

all you who wait for the Lord!

Psalm 31:23-24 ESV

Love the Lord... all you followers of Jesus...

only in Him... can we be called saints...

He is our Lord... so serve Him wholeheartedly...

obey Him... for this is love for Him...

Loving God means keeping his commandments,

and his commandments are not burdensome.

1 John 5:3 NLT

Those who love Him... who faithfully obey...

He preserves... protects...

but those who act in pride... following their own way...

will not fare so well...

I will punish the world for its evil, and the wicked for their iniquity;

I will put an end to the pomp of the arrogant,

and lay low the pompous pride of the ruthless.

Isaiah 13:11  ESV

Those who wait on Him...

can take courage... be strong... in the wait...

He is faithful to those who are faithful...

He is just... and will keep His promises...

Wait on Him... 

Love Him...

He will come through...

afraid of the dark...?

Do not fear the shadowy places. You will never be the first one there. Another went ahead and down until He came out the other side.

---N.D. Wilson, Notes from the Tilt-A-Whirl

Jesus... He's gone ahead... into the darkest places imaginable...

I find the darkest today... in the reading through...for The Journey...

So then Pilate took Jesus and scourged (flogged, whipped) Him. And the soldiers, having twisted together a crown of thorns, put it on His head, and threw a purple cloak around Him. And they kept coming to Him and saying, Hail, King of the Jews! [Good health to you! Peace to you! Long life to you, King of the Jews!] And they struck Him with the palms of their hands.

Then Pilate went out again and said to them, See, I bring Him out to you, so that you may know that I find no fault (crime, cause for accusation) in Him.

So Jesus came out wearing the thorny crown and purple cloak, and Pilate said to them, See, [here is] the Man!

When the chief priests and attendants (guards) saw Him, they cried out, Crucify Him! Crucify Him!

John 19:1-6 Amp

And the one who found no fault in Him... had Him beaten... scourged... ridiculed... tormented... just to prove it...

And the world... cries for the crucifixion of its Creator...

And does it get any darker than this...?

The treadmill read reminds... there is no darkness... where He has not gone first...

The Word reminds... He is trustworthy in the shadows...

And the Light shines on in the darkness, 

for the darkness has never overpowered it...

John 1:5 Amp

Even here... where the Light looks doused... the darkness of death... does not overpower...

They put him to death by hanging him on a tree,

but God raised him on the third day...

Acts 10:39-40 ESV

He faced deepest darkness... head on... willfully laying down His life... for the glory of His Father... and the salvation of many...

"... Greater love has no one than this,

that someone lay down his life for his friends. ..." ---Jesus

John 15:13 ESV

And He came to show us... Do not be afraid of the dark...

"... I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world." ---Jesus

John 17:33 ESV

Because He has... we can...

Consider him who endured from sinners 

such hostility against himself, 

so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. 

In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted 

to the point of shedding your blood.

Hebrews 12:3-4 ESV

Lord Jesus... no matter what darkness we face today... no matter what dis-ease... remind us to fix our eyes on You... consider You... trust You... as the Light... which will NEVER... be overpowered...

thoughts from the summit... courage...

As I look back on two fully packed days of leadership teaching... at the Summit... a recurring theme... was courage... which, of course, is only needed in the face of fear...

The opening message... focused on the courage leadership requires...

Be strong and courageous.

Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged,

for the Lord your God will be with you

wherever you go.

Joshua 1:9 NIV

The speaker said... Courage is critical to vision...

Vision defined as... a vision of the future that inspires passion in people...

Here is a message that pierces my heart... standing with a vision given by God... and fear... that threatens to paralyze...

EVERY vision God puts in your heart

requires courage...

Visions of how things should be... visions of transformation... healing... and freedom... they require courage...

How many have I let slip away... thinking... I'm not the one... I don't have the ability... the influence... to make that happen... What if I fail...?

How many times have I let fear... abort... a... vision...

That's the word he used... abort... 

When fear causes us to abort a God-given vision... it's a colossal tragedy...

This is how I wrote it in my notes...

Fear induced abortion = a colossal tragedy

Sounds harsh... but I know it to be true...

I am reminded... courage is required... to even begin sharing... voicing... the possibility of change... for something better...

Courage... it's only required... in the face of... danger... fear... or difficulty... so why be surprised when He tells us... 

Be strong and courageous...

...that fear... or danger... or difficulty... will be a part of entering the promised land... 

I pray... I will not allow fear to kill... when it comes to God-inspired vision... 

Father God... I choose courage... trusting that You are with me... stepping out to share Your vision... not allowing fear to abort... what You desire... trusting You... for each step of the way... boldly speaking for You... Your kingdom... and Your love...

Choose to trust Him... with the blessing... of a vision...

Have you allowed fear to abort... a Spirit-filled inspiration... ? 

Ask forgiveness...

Have you boldly allowed Him to work it out in you... 

bringing the vision full-term...? 

Thank Him for His strength...