Present!

Present! 

Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. Deuteronomy 31:6 KJV

If there was no possibility of fear, today's extract will not make sense. If life was promised without any detour, stress or trial, we won't have the words of today's extract to consider. If there were no wars to fight, territories to conquer or victories to maintain, today's extract will be out of place. God knows our frame as well as the situations that are ahead of us, so before the challenges come, He makes the promises before us.

Here was the nation of Israel at the point of entering into the promised land. The nation had wandered for 40 years in the desert, due to rebellion and disobedience. Moses had sent spies to check out the land, and the people focused more on the reality their eyes could see than on the assurance of victory that God had given them. That is the human part of us: our physical senses are both our greatest assets and our greatest limitations at the same time. 12 spies saw the same thing; 10 came back and reported the same thing, the other 2 reported the opposite. Same sight; different insight. It matters what you see. 

It was the natural thing for the people to fear: there were giants in the land, and Israel hadn't fought a war for quite some time, so it was natural to not look for a fight. However, God was already promising Israel victory, even before they lifted a single weapon to fight. That is God: fully aware of the present and future battles, and with the required information and materials required to have victory. What I need isn't so much about the right weapons, but about knowing the Man of War. It is not about being strategic in battle, but knowing the God of Strategy. 

The reason is given: for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee. It does not matter what your years of experience are; you only survive when God goes with you. Who would have imagined what the year past would have turned out, or what the one ahead will also look like, but as I look to whatever it is the year will bring, something has to be settled, and it is this: WHO is going with me on the journey through this year? Oh, storms are coming; the winds will blow and the water will rise, but yet I check: WHO is with me? I cannot negotiate my way out of tough times, but I can prepare well for them when God is in and with me. 

Moses, a man who God spoke with face to face, was dying. He had walked with God in s special way, and now Joshua was to take over. Even that was scary. So, even for Joshua, he needed the assurance of God's presence and power for the task ahead. No matter the size of the work ahead, never leave God behind or out of it. He is a God with full knowledge of all that lies ahead, and I will only get to the end of my journey in peace when I go with Him. I can be tempted to think I got it all figured out due to all the years I have known God; even Moses was not spared when he made that assumption. It is a daily walk, with no system or familiarity to fall back on. The only thing that is consistent is the assurance of God's Presence. 

Self-confidence tells God you don't need Him that much. A man who knows what to do doesn't need this message. The availability of 'good' courage means that there is a bad version of courage. Men, as well as situations, will challenge my faith and seek to push me into doubt. I have the unbreakable promise of the Lord God, the unquestionable authority over life, the One who speaks and every other voice is silent, and if He charges me not to fear, and that He is with me, and will not leave or forsake me, I have all that I really need. When I consider the battles that Joshua fought after this charge, such as Jericho, or other wars by Jehoshaphat and Hezekiah, I learn that it is not really about the number of weapons or the skill of fighting men, but of God who fights for me. His Promise and Presence are all I need. His time of favour is here.