Day 3 - Get Ready

This is part of a 31-Day writing series about finding Joy in our Journey. If you missed the previous days, click here for Day 1 and here for Day 2.

 

The Wizard of Oz is a great movie. I enjoy watching Dorothy’s journey with her friends.  A Biblical journey that should have been filled with joy, but wasn’t, was when Moses led the Hebrew people out of slavery in Egypt and toward the land God promised them. Moses died before entering the Promised Land and Joshua, who was Moses assistant, took over as leader.

           

Before Joshua led the people into Israel, God said to him, “Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all the people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give them- to the Israelites.” Joshua 1:2

           

What was God saying?

God loved Moses. Moses was very important in leading the enslaved Hebrews out of Egypt and through the desert. He also wrote the first five books of the Bible. But as the book of Joshua begins, God says, “Moses is dead,” meaning this is a new chapter in the life of the people.

In order to get ready for any journey, including our daily journey, we may need to put some things behind us. In order to have joy in our journey, we may need to let go of thoughts, relationships or situations that are stealing our joy. We won’t be able to have joy if our thoughts keep telling us we have a terrible life, poor me, my situation is worse than everybody else’s and things are never going to change or get better. To use an old cliché’, that is stinkin’ thinkin’.

If we want to have joy in our journey through the one life God gave us, we need to put aside negative thoughts. We need to prepare our hearts and minds for what the Lord has for us each day.

How do we get ready?

1.                      Pray: Ask God to give you “eyes to see and ears to hear” (Matthew 13:16) and a mind to acknowledge the positive things in life and reflect joy in your daily walk.

2.                    Read: Joy comes from knowing God and we learn to know and love God through reading His Word daily.

3.                    Have faith: The Bible says, “Without faith it is impossible to please God.” Hebrews 11:6. Have faith that God has called you to this life and when we look to Him, the author and perfecter of our faith, He is the one who reminds us of the joy of our salvation.

What do you need to do to get ready for today’s journey?

Do you need to let go of some stinkin’ thinkin’?

Do you need to get rid of some distractions so you can focus on today?

I encourage you to take five minutes to pray and read God’s Word before you begin today’s journey.

 Joyfully,