Challenged
Joshua 1:9 – Be strong
and courageous; do not be frightened and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your
God is with you wherever you go.
What is your challenge today? There will be one, probably
several. What will your attitude be, one of despair or one of faith? Will you
bemoan every trouble and cry over every slight, or will you give it up to God
and allow his Spirit to get you through whatever the crisis might be? It is
normal to slide into panic when life surprises you in negative ways, but it is
not in your best interest to stay there. Panic overload causes us to make
decisions we regret, say things we can never take back, and generally keeps us
in a state of uncertainty bordering on fear. God is present in the moment. He
can find us, even when we can’t seem to find him. His promise is to never leave
us come what may. I don’t see anywhere in that promise that life will be easy,
but that He will be with us, giving us strength, sharing – and sometimes fully
bearing – our burdens, and giving us hope. Each day brings opportunity, and
yes, challenges. The challenges create opportunities to get closer to God and
to each other, and often prove to be the very thing that leads us to
understanding and enrichment.
