City Life Starter

Written by Megan Meier

The Word

“…’Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid…’”

Joshua 1:9

“…But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”

Joshua 24:15

“Then the people answered, ‘Far be it from us to forsake the Lord to serve other gods! It was the Lord our God himself who brought us and our parents up out of Egypt, from that land of slavery, and performed those great signs before our eyes. He protected us on our entire journey and among all the nations through which we traveled. And the Lord drove out before us all the nations, including the Amorites, who lived in the land. We too will serve the Lord, because he is our God. ‘”

Joshua 24:16-18

Reflection

The journey to the Promised Land was only supposed to take eleven days, a few weeks at most. Without a doubt, the Israelites gave Moses and God a very hard time, even after all of the miracles they witnessed in Egypt. Because of the Israelites’ grumbling, rebellion, and letting the fear of the unknown rule over them, their time in the desert was extended to forty years. The journey to the Promised Land wasn’t just physical, it was mental and spiritual. During their time in the desert, they worked on their mindsets and hearts.

Joshua may have lived half of his life as a slave in Egypt, but even before God declared the people would wander the desert for forty years, he did not have the slave mindset, to just settle for the status-quo and for an oppressive (but familiar) environment. Joshua was putting an end to the generational curse and looking towards happier days in an unfamiliar land. He did this by setting an example to the Israelites, to be strong and courageous and not afraid of the future God has for them (a lesson God told Joshua several times when Moses died and Joshua was instated as leader, maybe Joshua was understandably quite apprehensive).

Joshua and the Israelites were beginning a new chapter in their lives, and he wanted them to leave the destructive baggage behind and choose God and what He had for them. Forty years in the desert, although extremely difficult, must have been beneficial to the stubborn Israelites, because they remembered all that God did for them and chose that day to serve the Lord.

Application

Year 2020 has, without a doubt, been a very difficult year. It felt at times we were wandering aimlessly and waiting (in our case, for the COVID vaccine). Now not one, but three different versions of the vaccine are ready and our time in the desert is nearly through. How will you prepare for your Promised Land? What does it look like? Is there a generational curse you are called to end? Maybe you are called to be the Joshua your family desperately needs and lead them to their Promised Land. Be strong and courageous, and do not be afraid.

Prayer

Dearest Lord, thank You for the vaccine and for our time in the desert coming to an end. Prepare me to lead my family to end any generational curses so we can enter our Promised Land. Help me to set an example in strength and courage, and to not be afraid. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.