Seeking God's Face

DO NOT BE AFRAID OR DISCOURAGED FOR I THE LORD YOUR GOD, AM WITH YOU WHEREVER YOU GO. Joshua 1.9.

Life is full of challenges and it is riddled with burdens and anxieties! If it is not disaster, it is disease or demands on financial resources or delayed deadlines, or simply one crisis or another that crops up each day. We are traversing new grounds everyday which we have never covered before. Much of it is unchartered territory. What lies ahead is unknown!

The Word from the God of Israel and Joshua brings us fresh encouragement, “Do not be afraid or discouraged, for I, the Lord your God, am with you wherever you go." The Lord knew exactly what terrible situation poor Joshua was facing. For He said, "My servant Moses is dead. Get ready now, you and all the people of Israel, and cross the Jordan River into the land that I am giving them. As I told Moses, I have given you and all my people the entire land that you will be marching over. Joshua, no one will be able to defeat you as long as you live. I will be with you as I was with Moses. I will always be with you; I will never abandon you. Be determined and confident, for you will be the leader of these people as they occupy this land which I promised their ancestors”.

But the promise of God comes with a condition as it always does. “Just be determined, be confident; and make sure that you obey the whole Law that my servant Moses gave you. Do not neglect any part of it and you will succeed wherever you go. Be sure that the book of the Law is always read in your worship. Study it day and night, and make sure that you obey everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Remember that I have commanded you to be determined and confident! Do not be afraid or discouraged, for I, the LORD your God, am with you wherever you go" (vs 7-9).

Some older versions of the Bible use the word, 'Meditate' as you read God's Word. The other day, I read in the news papers that the Buddhists are teaching people to 'simply meditate on nothing with an empty mind' to cast away mental stress. For those who are accustomed to it, it is easier to mediate on something as sublime as God's Word than on nothing!

Dear believer, however busy you are, try to spend a few quiet moments reading God's Word and meditate on it, sometime in the morning, before you begin the day. Let the Spirit of God comfort and strengthen your heart and mind. How could you face difficult situations or proceed to unknown territory when you haven't sat quietly a few moments before the Lord God Almighty and hear Him say to you, "Do not be afraid or discouraged for I the Lord your God, am with you wherever you go!"

It is because of the imperativeness of seeking God's face that I have been persisting in my endeavour to send SMS DEVOTIONALS to the 'no time' generation to greet them each morning, though it is costly and time consuming!

Pray and practise with me: Dear Lord, help me to seek Your face before I begin my day and be strengthened by Your Word to face its challenges and anxieties. Amen.