Tuesday, May 08, 2012

I'll Have What Joshua and Caleb Are Having


"Then Caleb silenced the people before Moses and said, “We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it.”

But the men who had gone up with him said, “We can’t attack those people; they are stronger than we are.”...... 


(Then) Joshua and Caleb tore their clothes and said to the entire Israelite assembly, “The land we passed through and explored is exceedingly good. If the Lord is pleased with us, he will lead us into that land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and will give it to us. Only do not rebel against the Lord. And do not be afraid of the people of the land..."  ... From Numbers 13 & 14


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Man, I love that Joshua and Caleb. They were different than everybody else. 

Not stressed-out fraidy cats, but instead, they clearly saw God's plan. They got it. And they believed all would be well as long as they obeyed God and moved ahead with Him.

Joshua and Caleb had that brave kind of boldness that comes from true faith. But what do so many Christians have nowadays? Stress. Fear. Worry. And complaining spirits.

Bleh.

And I heard again today that something like 87% percent of diseases are triggered by stress, fear and worry. 

What I think is going on? Satan is trying to kill us all off so there'll be no one left to defeat Today's giants. He throws his best stressed-out, overwhelmed darts at us repeatedly to wear us down, to keep us crumpled-up in worried, complaining mode long enough to contract the latest disease of the day.

Well, I'm not going there. Uh, no. And this is one reason why I keep letting God deal with my own personal baggage--so that I'll stay healthy and here on Earth long enough to do some good. 

So that I'll react as He would and be a good example to others.


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1 Chronicles 28:20 
David also said to Solomon his son, "Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you until all the work for the service of the temple of the LORD is finished.
(NIV)
Psalm 27:1
The LORD is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid? 



6 comments:

Rita said...

My daughter has facebook so she will know what is going on with people she otherwise would know nothing about. I don't have facebook just because I don't want it. We both agree that it is such a bragging spot. Oh my, so many things are said that would be best left unsaid. I think each to their own. But they need to remember it might be best not to put everything out there. Those who brag about their new home with all the shiny special things and then lose it to forclosure will find people unsympathetic. And by the way....I blame the forclosure on the greedy banks not the people. There are many who buy homes and have no understanding of what they are signing at the bank. That's just my thoughts this morning. :)

Debra said...

Rita--oh dear! Facebook sounds like a sore spot with you. But *anything* we're involved in is what we make it. My Facebook friends share their prayer requests, their hurts, songs and sermons which bless them, inspirational quotes which bless them, photos of their children and grandchildren and more. And actually? I rejoice with those who rejoice, so when my friends buy new homes or cars or take vacations, I rejoice with them as I believe Jesus told us to. Facebook is this encourager's dream come true and I believe my words there can help and heal so I will remain there and believe God is using me to make a difference in my world.

Just some more thoughts to consider. Praying for your daughter.... Blessings, Debra

Pat said...

Preach on sistah! Great post!
I attended a mother/daughter tea this past weekend with my sweet Amy. The wonderful speaker had sealed envelopes on each table to take when we left. Each had a different message inside. My message was "strength". with scripture verses to illustrate. Also connected in my mind to overcoming fear. Our strength commeth from the Lord! Oh how His word ties together for our lives!
Hugs!

Bonnie said...

Amen, Debra. So important to trust Him instead of trying to take the reigns and figure things out ourselves. It's a recipe for disaster. You and Tom are a testament to trusting Him.

Sin is in us from our birth and bad things do indeed, happen to good people, I think. So if a faithful christian does have serious health problems, it is not due to a lack of faith, right?

Debra said...

Pat--loved the idea of a Christian mother and daughter tea and glad you had a good time with memorable verses to take home with you!

Bonnie--thanks for your kind words about Tom and me! But nope--not gonna go to that age-old, worn-out argument about the lack of faith thing. No, what I was simply saying is that since stress can trigger all sorts of diseases, we will be wise to seek God's help in staying stress-free. That's all.

Thanks, Everyone! Blessings, Debra

Robin in New Jersey said...

Great post, Debra. I feel the same way you do about FB. I like to put up encouraging songs, pretty flowers, fun things we are doing. Plus it's a great way for friends and family to see pics of the kids and grandkids. Then I don't have to email them to everyone!

Have a lovely day.