Be strong and courageous

​This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” – Joshua 1:8‭-‬9 ESV

I’m sure there are some who have to hear me talk about Jesus all the time who would “just like me to not be so religious” and for the Word of God to not come out from my mouth. They might find some hope in believing this is what the Scripture is saying,  right? 

Sorry to disappoint you, but hang around, you might find something else of interest in a minute. That phrase “shall not depart” really means something like “will not be removed”. Another way to describe what this is saying is:

If I say, “I will not mention him, or speak any more in his name,” there is in my heart as it were a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I am weary with holding it in, and I cannot. – Jeremiah 20:9 ESV

And another description is:

Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” – John 7:38 ESV

Yep, it actually means that we just can’t shut up about our God.We just can’t stop singing His praises. And it’s because He’s with us. “Do not be frightened,  do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you WHEREVER  YOU GO.”
So when that picture caught your eye and led you to “that” website, yep, God was there. He knows.

When you did that thing,  yeah, that one that you hope people don’t ever find out about. He knows. 

In fact, He knew you when He knit you in your mother’s womb. Pretty freaky concept,  huh? Some stalker God that’s always watching, “knows when you’ve been bad or good…” Well, not really. See, you’ve never actually been good. 
What? I crossed a line? You mean you didn’t leave after the “I can’t shut up thing” and you made it past the “God is a stalker” thing,  and you’re going to leave just when I’m talking about our favorite person,  self?  Come on, how bad can it be. Hang around just a little longer…

So, why does God want you to meditate on His Word? So you can get a big fat check? Isn’t that what He means by “For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.”

Well, let’s unpack it before either the prosperity gospel folks start flooding in along you to send them your prosperity bribe… oops, I mean tithe… or the stodgy old religious conservatives get so uncomfortable with the whole idea that they decide we should try to shut the door of heaven quickly before any sinners can get in. LOL. Okay,  sorry for the sarcasm,  folks,  it’s getting late. 

So what in the world is the point of my ramblings tonight? 

It’s pretty simple, I’m here to tell you that God is for you. Jesus Christ,  God come in the flesh to live among us, died for your sin. 

Yep. Died. 

On a cross.

It was really awful. Have you seen The Passion? Don’t try to eat pizza through that movie, I’ll tell you. Not a good idea. 

Anyways,  man… I’m all over the place,  right?  why in the world would someone take the time to read something so disorganized and chaotic as this? Have you met our kids? Have you met us these days? ADD is the new baseline and people want everything in 5 second sound bites or chock full of enriching rabbit trails and jokes. Now where was I again? 
Right, I was there,  with the hammer in my hand,  nailing Jesus to the cross. What? Yep,  those were my nails in his hands. 

I see you threw the brakes on hard there,  right? You’re wondering how they were my nails unless I’m some 2000 year old vampire,  or I’m some Dr. Who type with a time traveling tardis, or I’m just insane and joined up with a bunch of religious crazies like all the other “many paths to heaven” that Oprah is selling (or giving out to people from underneath their chairs).

You see, even if no one else in all of history believed, I believe that He went to the cross for my sin. And I believe that His Word is true and that this whole God thinner,  this whole Jesus Christ died on a cross,  was buried and risen from the dead is true. And I’ll tell you that Jesus is Lord – not because He needs me, not because I need to gather recruits, not because I need to live a more perfect life, not because I will burn if I don’t. 

I’m just telling you because that’s what I do now. I celebrate. I am strong and courageous now, because shame and guilt and fear and worry is out the window if I’ve got, Almighty God, maker of heaven and earth with me and He says, “Don’t worry, kid,  I’ve got this.”

Yep, my Daddy is pretty sweet and amazing. Yeah, that’s what I call Him sometimes when it’s our time just the two of us. I tried Abba Father,  but that just sounded too pretentious. He just smiles because He knows the name that my heart cries out to Him. And He is there,  and He never leaves me. And it isn’t creepy, it’s wonderful. 

I hope you have this. I hope you know Him closely and personally. If not,  dude,  you’re so missing out! I mean,  we’re talking about God here. I mean,  really,  for real. What is going to top that? Yeah,  I know you have Sunday night’s episode of The Walking Dead revised that you haven’t watched yet,  but Daddy is saying,  not just to me,  but to you as well,  “meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

Do you hear what He’s saying? 

Even if it sounds too good to be true,  why not give it a double take. I mean,  you’ve read my ramblings this far, why not read and meditate on some of His Word. I promise you that it will captivate you a lot more than my writing if you open your ears, your mind,  and your heart to heart it.

Go, meditate, do what is written. Then come back and tell me about it. I dare you. What have you got to lose if I’m wrong? 

Even more importantly, what have you got to lose if I’m right? 

because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” – Romans 10:9‭-‬11 ESV