The whole story

 

Joshua 4:1-13

Listen to today's devotional

God doesn't need our perfection to be God. And we know the Lord's goodness and holiness don't stand on our merit or our righteous abilities. Who God is and what God does is enough. We're used to thinking our testimonies have to recount earth-shattering, life-changing experiences. It's doesn't feel right to celebrate the small moments of peace or revelation. While there are times we move mountains with God's help, there are many, many more times the still, small voice speaks its truth in quiet moments. Be thankful for those experiences. Celebrate them like you would any move of God. Don't worry if they don't sound as breathtaking as something you've heard from someone else. Now, let's think about the Israelites crossing the Jordan River into the promised land. That's no small thing. It's the fulfillment of a promise God made to the Israelites that may have seemed like would never come to be. The text says that all Israel stood in awe of Joshua; he was the one who finally led them to the promise. They were in awe of Joshua just like they were of Moses "all the days of his life" (Joshua 4:14). Here's the lesson for me today, depending on how you read that last line. When you're retelling a moment like this, there's a temptation to avoid. Don't sermonize what happened. If you've read their journey from Egypt to the Jordan River, you know the Israelites weren't always in awe of Moses. And they had their doubts sometimes about Joshua. Maybe that line is a mere over generalization. To me, today, it's a reminder to tell the full story of your experience. There's no need to pretty things up. To make things sound better than they were. If God has acted, let God's action be everything it is. Praise God for the point you've come to. What Christ has done is amazing, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant. As you retell your story, let it be honest. Let it be real. In so doing, you'll let God's actions shine through.  Stay blessed...john