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Under Pressure

Our daughter and her husband are in the throes of moving half-way around the world over the next few weeks. Things are crazy for them as you might imagine. But there's more than meets the eye on this move. It's a military move for one. Then there's the fact that her husband, an Air Force captain is stationed in South Korea at the present time. She's in Arizona trying to coordinate this massive transition while waiting for paperwork, selling household goods, vehicles, and transporting their dog to their new duty station. It's a stressful time, full of uncertainty and frustration. Anyone who's ever moved even down the street knows it's not a walk in the park. And if you've been through a military move, it probably sounds familiar, and you have a story or two about that experience.

Life is full of pressures or trials, and they are temporary, but not at all pleasant to endure. We know what the ultimate goal is, but the road is usually difficult and full of the unknown, which is very scary. Whether it's a
move, challenges at work, serious illness, or loss of a job, the pressure rises and we find ourselves stressed out and angry. Joshua was a man who was under a lot of pressure. He knew God's plan for Israel was to conquer Canaan and settle there. It was the Promised Land. He had an army with only a few battles under its belt, battle-tested enemies, lots of women, children, and livestock to care for. God gave him very specific orders to conquer the land before him. It would seem that he had an impossible task to complete. But God knew the pressure that Joshua was under. He gave him a very specific list of promises and instructions to encourage the new leader of Israel. You'll find all of these in Joshua 1.





    • Be strong and courageous
    • I promise you what I promised Moses: ‘Wherever you set foot, you will be on land I have given you—
    • I will not fail you or abandon you.
    • Be strong and very courageous.
    • Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do.
    • This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”
      Here's what we can do when the pressures of life are crushing us. Stand with Joshua and:

      1. Be strong and courageous.
      2. Because God will not fail us or abandon us.
      3. Stay in the Word, think about it, and obey it because it's got the right instructions to get us through.
      4. Be strong and courageous.
      5. Because He is with us wherever we go.



      Because you are my helper,
      I sing for joy in the shadow of your wings. Psalm 63:7

      Comments

      Dave said…
      Military moves = Piece of cake. They do almost all of it for you!
      October 24, 2013
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