From My Desk - Hurry Across

I’ve been thinking about the Joshua narrative a lot lately. Here is one verse that captured my attention a few days ago,

“Now the priests who carried the ark remained standing in the middle of the Jordan until everything the Lord had commanded Joshua was done by the people, just as Moses had directed Joshua. The people hurried over, and as soon as all of them had crossed, the ark of the Lord and the priests came to the other side while the people watched. ” (Joshua 4:10–11, NIV)

As each of us walks with God, seeking to know and do His will, we must strike the right balance between haste and caution.

Rushing headlong into major decisions is often a recipe for disaster. Familiar folk proverbs warn us away from that extreme.

Haste makes waste...Marry in haste, repent at leisure...Look before you leap...

Those statements are very good advice - unless God has suddenly parted the Jordan in front of you. When His deliverance instantly appears, you must respond quickly or you will miss your miracle.

Standing on the banks of the Jordan River at flood season, the people of God were facing an enormous obstacle. Perhaps they intended to search for a better location upstream or to wait for the river to go down. God suddenly showed up with His own ideas and the muddy waters rolled back.

When that happened, the Israelites did not call a committee meeting or a consultant; they did not speculate or hesitate; they did not casually saunter over to the other side. Instead, they ran across an eerily dry riverbed and into their destiny.

Most of the time, we should make major decisions slowly and carefully. When God suddenly points the way forward, delayed obedience becomes disobedience.

Do you need God to show up in your circumstances? Are you prepared for Him to do so in the way of His choosing? Are you willing to walk through whatever door He opens? Answering “Yes” to those questions helps position you for a miracle.

When you get this email, I encourage you to pause for a moment and pray these words,

Heavenly Father, I thank you for promising you will never leave me or forsake me. I know you are wise beyond anything I can imagine. Intervene in my life in whatever way you choose. Solve my problems in whatever way you know is best. Help me recognize when your hand is at work in my circumstances. Give me the strength, the faith, and the courage I need to run through whatever door you open into my destiny. Help me encourage others to do the same. In the name of Jesus, Amen!

HC Family Conversation - Day 2

Here is a verse that is on my heart today,

“If the LORD delights in a man’s way, he makes his steps firm… ” (Psalm 37:23, NIV)

Here is the way it is rendered in a another translation,

“The LORD directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives.” (Psalm 37:23, NLT)

I recently noticed again how many verses in Scripture promise God will guide our steps. That gives me great comfort because when I think of steps I also think of decisions. God has promised to guide our steps so that means He has also promised to guide our decisions! If that is true for us individually, then it is also for us true corporately.

Let’s believe God together that He will guide our church through the decision we face. When you receive this email, please pause for a moment and join me in praying the following prayer:

“Lord, I thank you for promising to guide us through every moment of our lives. Please keep your hand upon us, your people, as we confront this vital decision regarding our church property. May your will be done so that your Kingdom may come on earth as it is in heaven. Amen.”