Go for It
Here’s a concept we touch on in my new book, Intentional Influence. If you want to better learn how to leverage your life to live, love, and lead like Christ, order your copy of Intentional Influence and the companion journal through the button below!
After the death of Moses the Lord’s servant, the Lord spoke to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ assistant. He said, “Moses my servant is dead. Therefore, the time has come for you to lead these people, the Israelites, across the Jordan River into the land I am giving them. I promise you what I promised Moses: ‘Wherever you set foot, you will be on land I have given you— No one will be able to stand against you as long as you live. For I will be with you as I was with Moses. I will not fail you or abandon you. “Be strong and courageous, for you are the one who will lead these people to possess all the land I swore to their ancestors I would give them. Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the instructions Moses gave you. Do not deviate from them, turning either to the right or to the left. Then you will be successful in everything you do. Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do. This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
Joshua 1:1-3, 5-9 NLT
The time is now. It’s time to be the man God wants you to be. God led me to this passage when my senior pastor, whom I had been serving under, told me that he felt led to transition away from the church to a new lane of ministry. What that meant was that for however long it took us to get a new lead pastor, while headed into my third year of ministry, I would be serving as the only pastor on staff at an almost 700-member church that operates a senior living facility, one of the largest food pantries in Cincinnati, and a 5-star early learning childhood development center. You can see how that sounds like a lot to get in your head, right?
I knew mentally that if God led me to it, He would see me through it, but I couldn't help but wonder if I could manage the… unique… personalities and challenges of the congregation. Did I have enough bandwidth to love the people? Did I have the experience? Oh, and I was planning a wedding too. Did I have enough capacity? Did I have the know-how? Did I have the focus and attention to detail to “steer the ship” and steward the gifts and resources that flow through the church to not just impact the city but the conference as a whole? At first, I felt nothing out of the ordinary, but when it started to become more real, I could feel the weight.
For Joshua, it was so much worse. He was being subbed into the game to lead a nation of millions, and he is expected to score at high efficiency. I mean, he is following a Hall of Famer in Moses. The bar has been set pretty high. In a moment, he goes from being seen as a little brother to being the parent figure for twelve tribes with diverse histories, personalities, problems, and pains. His words mean more now. More is expected of him now. He had sat with Moses in board meetings before, but it's easy to just be the associate who offers comic relief. He had a good amount of experience leading the people, but it's different when you do not have the safety net of a senior leader to clean up potential messes.
God sees that and still says it’s time. He sees Joshua’s fears, apprehensions, and questions, but doesn't hold back. No time to waste. The clock is ticking, and He is passing Joshua the ball.
Have you ever felt like that? Odds are you have this book because you are in a transition period. You know that God has called you to lead. He has called you to represent Him to a family and community. He has called you to step in as the role model for someone else that you wish you had. He has called you to love like He loved, maybe even be the only picture of Him someone might see. He has called you to “man up” and step into your role. It’s an odd feeling, but it’s the start of the best period of your life.
You may be walking into a new marriage or a new phase of your career. Maybe it’s a call to fatherhood or to stand in as a mentor. It’s exciting yet intimidating. It's surreal and sobering. It forces you to lock in. It’s a call to be bold and walk into the unknown territory you know you belong in. It’s the type of thrill-seeking discomfort you were made for. Like a crab finding a new shell, the most vulnerable times are laced with the excitement of stepping into something better. I get it. I want to encourage you by relaying to you some of what God reminded Joshua as he was stepping up and stepping into a new role.
Midas Touch
“Everywhere you step”
The phrase “Midas touch” is an idiom that refers to one's ability to be financially prosperous in everything they do. It comes from a story in Greek mythology where King Midas was granted the power to turn whatever he touched into gold. He could change any situation by touching it. He could turn economies around, he could conquer nations, and he could afford any want or need. But here is the catch–he had to touch it.
He could not simply speak and have something turn to gold. He could not ask or pay off someone else so that they could get gold. He could not simply imagine and have something transform into gold. For prosperity to be produced through his power, he had to act. Favor was on him, but in order to reap the benefits, he had to reach out his hand and touch.
God is saying something crazy to Joshua, that He is also saying to you. He will have significant, serial, and simple success. The prosperity will be big, it will be rapid, and it will be easy. The catch is that God says everywhere Joshua’s foot treads will be given to him. That means that everything can be gold for Joshua, but only if he does the work of touching it. God has called you to significant levels of success. God has called you to things bigger than your finite imagination can conjure, but many of us are missing out cause we won't walk toward it. The first thing I want to remind you of as it comes to your next step is that God wants you to succeed. He has predestined success. He has prepared you for success. You don't have to see it first to know it’s yours, but you do have to walk to it and walk in it. You have to do something.
The job is yours. The spouse is yours. The significance is yours. But you can’t wait for it to come to you; you have to get up and get it. There’s no reward without risk. There’s no achievement without action. Go get your blessing, and attack it with the confidence that comes with knowing it’s already been claimed and prepared for you. Walk towards it.
It’s Bigger Than You
“For your ancestors”
There is something else in this passage for us. While God is promising Joshua success and overwhelming victory, He keeps bringing up other people. Now, you could argue that when God says, “Just as I promised Moses,” He is giving Joshua reassurance by reminding him of a version of this success that he has already experienced. He may be just comparing Joshua to Moses to explain the type of success or prove that He has done it before and can do it again. But in verse six, God gives a more specific reason why Joshua should be strong and courageous. God says to Joshua that the land he steps on is his, not solely so Joshua can just have more land and superficial success, but so God can answer the prayers of his great-great-great-grandfathers.
I want you to catch this. God doesn't want you to be great just because. This isn’t random. Joshua’s unparalleled success was simply God keeping His word in a deal made centuries ago. God isn't calling you to step up into new spaces willy-nilly. This is the culmination of a prophecy. This is the answer to a prayer.
You know how people have conspiracies about celebrities selling and sacrificing their kids and loved ones for success? In the same way we believe people are cursed because of deals made years ago, I want you to believe that you are blessed because of prayers prayed years ago. Could it be that when God told her no, she asked if you could have it instead? Could it be that your grandfather's prayer for the addiction to stop will be answered in you? Could it be that people you've never met prayed that the spirit would fall on all their descendants, and you are still the benefactor of that prayer? There is more power over your life than you know. God is answering some big prayers through you, and I believe you will be dragged around heaven, like a grandson being shown off to his grandmother's friends, as it is explained that God answered their prayer through you! Doesn't that give you more confidence in the assurance of God’s word over your life?
So be strong and courageous. Go for your promised land. Boldly advance towards the blessings God has placed on your heart. No man will be able to stand against you to oppose you, as long as you live. No weapon formed will prosper. No plot, plan, or presumption will hold you back from what God has called you to dominate. God will not fail you or abandon you. You are practically invincible. Wherever you step is yours.
While the cards are unmistakably stacked in your favor, the only person with the power to derail this mission is you. God can accomplish His will through someone else; you’re called, but you aren’t irreplaceable. He wants to use you, but He will not force you against your will. This will all work out assuming you play your role and let God lead. If you try to take over, you will sabotage the system. Remember, this is bigger than you. While you have been called to success, it’s not actually built on your strength. It’s nothing you can do or carry on your own; God is just putting your name on His homework. This is why the next thing God asks Joshua to do is choose Him daily, and that’s what I am imploring you to do.
Don't Depart From It
“Meditate day and night”
While this is not a call to be perfect, it is a call to prioritize. It is a call to recognize that this strength is only possible if you remember you're weak. As God is telling Joshua of the great power that has been bestowed upon him, He also makes him aware of the great responsibility. Joshua can hurt himself and others if he forgets that the great power being seen through him doesn't originate from him. Joshua is about to be used mightily. He’s going to carry a weight he’s never carried before. He is about to be referred to as a type of Christ. God is going to flash through him so much that people may mistake them for each other.
I want you to get this. It’s not just that Joshua will fall if he gets arrogant while being used. It’s that Joshua being used and not stewarding this gift could hurt the people he’s been entrusted to lead. Joshua's name literally means “God is salvation.” When the people see him, they think “Savior.” But it’s even crazier. Joshua’s name in Hebrew is Yehoshu, which is actually Jesus’ name in Hebrew, Yehoshua. Like Moses, Joshua is called to be so close to God that it is hard to tell them apart. Some people will begin to see Joshua as their true savior and not simply a messenger of their true savior. He is going to receive a crazy amount of deserved adoration and attention that he is tasked with redirecting to God, but here's the temptation we will all face if we let God shine through us and make us as successful as He wants us to be. Middlemen like to get high, too. The thing about being a billboard that gets others to worship God is that you can get a taste for the worship. It’s like working with nuclear power. It's what happened to the devil.
I’ve had a few mentors explain this in various ways. You should be careful while being used by God because people who don’t know God (and those who do) still desire Him. They are designed to seek and be attracted to God, whether they want to consciously or not. They are designed to worship. So when they meet you, they’ll be attracted to the God in you, and if they don't know the source, they will quickly think you are the source and treat you as their God. And the power, adoration, respect, and belief that comes from being treated like God can be addicting.
When people desire intimacy with God, they go to you for their fix, and if you don’t point them to the source, you can easily take for yourself a perverted and poisonous version of what was due God. People will see God in you and feel safe to be vulnerable. They’ll see God in you and feel protected. They’ll see God in you and desire more intimacy. If you aren’t aware, you can easily take advantage of their desire and take what’s meant for God for yourself.
Your God given gift is attractive, and the intimacy with God you provide will be desired, even if people forget the true source. Worship leaders, be vigilant after the Spirit falls during a worship night. Pastors, be careful after an amazing sermon. So many people have been hurt and abused in church settings because gifted people intercepted the money, praise, belief, intimacy, and adoration that should have been aimed at God.
This is why the stakes are so high. And this is why God tells Joshua to do EVERYTHING in accordance with the ENTIRE law. Filter everything through the gospel of Jesus. Focus on loving God and loving people. Commit to the call. Don’t go to the right or the left. Don’t over-correct. Be balanced. Don’t add or subtract from the full message of the Gospel. Read it day and night. Meditate on it. Use it to inspire you and bring peace. See it in everything. Don’t let up. Don’t get lazy. The stakes are too high. If you don’t, you will fall, and a whole country can fall behind you. God is saying this knowing that it will keep him grounded.
God is saying that His word should not depart from Joshua’s mouth. Always make sure people know this is God and not you. Don’t take the credit or glory; it will kill you. Don't try to do it on your own power because it will crush you. Stay focused on the instructions God gave.
God has called you to step up into a new arena as a man, and with great power comes responsibility. To whom much is given, much is required. If you want to step into this well, you need to commit yourself to God. You won’t be perfect. You’ll make mistakes, and there is more than enough grace for that. But I need you to prioritize it. Do you see what’s at stake?
You are the answer to prayers. You have been gifted with the power to change lives. You have been called by God. Now step out. The time is now. Go for it. But remember where the power comes from. Stay centered. Stay focused, then you will be successful and prosperous in all your ways.
If this message has inspired or impacted you, help others subscribe through the subscription page on this website. And if you want more messages like these, pick up my new book, Intentional Influence. God has called you to lead. He has called you to make an impact and steward influence. Join me as we discover how to better do that in our lives moving forward. Order your copy of Intentional Influence and the companion journal through the button below.
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