PERSONAL JOURNAL:
SIN (conviction): Today, Father, I come to You with a distraught heart and mind over my irritability lately. We have our nephew and niece with us for the summer and it has been quite the struggle for me as they have not been raised to the same standards that my own children have been raised to, which is difficult for me personally. I understand they are still young, but some of the basics that I’ve taught my own children are not the same for them. This has caused me to occasionally dip back into my irritability towards them and occasionally towards my own children as well. Please forgive me for this, Father. Forgive me for not going to You sooner over this, as this has been the case since they got here over a month ago. Help me to be better at being a positive male role model for them, so that they do not see my irritability as something normal in their lives. Instead, help me to shower them with Your grace, Your joy, and Your peace, Father.
PROMISE (verse 8): This verse is speaking loudly to me today, Father. I see so much in this one little verse and I am amazed by how just a few words can speak to so many things. In this verse, You make a promise to Your people, yet again, that You have already handed their enemies over to them. You made a promise to Your people that not even a single one of their enemies will be able to stand against them. I am grateful for this promise, because it continues to show fulfillment throughout the scripture, but even just in this chapter. Joshua led Your people to several great victories in this chapter, to include defending those who deceived them into a peace treaty.
ATTITUDE (verse 8a): I really needed this reminder today, Father. At the beginning of this verse, You tell Your people to not be afraid. This isn’t because their path is going to be easy. Rather, it’s because You are with them and You have already claimed victory over what is to come. Help me to embrace an attitude of no fear in my heart, Father, as I do often struggle with this. I am going into a new job with a rather large company next week and I do have a bit of fear going into this. Will I be as successful with them as I was for the last 20+ years in the military? Will I be able to honor and glorify You properly throughout my new career? Is this even the right path for my life? I don’t know the answers to any of these, but You do. Help me to live this life without fear regardless of what it is You’d have me do, Father.
COMMAND (verse 8): Yes, back to this verse again, Father. It is such a powerful verse loaded with so many lessons. In this verse, I also see a command which I have also journaled to You about my attitude adjustment. You commanded Your people to not be afraid. You didn’t command them to sit back and do nothing as You still wanted them to move forward with these battles to claim their ultimate prize. You commanded them to go forward without fear, because You have already handed their enemies over to them; You have already claimed victory; You have already paved and cleared a path for the steps they must take. Help me to abide in this command, Father, so that I still take the actions You want me to take, but I do so without fear because You are with me and You have already claimed victory!
EXAMPLE (verses 6-8): I find this example a rather interesting one. Your people went into a peace treaty with another group of people who used deception and trickery to get this peace treaty. Your people never went to You for counsel during this decision and just decided to go with the treaty and honor it after they discovered the deception. You also honored the peace treaty in this moment when the Gibeon’s were attacked by multiple other towns. You could have told Joshua to just sit back and let the Gibeon’s be destroyed by the other towns. Instead, You honored the peace treaty they made without consulting You by not only defending the Gibeon’s fully, but also defeating and expunging all of those other towns; claiming victory over ALL of their lands and kingdoms. Thank You for providing this amazing example to me, Father.
*DAILY NOTE: I find it quite amazing how much You can say to me in just a single verse. I do have to work on my fear issues, but I know that the more I lean on You throughout the trials and difficulties of this life, the easier that will be for me. Help me to remain strong in my faith, Father, but also help me to be an example to those around me of what a God-focused and God-driven man looks like in this crazy world. Help me to fully embrace the righteous lifestyle You want me to live, Father. I know I will make mistakes here-and-there, but I also know that if I continue to lean on and into You more, that those mistakes I make will be far less frequent and far less impactful. Thank You, Father, for today’s great conversation.
EXPAND TO READ: GENERAL NOTE FOR MY QUIET TIMES
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