Joshua 1:5 - There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.

We often look into the lives of Bible heroes - faithful men and women of God - Moses, Joshua, Deborah, and Esther - and wonder “What did they do, that I don’t have?” “Look at all the miracles in their lives… the grand escapes, the gallant heroisms, and the conquering of adversities."

Oh yes, you have these too. Many miracle you don’t notice. Why? Because half the time you are so caught up in your problems, your “what to do next” lists, and your musings of tomorrow, that you cannot see what is before you in plain sight - right now, in the present.

With faith, patience, and a drawing closer to God we also can be men and women of God’s choosing. Men and women that fulfill his purposes and are change-makers in this world. 

Jesus promises to Joshua that He would be to him as he was to Moses. And that promise is for us as well!

We are reminded in Hebrews 13:5 “Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.”

In Hebrews we are turned to the promise that was made in the Old Testament and re-affirmed. This promise is for us. It is for each of us individually.

But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name. John 1:12

We are given the power to overcome. Then why are we WAITING for our miracles? Why don’t we put our lives in such a place that we are in the center of God’s plan - and then the miracles will happen! 

We should be concerned with being in God’s perfect will and wanting to be taught that perfect will for our lives.

Psalm 143:10 says, “Teach me to do thy will; for thou art my God: thy spirit is good; lead me into the land of uprightness.” 

Don’t feel that because Moses, Joshua, Deborah, and Esther did amazing things for God that you can’t do it because of 

this or that reason.

God uses the weakest of the weak. He doesn’t need to use famous people to do HIs bidding. He doesn’t need to use the richest people to help others.

Instead, most often He uses people like you and me. People with faults and weaknesses, who are tempted and fail many times.

But He says to you and me, “My GRACE is sufficient for thee! I will make your way perfect through my strength, not yours, so others can see the miracles that I give and I give alone!”

2 Corinthians 12:9 defines our strength. “And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”

Then we will only be able to praise God for the successes He gives us, the people we are able to bring to Him, and those lives we are able to touch. We will only be able to point to HIM for all that we do, because we know we are wholly HIS and we are useless without HIM.

We must have complete dependency on Christ. Without Him we are 100% nothing and can do nothing  -  at least nothing that matters for good!

I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. John 15:5

So instead of waiting for your miracle, your big break, or anything like that - look to Christ for His strength, His Grace, and His love. 

Then, your life will be filled with everyday miracles - you’ll notice the little things of life that are miracles, the bigger ones which keep and sustain you, and the largest one of all - The miracle of Jesus in your life living through you and shining out to a world that needs HIM.

YOU can be a Deborah, an Esther, a Joshua, a Moses. Yes, we need more of those people in our world today. Will you accept the call to surrender and live each day solely for Jesus Christ and let HIM make your weakness a perfect platform for His strength?

Then you will live a fulfilled life that is complete in Christ. Knowing that whatever life might bring, one of the biggest miracles is the fact that you have Jesus living in your heart! 

O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! Romans 11:33

God leads in ways past finding out. His ways are higher than ours. His plans are larger and grander than we can ever imagine. And His design for our lives is more beautiful than our wildest dreams.

It takes pain to shape our characters. It takes tears to cleanse our souls. It takes hardship to mold our hearts. But this does not mean God is not there, every step of the way - through every tear that’s shed. Never for one moment listen to the lie that God is finished with you or that the trials are more than you can bear.

As long as you have breathe, God is working. Uniting your life with others. Connecting your life in His tapestry of Grace.

I know the feeling of waiting endlessly for the Lord to work. To hear the silence was more than I could bear. I would cry out to Him in the night and awake with a prayer on my lips. “Lord, I need you. I need you to work! NOW!”

Instead, there was a stillness and a calm that permeated my soul. How could I be calm when I was going through the dark valleys of uncertainty and pain? But God was giving me HIS grace to take one day at a time, one step at a time. A feat that only HE could do through me!

He knew I needed the trial to shape me, mold me, purify my soul. He was there for each heart-wrenching part of the journey. And I felt His presence.

Finally, when my last life-line was seemingly taken, when I saw no light - no hope of recovery, and no turning back - when I knew I could not do anything in my own strength - that’s when my Lord worked. 

When I realized that my strength came from HIM who made heaven and earth. When I came to grips with the fact that my life was completely and wholly HIS. When I “let go” and gave up in my own strength and my own might - well, that’s the exact time He worked! In a powerful way!

I can say that although I see only a little picture of God’s great glory and joy that He wishes to bestow on each of us, I realize what it takes to see it and appreciate those blessings.

I am thine, Oh Lord, 

and thine alone.

Take me, make me,

All thine own.

My desire is to live in the centre of God’s will, not somewhere off course or somewhere sort-of-fairly-close. My desire is to be so rooted in God’s will that nothing will deter it. 

Romans 8:39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

When we take the Lord at His word, step into His plan, and take each day for what it is - a gift of God, an opportunity, a way to bless others - then we cannot be separated from the Lord and His will.

We must draw so close to the heart of God that even in the storm we will feel the calm of HIs presence. Even through the heartbreak we will feel loved - by Him and through Him!

So many times, our downfall is when we try to solve the puzzles or devise a plan for a quick solution to our problems. Instead we get patched up situations that are not perfect and mistakes that we wish never took place.

If we would just take each moment, each step, one at a time we will be able to savour life so much more and be able to find delight in the little things.

God is calling you to live a life that is in HIS will. He’s asking you to trust HIM so completely so that He can work where He needs to.

My friend, I know the way is sometimes hard. Sometimes it’s  so exciting and you just want the next step to come. 

But let me gently remind you that God reveals His plan just as much as we can handle. One breath, one second, one minute, one hour, and one day at a time.

So, take time to enjoy each step. Take time to draw near to God and He will give you all that you ever need.

And much, much more.

In the midst of the chaos, the swirling events of each day, and the uncertainty that the thoughts of tomorrow bring, remember to take time to BE STILL.

One reason that we so often become overwhelmed, flustered, and beaten down is our great lack to take time to just be still and hear God’s voice. To take a real, physical break to sit, listen, pray, and read the Word. To recharge for whatever may lay ahead, but now with our hand gripped firmly in the infinite One’s.

Jesus promised He would give us a water that will quench our thirst. We are constantly struggling, striving, pushing to meet the demands of this world and our society. We are thirsting for fulfillment, for approval, for acknowledgement. All along Jesus is by our side with the one thing which will quench us and satisfy our soul-hunger.

Being still in a world that is never still is something that is near impossible. The world constantly moves, changes, morphs into new trends and ideals - life is a struggle to keep up, to never fall behind. But for the Christian, taking time to be still is something that must happen, and not just once a week in Church - no, daily. 

When we lose our way and we don’t remember who we are because we are chasing the dreams, the aspirations, the goals that we have set for our own feet based on a worldly measurement of success or greatness, we realize something very fast. Our chase is never ending, always exhausting, and forever draining. As our dreams fade into the distance, we wonder where we went wrong. What we did that created this pain.

Have you ever thought that it was because of our lack of communication with the one who wrote our life-story in the first place!

It's like building a home and not looking at the builder's blueprint. We say, "I got this, leave me be!" We don't consult the builder and instead try to pick up random pieces and stick them together to "make them work". Of course, this fails miserably, and we end up with a mess with all the pieces jumbled and falling apart.

That is why we must turn to God for for the heart-quenching answers that He can only give.

Remember this, you are a child of God. God knew your name before you were born. He formed you. He loves you unconditionally. And He never gives up on you. He sees your brokenness and through it tries to speak. 

Yet, how often we  are so caught up in either only seeing our troubles and becoming full of self-pity, ignoring our troubles (and also ignoring anything to do with fixing them), or trying to pretend nothing is wrong, and we are “fine, thank-you very much”. Inside though, our heart does not lie about the real situation. We want to be heard. We want to find our life-purpose, our mission. We want the pieces to fit together.

If we would SIT STILL and just take time to listen. To really listen to that still small voice, we would realize what the problem is. We’ve been relying on our own strength rather than God’s mighty power in our life - grace. We’ve been filled with self-pity in some cases and loathing in others, instead of seeing who we are through God’s eyes - a wonderful creation, formed for a reason. A reason far beyond breathing each day, just “getting by”, and finishing each week of work.

My friend, we are here for much more. God has a purpose for YOU! And He wants to talk to you. Will you take a moment to listen and spend time with Him? Just as a friend wants to spend time with you, because they want to get to know you more, so Jesus wants you to spend time with Him too so that you can get to know HIM more. 

In the chaos and uncertainly of this world, we will only find our strength and courage in Christ. We can only find it if we go to HIM asking, learning, and soaking it all in.

In a world that focuses on being constantly busy to cover up the heart-cry for something more fulfilling, let us take a few moments to be still. And wait for the still small whisper in each of our hearts.

Life is not easy, yet it is not impossible with God by our side. He will make a way when no way is seen and He will open doors when we see only a wall of discouragement.

But we must first ask, and to ask we must take a moment to be still and know that “HE IS GOD”.

PRAYER:

Lord, I know that in a world of hurry and rush, I can get so caught up in it that I forget to seek your face. So, Father, help me to make time to hear your whisper in my heart and come away from the all of the busyness of life, to spend time with YOU. I gain my strength from YOU. I gain courage from YOU. And my hope is found in Your Son’s sacrifice for my sins. I pray that I will tune my ear to hear your voice in my heart and that I will become spiritually strong in Your name. I pray this in Jesus Name, Amen. 

And I said, Oh that I had wings like a dove! for then would I fly away, and be at rest. - Psalms 55:6

Look up and see the dove, flying without a care and worry. With a swoop the graceful creature extends its wings and with a flash of white is gone. In Psalms, we read about the dove. How often have you wistfully looked at the birds and wished that you could fly away with them. Leaving your worries and cares, trials and troubles, you’d fly to the place that would be restful and calm. 

One place is peaceful, and we read about it in Revelation.

And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. Revelation 21:4

We look forward to that day, but still wonder where can we can find peace, comfort, and hope in a world that is torn apart and ready to fall to pieces before our eyes. 

In this journey called life, it is easy to start looking at the difficult circumstances, focus on them, and become discouraged. Before we realize it, those same trials have increased and are creeping over the very path our feet are upon. The evil plants of discouragement and despair seem to choke our souls. In our hearts, we become distressed and look for a way of escape.

In Psalms, David wishes to escape his trials, be free of the pain, and fly away to a restful place.

There is only one place to find peace. To find true freedom from the cares of life, and the tides of the world.

It is where God is. 

“Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?” 1 Corinthians 3:16

We are a called people, and when we accept the gift of eternal life, the spirit of God dwells within us. 

We are able to find our restful place in GOD, even amid the discouragements, the trails, the unrest, and the pain.

God did not promise us an easy route in life - to the contrary, Jesus said, 

“These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. John 16:33

Jesus Himself had a life filled with trial, disappointment, and pain but at the same time He was filled with peace knowing that His Father was with Him and that He was living out the ultimate purpose as our Lamb and Saviour. 

Because HE overcame, we can too. We can have beautiful, freeing peace. 

For  John 4:18 says, “ There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.”

There is no fear in God’s love, and truly there is no restlessness when we realize that we are placed here and now at this place in time for a reason.  We can be as free in our hearts as the bird, and find comfort under the shadow of the Almighty.

Yes, there will be difficulties. Yes, there will be discouragement. Yes, there will be pain. It’s inevitable.

But God’s perfect love buoys our hearts, and we are given the strength and peace to get through it. 

God is in control, no matter what. He is our Anchor when our heart is ready to drift away. He is the guard of our soul in the middle of the battle. And He is the sunshine that pours into us and renews us from the inside out.

So, when your storm rages. When your flesh is failing you. When hope is gone. When your faith is gone and your future seems so unbelievably uncertain. REMEMBER. God isn’t done with you yet and He’s not letting go. 

He will lead you to peaceful streams, he will take you to calm fields of grace and love. Rest in HIM. His strong, mighty arms of infinite understanding are always there. It’s not a question of “Are they there?” But “Will I let them hold me?”

So next time you see the dove flying, remember, you are FREE. Free Indeed.

If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed. - John 8:36