Medicate on His Presence

by Rick

This morning we continue our series entitled, “Refined Focus”.  Yesterday we started to look at how we are instructed to Focus on the Word of God.  Every successful believer develops Godly habits that enable him/her to get God’s Word down in their heart.  We are using Joshua as our first case study.  Yesterday we looked at Joshua 1:8.  God instructed Joshua to meditate on His Word day and night.  I called it medicating on the Word.  The more you meditate the Word of God, it is like you are medicating on it, because it becomes life and healing to all your flesh.  Let’s go back to Joshua chapter one this morning and take a look at the context.

 

After Moses died, the Lord spoke to Joshua and said, “My servant Moses is dead.  Now you and all these people must go across the Jordan River.  You must go into the land I am giving to the Israelites.”  The words, “Go into the land I am giving to the Israelites”, were familiar words to Joshua.  40 years earlier he heard those words.  He was ready to take the land back then and he was also ready when the fulness of time came.

 

The Lord continued, “All the land from the desert to Lebanon all the way to the great river (that is, the Euphrates River) and all the land of the Hittites will be yours.  And all the land from here to the Mediterranean Sea in the west (that is, the place where the sun sets) will be within your borders.  Just as I was with Moses, I will be with you.  No one will be able to stop you all your life.  I will not abandon you. I will never leave you.”  We must all be reminded of the presence of the Lord.  We can only do what he calls us to do because He is WITH us.

 

The Lord continued, “Joshua, you must be strong and brave!  You must lead these people so that they can take their land.  I promised their fathers that I would give them this land.”  

 

So what does this mean to you today?  A few things.

 

  1.  There is a timing component to the promises of God.  Due to circumstances he could not control, Joshua had to wait 40 years to take possession of the Promised Land.  He never gave up, caved in or quit.  He believed God for 40 years and when the fulness of time came, he was ready.  Are you ready?  Have you been waiting so long that you have relaxed your faith?  Will you be ready to take possession of the promise when the fulness of time comes?  Keeping your mind focused on God and His Word is critical to remaining ready to take possession of the promise.

 

  1.  When God outlined the size of the Promised Land to Joshua (and it was massive), the Lord followed the land description with a promise to always be with him.  The point?  The size of God’s promises are so big that we must continually remind ourselves that He will be with us every step of the way as we take possession of them.  Without God we cannot.  Without us He will not.  This is the partnership God is looking for in the earth.  It is ‘us working with God’ and ‘God working with us’.

 

  1.  God told Joshua that he had to be both strong and brave in order to lead the nation of Israel into the possession of the promise.  The same holds true for you.  Doing the will of God in the earth is not for the faint at heart.  God-sized projects requires God-sized courage, confidence and trust.  If you are lacking courage this morning, simply remind yourself of the promise and of the God who made it.  He promised to do things in your life and He also promised to be WITH you every step of the way.  Be strong and very courageous!  The Lord your God is with you.

 

  1.  You can medicate on the presence of the Lord.  Just like you can and should mediate/medicate on the Word of God, you can and should meditate/medicate on the fact that God is always with you.  As you go throughout the day today, make a conscious effort to acknowledge the presence of the Lord.  The more you acknowledge His presence, the more confidence you will have as you endeavor to do what He has called you to do.  Alone many things are impossible, but with God all things are possible!

 

Closing Confession:   Father, this is a season of refined focus for me.  The mind is very powerful.  Whatever I choose to focus on can impact my life significantly, for good or bad.  I choose to focus on Your Word.  I choose to meditate and medicate on Your instruction.  Your Word is life to me.  It is health and healing to all my flesh.  I also choose to meditate and medicate on Your presence.  You are always with me.  You promised to never leave me, nor forsake me.  You are ON me, IN me, WITH me, and FOR me.  Therefore, nothing is impossible to me.  As I go throughout the day I remind myself of Your presence.  As I do, the reality that You are with me will empower me to be strong and very courageous!  There’s no way I will lose, because my God is with me everywhere I go!  I declare this by faith!  In Jesus’ name.  Amen.

This is Today’s Word!  Apply it and Prosper.

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