"Wait a minute!" You've made a wrong turn,” my wife warned me as the highway suddenly became dirt road. The map indicated a good hard surface road. How could this happen? The road was supposed to be a short cut and we were already behind schedule. We came to an intersection a little further along the road. Mary turned to me with a smile and said, "where do we go now?"
Life is one intersection after another. Each intersection is potentially dangerous. A wrong turn may be a rough road or maybe worse, a dead end. "Where do we go now?" This is the question we all ask at one time or another.
As Christians, we realize the itinerant nature of our lives. We are transient people with hope of a happy and joyful destination. The road map will direct us to the final destination, but many transitions will occur on the way.
The story of Israel's exit from Egypt and their wanderings and failures are all too familiar. God opened the Red Sea, gave the people food, and kept them from perishing when they didn't deserve any better. Every event was a transition, moving the people closer to the Promised Land. Today Christians are looking for God to open the Red Sea, when they would do well to look at the transitions they face on a day to day basis. We must focus on the goal which is to be with God in the land He has promised us, the New Heavens and the New Earth.
God gave Moses the responsibility to lead the nation of Israel out of Egypt to the Promised Land. Moses was the man for the job. Before prophets became popular, Moses was the greatest prophet. In the absence of a king, Moses assumed responsibility for a nation of people. Moses was a gifted man, but he was not a military man. Moses appointed Joshua to choose an army to fight the battles for Israel. Joshua was like General Schwarzkopf, he was a military strategist. The really big transition for the nation of Israel was the shift of leadership from Moses to Joshua. All the wisdom, savvy, management ability, and experience of Moses was the trade off for a military man. A major transition period for the nation of Israel, but the goal remained the same. The people must take possession of the land that God promised to give them. When Joshua assumed command did the people ask, "where do we go now?" They probably did ask the question and probably with a sense of anxiety.
Most of us have seen Presidents of our nation come and go. There is a sense of anxiety because we wonder about our role in the world state of affairs. When your pastor announces that he will resign after twenty years at your church, there is probably a sense of anxiety. Wait a minute! Don't take the wrong turn at the intersection. Listen to what God has to say to you.
God's Promise to You
After my conversion to Christianity late in life, I wanted everyone to know the forgiveness, acceptance, and peace I sensed from God. The Christian experience was not a fantasy. I knew that my experience was grounded in reality. What I did not know was whether or not God's promises were applicable to me? What about Joshua? Did he know that God's promises were applicable to him? What about you?
Immediately following the transition from Moses to Joshua God made a promise to Joshua. God said, "No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will never leave you nor forsake you" (Josh. 1:5). Wow! You mean God said He would never leave or forsake Joshua. Yes, not only Joshua, but God also makes that promise to you. God's children need to be constantly reminded of God's presence. As you face the transitions of life the assurance of God's presence and His promises will sustain you.
Think back through this past week or this past year. Did you encounter some bumps in the road? Maybe a death in the family, a serious illness, a financial setback or at the very least a flat tire which made you late for an appointment was your bump in the road. Was God with you through the transition? Sure He was, or you wouldn't be reading these words. Joshua was reminded of the previous faithfulness of God. God was with Moses during some difficult transitions and Moses was aware of God's presence. How many times does Moses refer to "the God of Abraham, Issac, and Jacob?" Too many to mention, but the point is that God is not just the God of three generations. He is the God of all generations. It was a reminder to Moses that God was with all previous generations, because God is an eternal God. The eternality of God is our benchmark to look back and see how God carried us through the transitions of life.
We live in a fast paced world, a technical world, and an image producing world. These characteristics do not serve well to remind us of God's presence. So, you may ask, how can I be reminded of God's past faithfulness. More particularly how will God's past faithfulness effect and affect my present circumstances.
First, make sure there is oneness between you and God. The first step to oneness is, in the words of the Apostle Paul, "believe and you will be saved." Ask the Holy Spirit to empower you to follow the ways of the Lord.
Secondly, read the Scriptures. You cannot and will not ever understand God's promises unless you read the Bible. Let me suggest a new twist for your daily Bible reading. Read the history of God's promises, not just for the sake of obtaining facts, but with the purpose of tracing God's redemptive work to save His people. Follow this sequence in your Bible reading to get a sense of God's faithfulness throughout the ages:
Genesis through Chronicles
Isaiah through Malachi
Ezra through Ester
Gospels
Epistles
Revelation
Job through Song of Solomon
If you follow this plan, God's saving history will reflect how careful God has always carried out His promises to His children.
Read church history and don't think for one minute that you will not be as spiritual as the next person. God's promises to help us during the transitions of life can be seen over and over again in nearly two thousand years of church history. The failure of the evangelical church to teach church history within the agenda of Christian Education robs Christianity of the great revivals and reformations. To ignore nearly two thousand years of church history will create a vacuum in the demonstrated promises of God. Don't deprive yourself of the joy of seeing how God has provided for and protected His children throughout the history of the church.
Thirdly, you can be reminded of God's faithfulness by pausing each day and giving thanks for an abundance of blessings. And for sure, ponder those transitions you experienced and overcame by the grace of God! Write the transitions in a journal, because next week, next month, or next year you will need to be reminded of God's faithfulness.
Most of us make it through transitions and say, "thank goodness it’s over." During my undergraduate work at Columbia Bible College, I had the opportunity to become friends with many married students. A married student with a couple of children taking a full load was likely to face financial difficulties at one time or another. I remember one student telling me that he was thankful for God's gracious hand as he went through some difficult times. He was quick to add that his primary concern was the future of his education. We are all thankful for God's gracious promises, but most of us often face transitions with urgency about the future. Do you sometimes have that feeling that the road up ahead has some big bumps? Do you wonder how you will make it over those bumps?
God told Joshua, "I will be with you." The Hebrew verb translated "will be" refers to a future action as good as accomplished. It’s like your favorite basketball team leading by thirty one points with only thirty seconds left in the game. You could say "we've won the game." When God called Moses to the task of leading the Israelites out of Egypt, God promised "to bring them up from that land to a good and spacious land" (Ex. 3:8). God's plan did not change no matter how many transitions the Israelites would face or how difficult they may be. For the Israelites in the Old Testament and the Christians in the New Testament, and that includes you, God's great promise is His special and gracious presence. During the teenage years there will be an outburst of transitions. As teenagers become young adults new responsibilities bring more transitions. When a single person becomes engaged and marriage takes place, then you have big-time transitions. If your un-married daughter announces she is pregnant, or your homosexual son comes out of the closet, or you lose you mate, then you are facing those transitions in life that you thought would happen to the other person. When the transitions come, and they will, remember God's past promises are also future promises. Trust Him today for the rest of your life. The words of the Psalmist are present tense as he says "To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul; in you I trust, O my God" (Psalm 25:1,2). The Psalmist also looks to the future with positive expectations as he says "When I am afraid, I will trust in you" (Psalm 56:3).
God's Power for God's People
My Father was a brick mason and during my teenage years I would work with him to earn extra money. My job was to mix mortar and keep him with a supply of brick. Needless to say, he was always calling for brick and mortar. The work was hard and taxing, even for a young body. One summer day near the end of the week I told my dad that I was about to give out. I remember him saying, "Its O.K. to give out, but don't give up." Sometimes Christians are zapped of their strength, especially spiritual strength. It is during these times that we must remember what God has to say: "be strong."
When Joshua assumed the leadership position from Moses the message from God was to "be strong." Joshua would need strength for the battles ahead, but more importantly he would need strength of character. First, strength of character to obey God's law and secondly to be an example to God's people. You are no different from Joshua, because you too need strength especially spiritual strength to fight the spiritual battles in the present age.
Joshua was aware that he needed to "be strong" in his action for God. He was the leader, the man of action, so he had to demonstrate his strength. Christians are called to be men and women of action. Sometimes we get so involved that reality escapes us and we forget that our strength comes from God. The Apostle Peter was aware, as you should be, that Christians serve in the kingdom of God "by the strength which God supplies" (1 Peter 4:11).
God not only supplies strength to believe, but also the strength to continue to believe. God told Joshua to "Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed. . . ." (Josh. 1:9) Why should Joshua's faith not be shaken? He had to get hundreds of thousands of people across the Jordan River during flood stage. The cities beyond the Jordan were fortified and what about all the problems associated with invading the enemy on his home ground. Joshua probably had good reason to tremble and be dismayed, because Joshua faced some major transitions. The words God gave Joshua, "the Lord your God is with you," (Josh. 1:9) strengthened Joshua’s faith so he could handle the transitions, whatever they may be. Have you had doubts since you became a Christian? I have! During my final year in seminary, academic endeavors just about swept me away. The various disciplines in critical thought were causing me to question the authority of Scripture. Frustrated and aware of the danger, I went to a professor and explained my quandary. He said, "no problem." I said, "big problem” because I was questioning the authority of Scripture and ultimately the authority of God. After a lengthy discussion he finally pointed out that I needed strength from God, not only to believe, but to continue in the faith. I did continue in the faith. The command from God was "Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go" (Josh. 1:9).
Sylvester Stallone was the protagonist in the movie "Lockup." He was unjustly imprisoned, so he tried to escape. During the escape plan, his partner told Stallone to turn left, but Stallone argued that he should go right. At his partner’s insistence, he went left and the prison guards captured him. It turned out that his partner betrayed him and was an informer for the prison officials. Making the wrong turn can be very painful.
God told Joshua not to make any turns. "Be careful to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left. . . ." (Josh. 1:7). Do not turn from the law, either to the right or to the left. Christians must live according to God's law. One of the reasons Christians get frustrated during the transitions of life is a disregard for holding to the centrality of God's law. The New Testament cogently and convincingly explains the expectations of all Christians. "Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect" (Matt. 5:48). Jesus said in another place "If you love me you will keep my commandments" (John 14:15). Can you guess where you get the strength to keep God's commandments? Yes, it comes from God. Christians receive and rest upon Christ alone for saving grace. God empowers you to believe and you will continue to believe as the Lord gives strength. Matthew explains it this way: "And she will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for it is He who will save His people from their sins" (Matt. 1:21). Jesus will save His people and then he will enable them with strength to stay on the straight path and not turn either to the right or the left.
Christians often take a turn toward legalism. The word legalism is sometimes used to describe the meritorious necessity of keeping the law to earn salvation. Other times legalism defines a man-made moral code which allegedly binds all Christians. For our purposes legalism means that someone imposes an act of obedience that the Lord does not impose. For instance, some people teach that it is a sin to smoke cigarettes. It certainly is a nasty habit and may cause health problems, but the Bible does not address the subject. "You can't smoke, drink, or dance nor date girls that do" is an old cliché that describes legalism. Joshua was warned not to turn from the law of God either to the right or the left. Whatever direction legalism goes, do not make that turn. Jesus made his most scathing attack against the Pharisees. They were the legalist of His day. Avoid the wrong turn to legalism.
Christians have a tendency to go to the right or the left and the opposite of legalism is antinomianism. Hey, what a big word. Not really, just break it down. It comes from two Greek words, "anti" meaning against and "nomos" which refers to the law of God. So an antinomian is against the law of God. This view drives the Christian away from the need to daily confess sins and vigorously follow the Lord. Oh, you say, I'd never be against the law of God. Pride may overcome us unless we ask the question: How is our obedience? Are we striving to keep every commandment or do we commit little acts of treason and just fail to acknowledge those acts? Maybe you don't commit adultery, but what about fantasy? Maybe you don't kill, but what about gossip? Maybe you don't steal, but what about envy or greed? Keeping the law of God is exacting and taxing of which no mere human being is able claim 100% success. Your responsibility is to be strong and courageous and to obey the God who created you.
God's power is demonstrated through His people. We see His power most evidently as we face transitions throughout life. Joshua needed God's power to fight the battles necessary to conquer and settle in the land God promised to His people. You need God's power to conquer the evil forces that would try to captivate and control your life. The Israelites looked forward to settling in the Promised Land. You look forward to settling in the New Heavens and the New Earth. God's strength comes moment by moment, day by day, year by year. When you face that difficult transition remember that your endurance is a demonstration of God's power in your life. Your endurance is part of the process of being "strong and courageous." God's message to Joshua is as applicable to you as it was to Joshua. God didn't fail Joshua and He will not fail you.
Privileges For God's People
A privilege is a right granted to someone. Joshua was privileged to receive God's promise and power to conquer and settle the Promised Land. Christians are the most privileged of all people. They too receive God's promise and power. The Christian is promised eternal life without fear or anxiety. Most of us look at transitions with a fear of failure. I've presented the gospel in a nutshell many times only to hear these words: "I'm not going to accept Christ until I can live for Christ." It is the fear of failure that keeps many a person from making a transition. Transitions are privileges that come from God. Transitions are privileges because they anticipate a measure of success. "You will be prosperous and successful" so God said to Joshua. Prosperity and success can't be measured in dollars and cents. Prosperity and success is the peace and joy you experience as God gives you His promises and His power during the transitions of life.
Where do we go now, the lepers asked each other as they sat at the entrance gate of Samaria? There was a famine in the city and the enemy, the Army of the Arameans, camped outside the city to prepare for a siege against Samaria. If the lepers went into the city, they would probably die from hunger. Death was almost certain if they stayed at the city gate. They decided to go to the camp of the enemy, the Arameans. The lepers said "If they spare us, we shall live; and if they kill us, we shall but die." An astute observation? Not really, they just didn't know where to go to survive. The balance of life hung in that transition for the lepers. (Read 2 Kings 7:1-16 for the biblical narrative) What transitions threaten you today? You've lost your job and economic picture is so bleak you just can't find work. You recently found out your life partner no longer loves you and wants to separate. You've just discovered you have a serious illness that may be life threatening. Your child has just announced that Christianity is not for him or her. A natural catastrophe (i.e. earthquake, tornado, flood, etc) has destroyed your earthly possessions. Or maybe your little girl, who is now 22 years old, wants to get married. The question is: Where do we go now? The answer is: Go to God. From the days of Joshua to the present time, God has not changed. The promises God made to Joshua are your promises. The power God gave to Joshua is your power. God's promises have never failed and His power is beyond human comprehension.
Escape from the lies of Satan. Forget the fantasy of Satan's world and step into the world of reality. Your perspective toward the transitions of life can be radically changed when you learn and experience the reality of God's world. The first step is to take time to read Joshua today.
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