When God's got your back

Today: Joshua 9-11

How do you know you have a true friend?

It's not always obvious. But I think a true friend makes you laugh. True friends listen. They give you the advice you need to hear (even when it might not be the advice you want to hear). A true friend will help you move. If they're capable, they might help you put together IKEA furniture or paint. A true friend will pray with you and for you. If you need something...from a good hair stylist to a new job...a true friend will try to connect you to a solution. A true friend will encourage you. And a true friend has your back.

Don't you love it when you know someone has your back? What if that someone was God Himself?

Today's chapters described many (sometimes gory!) battles and regions that God's people conquered...only with His help. It's interesting to read about God's role in the process. Take a look:

God threw them into total confusion before Israel,
a major victory at Gibeon.
Israel chased them along the ridge to Beth Horon
and fought them all the way down to Azekah and Makkedah.
As they ran from the People of Israel, down from the Beth Horon ridge
and all the way to Azekah,
God pitched huge stones on them out of the sky and many died.
More died from the hailstones than the People of Israel killed with the sword.
The day God gave the Amorites up to Israel,
Joshua spoke to God, with all Israel listening:
"Stop, Sun, over Gibeon;
Halt, Moon, over Aijalon Valley."
And Sun stopped,
Moon stood stock still
Until he defeated his enemies... The sun stopped in its tracks in mid sky; just sat there all day.
There's never been a day like that before or since—
God took orders from a human voice!
Truly, God fought for Israel.

This passage sounds a bit brutal, but I think the premise that "God fought for Israel" is interesting. He didn't just leave His people on their own to fight in the middle of a desert. No--He actively participated in helping them along the way. He intervened and miraculously helped them defeat their enemies.

You and I may never be called by God to fight a real war, but every day we face our own battles. Maybe you're fighting against sin or fear. Perhaps you're fighting to find a new job. You might be having a tough time finishing your education. You may just have to fight temptation or apathy to keep your marriage strong.

Whatever you're fighting, don't fight alone--you don't have to. God can and will fight with you against things that are evil and/or against His will for your life. He wants you to win. So go ahead and ask for some help!

Tomorrow: Joshua 12-15

What the heck are we fighting for?!?

Today: Acts 14-15

Have you ever watched people and wondered, "What the heck are you fighting for?!?"

I've asked that question whenever I've (sadly) watched a minute of "The Hills." But even more tragically, I've asked it...virtually all my life...when I've watched Christians fighting Christians.

When I was a little girl, I attended a small church where the congregation voted on everything. I remember nights sitting under a pew hearing the people of God...argue about carpet colors for the church...or whether or not to buy a new real piano versus a keyboard.

Just this week, I heard about a pastor sending an angry letter to another local church (not my own by the way). Why? The church is hosting a U2charist event...using U2's music to present God's love to their community. This pastor took the time to spew a hateful letter about another church's outreach event.

Shouldn't he have focused his time and energy on something else...like, I don't know...loving, serving and reaching people in his own community?

What the heck are we fighting for?!?

In today's passage, the early church faced similar battles. Some rule-focused Jewish Christians thought it was impertative for non-Jewish converts to become circumcized (an old part of the Jewish faith and law). For obvious reasons, the non-Jewish adult male converts weren't exactly thrilled about the idea. Thankfully, some of the apostles and disciples gathered people together, discusssed the issue and decided to focus on the big picture. I love what Peter said here:

"Friends, you well know that from early on

God made it quite plain

that he wanted the pagans to hear

the Message of this good news and embrace it—

and not in any secondhand or roundabout way,

but firsthand, straight from my mouth.

And God, who can't be fooled by any pretense on our part

but always knows a person's thoughts,

gave them the Holy Spirit exactly as he gave him to us.

He treated the outsiders exactly as he treated us,

beginning at the very center of who they were

and working from that center outward,

cleaning up their lives

as they trusted and believed him.
"So why are you now trying to out-god God,

loading these new believers down

with rules that crushed our ancestors and crushed us, too?

Don't we believe that we are saved

because the Master Jesus

amazingly and out of sheer generosity

moved to save us

just as he did those from beyond our nation?

So what are we arguing about?"

I'd like to ask Christians today the same question...whenever they fight about politics, carpet colors, musical styles, or outreach events.

Let's remember--Jesus died because He loved people and wanted to save them. I don't think He thought about carpet color on the cross.

Tomorrow: Acts 16-17