Commanded!

Commanded!

Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest. Joshua 1:9 KJV

For any pronouncement by anyone to have power, there are a few things that must be in place. First, there must be recognisable and acceptable power and authority for the person to speak. Secondly, the spoken words themselves must align with the authority of the person speaking them. There would be examples of past incidents when the words of the same person had power and were fulfilled. It would not matter what the quality and quantity of the opposition against the words were: the nature of the words and the person who spoke them were enough to compel adherence and fulfilment. 

Thirdly, the person the words were spoken to also had to accept the authority and power of the One who spoke the words. It is not that the person speaking does not have the power to bring his Word to pass, but the human life and its submission to and acceptance of the authority of the source of the word received are the loudest testaments to the power and authority of the spoken word. Furthermore, you have the assurance of not a one-season wonder, but a continual assurance that the One who spoke the word will always be around to enforce his word, no matter what your personal circumstances were. 

The above points lay the foundation for today's extract. Joshua had seen God at work through Moses for about 40 years. He was there at the crossing of the Red Sea, the disobedience of Korah and company and how the earth opened and swallowed them and all they had, the provision of manna from heaven, and chief of all, he caught a glimpse of God's glory when he came down on Mount Sinai as the people waited for Moses to come down from the mountain. Unfortunately, he also saw the rebellion of the people that led to Aaron's trouble as well as Moses' inability to enter into the Promised land. How does a man step into those big shoes? 

One quick lesson again from here: if the material things you hold now can guarantee you success in God's assignment, you don't need God. Until I come to the glaring realisation that without God, I am nothing, I am not ready for the message in today's extract. I must come to the point where nothing outside of God gives me comfort. God knew the heart of Joshua, and that he had fear. These were stubborn people, but  God was saying: I am your commander, and the words I give you are sufficient for the challenges that are ahead. Things will happen that will scare you, but as long as you hold on the words I have commanded you, you will be fine. 

The word is: do not fear. You do not tell a man these words if indeed there was no basis for fear. The one who speaks lays out his credentials, asking me to consider who He is and what he has done in the past. I am the One who commands and every thing I have made obeys. There is nothing created that does not answer to its creator. The command is that I be strong and have courage. I look at the antecedents of the One who speaks, and I realise he has been doing this long before I was born. His power has been evident in all of creation, even before I came to the scene. He knows what is ahead, and so he girds my heart with the confidence of his Presence even before I go through what is ahead. That is power unlimited. That is presence personified. That is purpose unbreakable. He will not tell me not to fear if he is unable to deal with whatever is ahead. 

He is the Lord, the One who goes ahead of me into whatever battle is ahead. His presence is required for l the battles that are ahead. I note that nowhere does God say that I will not have anything to do; He promises that he will go ahead of me, but there is a standing I am required to do. I have to stand in the place he has planted me and enforce the plan and purpose of God in and through me. The world is waiting for the earnest manifestation of the sons of God. How would the world know God if it does not see Him in and through us who claim we are his children? In the midst of the most difficult situations, God's presence, power and words are my most important possessions. I dare not face the world without them. I must search the Scriptures regularly, so that I can know God's mind per time, not per week, per month or per year. His command aligns with his presence. I must be sure that where I am is where his Word can sustain me. I must not go outside his will or his word, and I must take regular audit of my life so that at all times, my life can be a reflection of someone that God helps. I have been commanded; I must live in the reality of that command. God's time of favour is here.