Have you ever tried to draw a straight line freehand? If you have, I’m sure you’ve noticed how easy it can be to get off, even slightly, without something to guide you, right? I am an Art Teacher, and recently my kids were doing a Zentangle Self Portrait project, but to do it properly they had to use a ruler and grid an 8×10 grid on both their blank paper and their photograph to make sure everything matched up properly. Several rushed through this, exclaiming they “Give up!” and showing that either they couldn’t get 8 or 10 lines on either side of the paper or that their grids were uneven, or their lines were diagonal instead of straight. My initial question would always be, “Did you use a ruler?” And, much to their frustration, the answer was always no.
Just as with my students and their grid lines, we can get off track in our lives and in the plan of God for our lives when we think we can do it fine without something guiding us. It may be so slight in the beginning that you don’t even realize you’re off, but eventually you realize things in your life are very off and you’re searching for an answer to how and why this happened. The Word and the revelation in contains should always be our guide in life. Let’s take a look at the first chapter of Joshua.
“All your life, no one will be able to hold out against you. In the same way I was with Moses, I’ll be with you. I won’t give up on you; I won’t leave you. Strength! Courage! You are going to lead this people to inherit the land that I promised to give their ancestors. Give it everything you have, heart and soul. Make sure you carry out The Revelation that Moses commanded you, every bit of it. Don’t get off track, either left or right, so as to make sure you get to where you’re going. And don’t for a minute let this Book of The Revelation be out of mind. Ponder and meditate on it day and night, making sure you practice everything written in it. Then you’ll get where you’re going; then you’ll succeed. Haven’t I commanded you? Strength! Courage! Don’t be timid; don’t get discouraged. GOD, your God, is with you every step you take.””
Joshua 1:1-9 MSG
I was recently sitting in church and a verse from this passage was read in the sermon. I am not sure if you do this, but I love to look at verses in different translations as they are shared in sermons. I happened to do that at this time and saw it in the Message Bible and the words just really stood out to me in a way I hadn’t seen them before, which is something I just love about God’s Word – it is always speaking to us, if we take the time to listen and meditate on what it’s saying! The Word is our guide, the “ruler” that helps us establish a straight and sure path towards what God has called us to. It will give us courage and strength to lead those we are called to lead and serve those we are called to serve. We are to meditate on it day and night! And, I love what it says here, “making sure you practice everything written in it.”
When we are living and doing what we are instructed in the Word, listening to everything He has instructed us to do in His Word, we will get where we are supposed to go and we will do it with success. What’s even better? We don’t have to do it alone! in this passage it tells us that our God will be with us every step we take!
Isn’t it awesome knowing that in this life that God will be with us, guiding and directing us, every single step we make if we allow Him to?! We don’t have to do life alone. There may be seasons where it feels like you are, and when that happens, take it as a sign to dig deeper into the Word of God and to meditate on His Word so that you will know which steps and decisions to take when they arise. When we choose to allow our lives to be directed in this way, we will be where we are supposed to be at the right time. I encourage you today that if you feel you’re off track from where you thought you would be or where you feel you’re supposed to be, that you take time to truly meditate in the Word and to spend time with God, He will direct every single step and help you correct and perfect your path.
About the Contributor:
Jessica is a wife, writer, photographer, teacher, and an ordained minister. She lives in
Greensboro, NC with her husband and beagle, Penny Laine. She is a lover of travel, coffee, art,
history, and anything that sparkles. Jessica serves in her local church and has a heart for
reaching the nations with the life-changing power of the Gospel.
Social Media:
Insta & Twitter: @sozogurl
Facebook Page: @jtcappel
Website:
www.jessicappel.com
