Do I Have To Go In There All By Myself?

 Carp's Daily Tidbits

"Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits." Psalm 103:2

Date: Friday, February 6, 2015

Today's Title: Do I Have To Go In There All By Myself?

Today's Scripture: Joshua 1:1,9

Our basement was one of the most unnerving places on earth.  During the daytime, it wasn’t bad at all but as soon as the sun set, the basement took on an “other worldly” feel to it.  I was convinced a whole family of goblins and monsters lived in our basement, sleeping during the day, waiting to grab me as soon as I set foot in the place after nightfall.

I never felt like this, however, whenever my dad was with me.  The monsters didn’t seem to be afraid of him and in fact never made a sound when he was around.  The day came, however, when I had to enter the basement by myself and face whatever was living in its far corners.  Mom kept a freezer downstairs with meat, frozen vegetables, and fruits inside.  Dad kept all his tools down there and when he needed them, he sent me on a-seek-and-capture-mission. 

One evening he told me to go the basement and retrieve one of his tools.  I just looked at him and said, “Do I have to go down there all by myself?” to which he replied, “Are you afraid?”  Now how do you answer that question?  You want to be a big boy but at the same time you wouldn’t mind having some back-up as you enter the vast unknown of the basement.  Dad came to my rescue by offering to go with me and stand outside the door while I went in.  It was a great comfort knowing he would be just outside the door, ready to come to my rescue if I needed him.

Although not facing a basement full of goblins and monsters, Joshua had a few concerns of his own as he prepared to lead the Children of Israel into the Promised Land.  Moses was dead but before his death he appointed Joshua as leader to take the people over and conquer the land God had promised to their forefathers.  Joshua was one of the original ten spies who visited the land.  He and Caleb had encouraged the people to obey God and take the land but the other spies scared the people with their stories of those who dwelt in the land.  The other spies prevailed and the people wondered in the desert for 40 years as the result of their disobedience.

When the people were ready to enter and Joshua found himself in the position of leadership, looking to God for reassurance and that is exactly what God gave him.  In Joshua 1:1,9 we read the following two passages, “After the death of Moses the servant of the LORD , the LORD said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses' aide: Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go."

The first part of this passage sheds some light on how Joshua could have been just a little intimidated by this task.  In this verse, Moses is described as the servant of the LORD while Joshua is described only as Moses’ aide.  Sometimes we are uncomfortable because we don’t feel equal to the task or trial God sets before us.  If only we had the faith of Moses, if only we had his relationship, if only we had his faith, then we could complete the task.  But we forget that Moses was only a man and he had his shortcomings.  In fact, Moses was not allowed to enter the Promised Land because he disobeyed God.  Nonetheless, I can fully understand how Joshua could have been, and probably was, just a little uncomfortable with his new assignment. 

But God does not leave Joshua in suspense, loitering just outside the Promised Land with no encouragement or assurance.  The remainder of the passage is in fact God’s confirmation to Joshua that he will not be alone.  Joshua will go into the Promised Land and God will go with him. Notice God’s admonition to Joshua to be strong and courageous.  He is not to be terrified, afraid, downcast, or discouraged because God will be with him wherever he goes.  Joshua and the people will not enter the land alone and they will have no cause for alarm.  Wherever they go, God will go with them.

Should we not also take great encouragement from this passage of scripture?  There are times when the task before us seems so big that we can’t possibly do it.  There are times when our circumstances overwhelm us and we can see no way out.  Out of nowhere it seems one trial after another stacks up against us and we wonder if we have to face them alone.  Essentially we want to know if we “have to go in there all by ourselves.”  If we read to the end of the passage and apply it, if we listen to God’s voice, and if we place our complete trust in Him, then we know He is with us.  No matter the trial, no matter the difficulty, no matter the circumstances in which we find ourselves, our God is with us.  Be strong and courageous, He is with you today wherever you go!