My Knight in Shining Armour

I started this post awhile ago.  But never finished it.  And now I'm halfway through Judges and don't know where to begin.  I am going to get back in to the whole blogging about books of the Bible sometime after the new year settles and I refind my routine.  But for now I'm going to "accept" that the time just isn't there....

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I finished reading through Joshua this week.  This might have to be one of my favorite books of the Old Testament.  It was so rich and powerful and full of applications I need desperately.  This blog post is going to just be a more bulleted list I think because its so much good and I know its hard to maintain focus on long blog posts!

"Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan into the land I am about to give to them." Joshua 1:2
Getting ready was a process.  They didn't know when.  But they prepared themselves.  Am I ready to go when and where God directs?  If He says it's time to move, will I be able to?

"Be strong and courageous.  Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." ~ 1:9
The entire first chapter is about being ready to go where God leads, not being afraid, and know that God has given you victory and rest.  I love the idea of God giving me rest.  These burdens aren't mine to carry.  God has plotted it out for me.

"I know that the Lord has given this land to you and a great fear of you has fallen on us ... for the Lord your God is God in heaven above and on earth below." 2: 9, 11
This verse is Rahab talking, who is one of my spiritual heroes.  I clung to her story in the midst of leaving Michael.  She makes me wonder Do I recognize God at work?  Do I see world events and acknowledge it as God?  Do I have confidence in God's sovereignty?  to not react with fear, but know that God is with me wherever the world goes?

"When you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, and the priests, who are Levites, carrying it, you are to move out from your positions and follow it.  Then you will know which way to go, since you have never been this way before." ~ 3: 3-4
When I see God move I need to begin to follow for He alone knows where to go.  This requires my eyes always be looking to him and watching for His signal.

"Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you." ~ 3:5
In all I do, I need to consider myself holy for the Lord.  God creates situations to show how he wants to use you and what your purpose is.  I need to be constantly thinking, meditating, pondering, praying, thanking in regards to any and every life situation (even my anxiety) for the Lord has a plan to do amazing things through all I experience.  He takes the ugly and consecrates it as holy and for His purpose.

"Now the priests who carried the ark remained standing in the middle of the Jordan until everything the Lord had commanded Joshua was done by the people." ~ 4:10
The priests had to continually trust in God's promise.  They stood there while clan after clan after clan of the Israelites passed over.  When fear or pain seem to be swirling around us, we can rest of Christ and His promises.  Those promises are our sure, dry ground, even when around us is terrifying.

"The manna stopped the day after they ate this food from the land; there was no longer any manna for the Israelites, but that year they ate of the produce of Canaan." ~ 5:12
The Lord will sustain us with exactly what we need as long as we need it.  The manna lasted not a moment too long and ended not a moment too soon.  God's timing is flawless and trustworthy.

"The commander of the Lord's army replied, "Take off your sandals, for the places where you are standing is holy" 5:15
Jesus is the commander of the Lord's army.  He goes before us and fights our battles.