New Year — Same Faithful God!

January 5, 2018

“Every place on which the sole of your foot treads, I have given it to you, just as I spoke to Moses. From the wilderness and this Lebanon, even as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and as far as the Great Sea toward the setting of the sun will be your territory.” Joshua 1:3-4

1. TAKE YOUR PLACE. In Joshua 1 we see a transitional moment for Joshua and the people of Israel. Joshua was in his seventies when he became the leader of the people of Israel. But God imparted something fresh and called the people to go out and take their places. We too have empowerment from God. Young or old, God has something fresh for you in 2018, and as you seek Him, He will order your steps (Proverbs 16:9).

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9

2. CAST YOUR CARES. Anxiety is nervous worry and tension. It distracts us and muddies up our headspace. That’s why God spoke to Joshua and encouraged him repeatedly to be courageous because He was with him. That’s why God tells us to cast our cares on Him (1 Peter 5:7) and take every thought captive (2 Corinthians 10:5).

For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. Romans 15:4

3. FIX YOUR EYES. Be dogged and determined to fix your eyes on Jesus and His Word. The Bible’s voice from antiquity is as fresh now as it was then. The Book of Joshua is a powerful tool in a transitional moment. Reference it and re-reference it. Make it your own and let your life harmonize with it as you move forward into all God has for you in 2018. Like Joshua, we can emerge from different seasons and decades with fruitfulness and faithfulness!

Press on!
Pastor Jeff

PRAY THIS PRAYER:
Here am I, Lord. Send me. Speak to me. I have open ears. I have a receptive heart. Help me to walk in the Spirit. Help me to be obedient to You, Lord. I lift up my eyes and I lift up my needs to You in prayer. Help me to increase my Word-intake. I trust You to lead and guide me in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

fix, verb
To direct steadily. To capture or hold. To direct one’s efforts or attention; concentrate. To become stable or firm; harden.

Copyright © 2018 St. Louis Family Church. All rights reserved. No part of this article may be reprinted or distributed in any form without prior written permission of St. Louis Family Church. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. “Fix.” The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2018 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Web. 3 Jan. 2018.