Reflection to Insight

Is there a dream or personal passion you hold within? Maybe a goal that you one day hope to achieve? Or a calling or blessing you believe God wants to provide for you? If so, it may feel like there are a few challenges ahead as you look to pursue these passions. Maybe the path to claiming your promised land looks a little treacherous.

In the book of Deuteronomy, we get an account of the Israelites as they stand before the land God had prepared for them to inhabit. In chapter 1:20-21 it says – “Then I said to you, ‘You have reached the hill country of the Amorites, which the Lord our God is giving us. See, the Lord your God has given you the land. Go up and take possession of it as the Lord, the God of your ancestors, told you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”

The problem was, the Israelites were afraid, and they were discouraged.

Their fear prevented them from capturing the territory God wanted to give them. Their refusal to move forward resulted in them wandering in the wilderness for many more years, until they would eventually have another opportunity to claim the land.

Skipping forward to the book of Joshua chapter 1, we get a second account of Israel getting ready to cross over into the promised land. This time they made the decision to press on, and believe that God would provide for them. As they readied themselves to make their move, God gave them this charge through Joshua.

Joshua 1:6-9 – “Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their ancestors to give them. Be strong and courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

Okay, so as we see in this passage, there are two things to take away: 1) God makes it very clear He wants the Israelites to hope in Him and not be overtaken with fear. 2) God wants the Israelites to follow the plans He has for them by adhering to the Law He provided.

As I reflect on this story and the meaning it can have in our modern time, I believe that God provides for us a very similar charge. We have different goals, needs, and dreams we want to see fulfilled. We look for a number of ways in which we can manifest success, and sometimes in this plight, we may get very desperate.

I think that we can find hope and relief though, as we apply the two principles from this passage in Joshua.

Jesus wants us to know that He loves us, and that we can place all of our burdens on Him. He is more than willing to carry them, and when we trust in Him, we create a more intimate bond with Him. If we’re going to trust Him with our dreams and aspirations, we first have to Trust that He loves us.

Psalm 52: 8 – “But I am like an olive tree flourishing in the house of God; I trust in God’s unfailing love for ever and ever.”

When we believe that the Lord cares for us at an unfathomable rate, it becomes easier to trust that everything will turn out alright. Every need or passion we hold will be made full. Even when the path gets unstable, our faith stands in the One who is stable. His love does not change or waver.

The other aspect we must consider though, is that through the love of Jesus, He also knows what is best. I believe that we all have dreams we want to pursue, and desires that bring us delight. I don’t think these aspirations are wrong. And I believe that a lot of times God uses our internal drives for His glory. Our unique callings allow us to uniquely follow Jesus. They allow us to have an impact on His universal plan.

What I feel stands to be true though, is that in order to receive our promised land, like the Israelites, we must be willing to do as God asks.

I admit that this is much easier said than done. As someone who craves freedom and the pursuit of what I hold dear, I want to chase things my way. I don’t inherently like the idea of someone governing my actions, or attempting to tell me what to do. However, within the last year especially, I have started to realize just how much I don’t have it all figured out.

I mentioned in my post from last week that we can think so intricately and plan out our course, and even after all of that, everything still not go the way we want. I’ve come to believe that my wisdom and common sense is very limited. There are too many outcomes I just can’t perceive. And even when I think I’m seeing clearly, there still isn’t a guarantee that I’m going to get my way.

The relief I find however, sits in trusting God to guide me through the seen and unseen. Personally, it’s brought me great comfort to trust in His love, and know that He will guide each step I take. I will find so much more success with Him than I ever will just acting on my own experience.

I want to make clear that God never strips away our free will. In fact it’s through His love that He respects it, and will allow us to ultimately follow which ever path we choose for ourselves. He wants us to think freely, and explore the world He has made. It would be kind of boring if we were all programmed and forced to think a specific way. It also wouldn’t be a real relationship with Him built upon love, if we weren’t choosing to love and follow Him of our own accord.

But if we decide to lean on Him, He will provide everything that we need, and we will find the greatest fulfillment life has to offer.

Proverbs 3:5-6 – “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your path’s straight.”

Proverbs 16:9 – “In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.”

Again, I want to emphasis that God respects our free will, and I think He created us with desires and dreams unique to each individual. I don’t imagine that God always does the opposite of what we want. It can appear that way as we talk about submitting to God’s path in our lives.

But the way I currently believe things function at their healthiest, is when our unique passions are in line with what God desires for us. There are times He may call us away from a goal we personally want. But other times, I think He enhances the inner ambitions we hold and amplifies our success in them.

But all of this comes from believing that He is a good and loving God. And that whatever He does establish for us, will absolutely be the most fulfilling path we ever could have pursued.

I hope something here inspires and helps you in a circumstance you may be faced with. Everyone has passions and dreams, and each person has the right to pursue and strive towards them. Just remember that Jesus loves you, and through Him we embrace our true inheritance. Now go run towards your promised land. I hope you all have an awesome day!