SCRIPTURE: Joshua 17
OBSERVATION/APPLICATION:
But Joshua said to the house of Joseph–to Ephraim and Manasseh—‘You are numerous and very powerful. You will have not only one allotment but the forested hill country as well. Clear it, and its farthest limits will be yours; though the Canaanites have iron chariots and though they are strong, you can drive them out.’ [Joshua 17:17-18] Lions and tigers and bears, oh my! Yes, the challenges and opposition will be great. Clearing the forested land, that’s hard work. Iron chariots, impossible! The odd thing is that they had succeeded in many other impossible situations. How quickly we forget! The sons of Joseph are all worked up because they are focusing on the size of their problems, not the size of their God.

I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. [John 16:33] When we focus on the problem, we lose our peace. We become all worked up inside. Jesus urges us to focus on Him, not on the problems. Yes, in this world there will be hard work and iron chariots. But take heart, He has overcome them. Though they are strong, you can drive them out. When we focus on Jesus, we have peace; when we focus on problems, we have stress.

As Jesus-followers, we do not live in denial. The enemy is strong. The pain is real. The abuse is difficult. The opposition is entrenched. The resistance is strong. The chance of success, humanly speaking, is microscopic. We are out-numbered. We are rowing against the current and against the wind. Failure is almost guaranteed, we cannot defeat iron chariots!

By ourselves, that is. But we are not by ourselves, or at least we don’t need to be. In partnership with the Lord, empowered by His Spirit, we too can overcome the world. He is on the throne, the enemy has been defeated, the cause of the Kingdom will triumph. As we do the Lord’s work, as we devote ourselves to doing what is right and good, we will experience His success.

This needs to be my confidence as I wrestle through the challenges of this new ministry situation. Often I find myself reviewing all of the challenges that we face. I get focused on the ‘world’, and I am stressed. And Jesus calls me back to Him, come to Me and I will give you peace. Take heart! I have overcome the world.

PRAYER:
Lord, help me to worship You more than my problems. Help me to daily remind myself of Your victory. And help me to move forward against the iron chariots, confident in You.