“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.””
Deuteronomy 1:21 NIV

I love this! God will keep His promises, even if I can’t see how or I get tired of waiting and try to manufacture counterfeit success. We are not only to guard against fear but also discouragement. This suggests that the solution might not happen instantly.

As my husband and I have walked through these couple of months of him job hunting, this has been our prayer. We know God has a plan, and we would love to know exactly what it is immediately. But knowing everything is not an exercise in growing faith.

Except in this verse, when knowing God’s plan was an exercise in faith. Moses and the Israelites knew that they wouldn’t win this battle without God fighting for them. They had to enter the battle trusting that God would do what He said.

Has God ever told you exactly what was next, but it was impossible? I imagine Noah at this point, enduring years of people wondering what on earth he was doing. But he kept doing what God said to do, knowing that the flood and collecting animals was impossible, but trusting God would keep His promises. He was guarding against fear and discouragement.

I think as Christians we are meant to live in a way that doesn’t make sense, without trusting God to keep His promises. This is what gets the attention of people seeking hope, and drives them to ask questions. Evangelism and discipleship are so much easier when people come to us with genuinely curious questions about what on earth we are doing!

It was hearing about the battle in this verse and others that made the people of Jericho melt in fear as the Israelites advanced (Joshua 2:9-11). They sensed their battle wouldn’t be against flesh and blood, and Rahab sensed that she wanted and needed this God to rescue her. She had faith to trust the impossible.

Rahab sought out the spies. She was so hungry for hope that she found them and did whatever she could to throw in her and her family’s safety with them, even though all human wisdom would say to trust in Jericho’s wall, that humanly speaking, Jericho could not be defeated.

Where are you at on your journey? Are you facing something impossible, or battling discouragement? Let me know how I can pray for you.