Impact - Day 13

August 16th, 2024

Day 13 – Perseverance

Joshua 1:5 No one will be able to stand against you as long as you live. For I will be with you as I was with Moses. I will not fail you or abandon you.

Our commitment to following God into the next square foot of space is easily undone. Frustration with our failings or the slowness of pace can derail us. One of the most common sources of paralyzation is the criticism or opposition of others. So, it isn’t surprising that God would address this obstacle as He challenges Joshua to step into leadership.

Several things make God’s promise worth discussing. First, He challenges our hope that we will go unopposed. We hear, “No one will be able to stand against you…,” and think it predicts smooth sailing. Did God just promise there will be no human obstacles? Read carefully, we notice He is saying the exact opposite. “No one will be able…,” means someone will want to, try to, mean to stand against us. And then there is the finish to the sentence, “… as long as you live.” Again, listen to that whole sentence slowly: “No one will be able to stand against you as long as you live.” This may mean that even though people will try to stand up to block, they won’t be able to get up and start thwarting you… ever. It can also mean that someone will stand in opposition, criticize, and obstruct progress but won’t stay standing your entire life. Woah, those are two very different ideas. The first is that we will never experience the discouraging presence of adversaries. The other? Enemies will surely arise and make walking with Jesus difficult. But eventually, we will get past them. The second half of the verse suggests the latter. This inevitable opposition is not a cause for fear but the perfect place for God to appear.

Verse five continues with, “… I will be with you… I will not fail you or abandon you.” Why is this triplicate of encouragement necessary? Precisely because there will be difficult moments facing enemies of His cause. God wanted Joshua to know, wants us to know, that even when the path seems too hard to walk, He has not left us. This is comforting. Just as certainly as difficulty arises, our Savior walks with us. He will never leave us. And He gets the last word over our enemies, problems, and discouragements. He brings victory to our lives.

What is something you are afraid of? Have your phobias changed over the years? If so, how?
What is a longstanding battle that you have fought? What would victory look like?
On a scale of 1-10, where 1 = discouraged and 10 = encouraged, where do you stand today? What would you like to ask or thank God for related to this number?