“Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do amazing things among you." Joshua 3:5
The Israelites were to be set apart, consecrated, and ready for tomorrow. With daily news updates and death tolls rising, we never know the scary reality of what tomorrow holds but we do know that God can use us to do amazing things.
Are you using this season to prepare yourself for the unknown of the future or are you filling your schedule with Netflix and misery scrolling (first one to confess, right here!! 🤚) When we sleep in and wear our pjs all day, it’s tempting to slack off spiritually too. But we must not become weary of doing good. We must take up our armor every day so when the day of trials comes, when challenges inevitably come our way, when doubts threatens our hearts and minds, we can stand firm and see the walls come crumbling down!!!! 💪 (Ephesians 6:13)
Just uploaded thoughts on Joshua, consecration, and “the original quarantine” to Instagram TV and our Bible In a Year Facebook Group. Check it out 👉👉👉
#acrossmyheart #bibleinayear #quarantine2020
On a hike down a river ravine last summer, my husband and I stopped to soak in the beauty of our surroundings and take turns stacking stones, one on top of the other. The flat stones had been smoothed down by the force of rushing water. And with each smooth stone we recounted God’s faithfulness in our lives.
A legacy of strong marriages. Protecting Joseph from his fall. Peace in all circumstances. A family that loves the Lord. Our daily health. Provision through Joseph’s schooling. God’s continual forgiveness. Christ’s unconditional salvation.
Each stone a reminder of all that the Lord has done.
Do you have any reminders of God’s blessings in your life? Important dates? Mile markers? Or symbols around your home that tell His story of love?
Psalm 105 recounts the many ways God was faithful to the Israelites. King David wrote it to be sung as a song of praise and gratitude for all that the Lord had done. May we have a posture of gratitude for God’s goodness and take the time to reflect on our own lives. Use this extra time you have during the quarantine to remind yourself and others of the way He has worked in your story.
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“And he said to the people of Israel, “When your children ask their fathers in times to come, ‘What do these stones mean?’ 22 then you shall let your children know, ‘Israel passed over this Jordan on dry ground.’ 23 For the Lord your God dried up the waters of the Jordan for you until you passed over, as the Lord your God did to the Red Sea, which he dried up for us until we passed over, 24 so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the Lord is mighty, that you may fear the Lord your God forever.” (Joshua 4:21-24)
#acrossmyheart #bibleinayear #remember #chronologicalbible #thebinlestudyplanner
“Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. 8 Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:7-9
As we wrap up our readings in Joshua and open the book of Judges, I am reminded of this promise! So often we read it out of context and apply it to whatever situation we feel like....”Be brave! Be bold! You’ve got this! God is with you!” And while it’s true that God will always be with us, the surrounding promises give a fuller picture to the charge. We aren’t to be bold and brazen in whatever we want to do whenever we feel like doing it. We are to be bold and courageous in the ways of the Lord. We are to meditate on His Word. Follow His ways. And He will set our feet on the path He has laid before us.
#bibleinayear #thebiblestudyplanner #acrossmyheart #chronological
Genesis 1:27, “So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.”
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With the Coronavirus causing a worldwide pandemic, we are laid bare. Our motives exposed. Our hearts revealed. Our humanity shown for what it is. The self-preservation of some and the apathy in others echo the self-centered nature of the human heart. Yet we see men and women on the frontlines of hospitals caring for the sick and dying. Essential workers getting food and medical equipment through the supply chain. And families creatively bonding during quarentine. How can one virus bring out so much good and so much bad in mankind? Perhaps because we are fallen and broken yet we are still image bearers of God.
We are designed with the capacity to love, to think critically, to live in community... all echoes of the very nature of our Creator. And this common grace to all mankind still emanates from Him today.
Sin has ravaged the world, leaving no human untouched or stone unturned. And yet, there is hope.
Any good we see is a reflection of Him. John Calvin called this universal awareness of God a sensus divinitatis (sense of deity). My seminary professor writes, "[Calvin] declares that every person, because they are created in the image of God and inhabit God’s world, are surrounded by unmistakable reminders of the presence of God. They may shut themselves up in their room, refusing to acknowledge the God who designed their beautiful world. But though they run from nature they cannot run from themselves. As little images of God, they carry within themselves a constant reflection of their Creator. They cannot help but see God wherever they turn."
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And the even better news is this: For those who are in Christ, that reflection is being restored to its full beauty, renewed day by day (Col 3:9-10). May it be His image that is seen in our kind words, in our selfless actions, in our love for others. May it be His image that is seen in us today. #imagodei #acrossmyheart #quarentine2020 #reclaimingpurity #soulsisters
