Your Daily Crossroad

Doing Things God’s Way

Posted on Oct 7, 2019 in Devotions | Tags: His way, Joshua 6:14

And the second day they compassed the city once, and returned into the camp: so they did six days. (Joshua 6:14)

I am a planner. A problem-solver.

So when I bring my struggles to the Lord in prayer, I tend to also bring my carefully thought-out ideas and suggestions He can choose from.

Here’s what I think will work, Lord. I just need You to sign off on one of these, OK?

But the longer I walk with Him, the more I’m discovering that simply isn’t the way God works. His ways? They aren’t our ways. (Isaiah 55:8-9)

In the sixth chapter of the book of Joshua, we find Joshua and the Israelites getting to experience this truth firsthand as they encounter a problem of epic proportions. A problem that showed up in the form of a massive wall preventing them from moving forward into their promised land.

I can’t help but wonder what murmurs circled through the camp as they looked at the towering walls of Jericho. I’m sure there was no shortage of ideas or opinions on how they should tackle the problem before them.

But God didn’t ask anyone for their opinion. Not even Joshua. Instead, He asked for their complete and unwavering obedience. Obedience in the face of a battle plan that would make no sense to their rational minds. A plan that actually involved no “battle” whatsoever.

All God wanted them to do was march. For six days straight, they were to march around the walls of Jericho. Then, on the seventh day of marching, they were to end with trumpet blasts and a great shout. God declared this mighty sound would bring the walls down.

What moves me most about the Israelites’ part in this story isn’t so much their willingness to take that first crazy step of obedience. It’s how they kept taking steps of obedience. Step after step after step. Even though nothing appeared to change … even though there wasn’t a single sign of cracking or crumbling in those massive walls … they kept marching.

What if they’d stopped after day two? Or day three? Or even day six?

Think of all they would have missed. They would have cheated themselves out of certain victory from God.

I don’t say any of this casually — as if it’s easy to keep going when there’s no evidence of our situation changing. It’s hard to continue marching when we don’t see God move the way we thought He would. It’s sometimes difficult to trust that He’s working behind the scenes.

So what do we do when He asks us to move in ways that don’t make sense to us? How do we keep “marching” when the situation still looks hopeless?

We make the same choice the Israelites made. We choose to walk by faith, not by sight. (2 Corinthians 5:7) We take God at His Word and hold fiercely to His promises. (Hebrews 10:23)

God had promised Joshua that He would deliver Jericho, its king and army into his hands. (Joshua 6:2) And that is exactly what He did. When they marched around the city on that seventh day and gave their great shout with the blare of the trumpets, the walls fell down flat. Flat! The city was theirs for the taking. (Joshua 6:20)

Their victory never hinged on their ability or any of their well-thought-out plans. It was solely dependent on their unwavering obedience offered to a loving and mighty God.

I don’t know what seemingly impossible situation is staring you in the face today, sweet friend. I don’t know what crazy steps of obedience God is currently calling you to take. But let me be the gentle whisper in your ear encouraging you to keep going. Keep trusting. Keep taking step after step after obedient step.

We don’t have to understand the “why” of God’s ways. But we do have to keep choosing to follow them.

Let’s not stop short of our victory with God. He is working things out. He is present. His plan is still good, and He can still be trusted. These are certainties even when life feels so very uncertain.

Lord, I confess that at times my heart feels discouraged when I don’t see immediate results from my steps of obedience. Thank You for reminding me today that just because I can’t see You moving, it doesn’t mean You aren’t moving. Thank You for the good plans I know You have for my life. And thank You for always leading me toward victory. Please help me as I walk by faith not sight. Day after day. Step by step. Choosing Your way above my own. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

I pray this devotion blessed someone today as much as it blessed me and more. I needed this reminder today, I pray today you remember He is always leading you toward victory. Trust Him as you march around whatever wall your facing. Just keep marching.

Have a beautiful and uplifting day in The Lord!

Today’s Reading is Psalm 63:1

Oct '19

Thankful For the Scars

Posted on Oct 4, 2019 in Devotions | Tags: Colossians 1:20, Scars

Oct '19

And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. (Colossians 1:20)

Have you ever been hurt badly enough that you didn’t feel like you would ever truly heal? I can tell you that I’ve had many hurts in my life. A lot of the time, the ones who’ve hurt me were not even aware they did anything. So through time, prayer, and God’s grace, I forgave and moved on with my life, but there was sometimes a scar that remained.

I received a very bad burn. It took weeks to heal, and to this day, there remains a scar on that arm. It is very light and almost undetectable, but it’s still there. Do you have scars from your past that may not be noticeable most of the time, but on a really rough day, come to the surface?

I sang a song by the group, I Am They, Scars. The song mentions, “I am thankful for the scars because without them I wouldn’t know You’re heart. I know they’ll always tell of who You are. So forever I am thankful for Your scars.”

I know how much that scar on my arm hurt, but that was nothing compared to the pain that Jesus went through for us. When Jesus rose from the dead, He could have made Himself completely new, but He left the scars on His hands and feet.

When He reappeared to His disciples, the Bible mentions that Thomas had trouble believing that Jesus was real. Jesus placed Thomas’ hands on the scars, and Thomas believed. Those scars were proof that Jesus’ promises were real, and that Jesus was faithful.

I am thankful for the scars He bore so that His promises and hope for me could be fulfilled.

So as I look at the scars of pain that are part of my life, I am thankful for them. Those scars have driven me into the Father’s arms. When I felt broken and alone, I could run into His hands and know that everything would work out.

Will there be more scars? If I choose to live and make myself available to be used by God, absolutely! The only way to keep from getting scars is to build a fortress around yourself that no one can get in. But a lot of the times, your walls end up keeping God out and making you very empty and alone.

Jesus could have stayed in Heaven and would not have gotten a single scar, but we would have been lost for eternity.

Just as Jesus took a risk and let people in even though they hurt Him, I choose to take a risk and let others in my life. I choose to be thankful that no matter what I face, I have the love of a Savior that was willing to put His life on the line for me. I am thankful for the scars!

This devotion blessed me today. As I was driving this morning that very song, Scars, came on the radio and it resonated in my spirit. Then I came across this devotion and I knew it needed to be shared with someone. I feel there are many today struggling with the scars in there life but if you would just take a moment and see your scars differently, be thankful for them, what a change that would make in your life. I am thankful for the scars!

“So I’m thankful for the scars, ‘Cause without them I wouldn’t know Your heart, And I know they’ll always tell of who You are, So forever I am thankful for the scars.”

Have a beautiful and uplifting day in The Lord!

Today’s Reading is Proverbs 27:11

Oct '19

Silencing Your Inner Critic

Posted on Oct 3, 2019 in Devotions | Tags: Isaiah 64:8, Silence your inner critic

Oct '19

Worry

Posted on Oct 2, 2019 in Devotions | Tags: 1 Peter 5:6-7, Worry

Oct '19

Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. (1 Peter 5:6-7)

Worry—feeling uneasy or troubled—seems to plague multitudes of people in our world today. It’s human nature to be concerned about the bad situations in our world and in our personal lives, but if we’re not careful, the devil will cause us to worry beyond what’s reasonable.

Like a rocking chair, worry is always in motion, but it never gets you anywhere. So why do we struggle with it? And what good does it do?

Worry is the opposite of faith. It steals our peace, physically wears us out, and can even make us sick. When we worry, we torment ourselves—we’re doing the devil’s job for him! Worry is caused by not trusting God to take care of the various situations in our lives. Too often we trust our own abilities, believing that we can figure out how to take care of our own problems. And yet, after all our worry and effort to go it alone, we come up short—unable to bring about suitable solutions.

So stop worrying about everything, give it to God, and live in grace. Grace isn’t just divine favor—it’s power! Don’t waste another day of your life worrying. Determine what your responsibility is and what it is not. Don’t try to take on God’s responsibility. When we do what we can do, God steps in and does what we can’t. So give yourself and your worries to God and begin enjoying the abundant life He has planned for you.

When I read today’s devotion I was blessed. To often we try to take on responsibilities that don’t belong to us and God is by our side waiting for us to hand it all over to him. Today, go to God in prayer, give your worries over to him and enjoy the day He has blessed you with. Worry doesn’t belong to you or I. One day at a time, that’s all we have to do is take one day at a time and make the very best of the day He has given you. I pray this encourages someone to enjoy the abundant life He has planned for you today.

Have a beautiful and uplifting day in The Lord!

Todays Reading is Proverbs 29:25

Crossroad Fellowship

Your Daily Crossroad

Doing Things God’s Way

Thankful For the Scars

Silencing Your Inner Critic

Worry