Courageous Choices Part 2Sample

OVERCOMING OBSTACLES

Here we go! God has spoken to Joshua. Joshua has spoken to the people. The spies have done their reconnaissance work. And now God’s people are ready to move forward into their Promised Land! In Joshua 2:24, they are anticipating God’s triumph!

But before they take the first step, God has them wait. They are so close, but still they must surrender to God’s timing.

This principle of "before" is active in God’s work in our lives. It always takes time for God to prepare us for what He wants to do in us. Practice comes before performance; battles come before victory; struggle comes before celebration; study comes before mastery. But in an age of "instant everything", we have a hard time with waiting, growing, and being patient. We need to learn to surrender to God’s timing in our lives and wait for Him to move when the time is right. This involves faith and steadfast confidence in the character of God. We need to remind ourselves and remind each other that God is always good, that He is faithful, that He never leaves us, that His ways are best, and that He knows the whole story.

Ask Yourself:

-How do you think the people felt when they were so close but not yet ready to cross?

-How did Joshua tell the people to prepare for what God was going to do among them?

Pause to Pray: Take some time to ask God how He wants you to prepare for His work in your life and spend some time praising Him for His unchanging character and His perfect timing.

Take a Next Step:

-Set up a prayer reminder (an alarm on your watch or a note on your mirror or computer with a picture of a clock) to remind you to pause throughout the day and praise God for what He is doing in your life now that is preparing you for the future.