June 29, 2022
Daily Devotion:
"God is with us Wherever We Go..."
Joshua 1:9
New International Version
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.”
Easy enough for God to say! “Don't worry, Joshua. There is no reason to be terrified." Even seasoned veterans know the smell of fear when they launch into battle. And who can blame them? Few battles have ever been fought without casualties. Somebody has to die! Then again, not all battles are the military type. There are battles against cancer, for example, every bit as hard fought and frightening as armed conflict. And battles within families, within the workplace, and even within the church. Not all are terrifying, but all of them are discouraging. So God promises to be with us in the midst of whatever battle we happen to be facing this very day. Then again, haven't countless losing armies claimed that God was on their side? Indeed, but Joshua and the Israelites have indisputable proof that God really and truly is on their side. How else can you explain their incredible crossing of the Jordan?
Unlike military battles where at least somebody has to die, in the great battle of this life, everybody has to die. Everybody has to “cross the Jordan” (signifying our crossing from this life into the land beyond) - a phrase that is synonymous with dying. Is there anything more terrifying than death? And yet, in anticipation of Israel's crossing of the Jordan, God provided a miracle to safeguard his chosen people, just as he had done at the Red Sea. For those who have witnessed a lifetime of God working in their lives, death need no longer terrify the soul. Even in death God is with us wherever we go.
The encouraging question is: If God has promised to be on the frontlines with me even in the most crucial life-and-death battle I will ever face, why should I be terrified at lesser battles that come my way?
