In the aftermath of this year’s historic presidential election, many of us are left feeling anxious, sad, and wondering about our future. What kind ofimpact will our new president have on our country and world? And will our nation be able to move past the division caused by this election and moveforward in unity?
I think for us as Christians, we must ask ourselves an even bigger question:
How can we have confidence about the future so that we can be an example of what it looks like to follow Christ in this time of extremeuncertainty?
What if it was possible for us to respond in such a way that those outside of Christ would say, “I don’t know what you have, but I want that”?
In Joshua 1:1-9, we learn that Joshua also lived in a time of great uncertainty. As Moses’ aide, he was installed as the leader of theIsraelites after Moses died.
Joshua grew up witnessing all of the miracles God did through Moses. After Moses’ death, God tells Joshua that he would be the one to lead theIsraelites across the Jordan River and into the Promised Land.
We can only imagine the fear and inadequacy Joshua must have felt to follow in Moses’ footsteps and take on such an enormous challenge.
But here’s what God tells Joshua:
“As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these peopleto inherit the land I swore to their ancestors to give them.” (Joshua 1:5-6)
Again, and again, throughout this passage, God tells Joshua to “be strong and courageous” despite Joshua’s deep insecurity about thefuture, his fear of failure, and his fear of abandonment.
God wants to speak to you and me in the same way He spoke to Joshua.
As sons and daughters of God, we, too, are encouraged to be strong and courageous during this time of uncertainty in our country. We’re also assured withthe same promises that God gave to Joshua in the midst of his uncertainty and fear:
1. You don’t have to be afraid because your future is secure.
God said this to Moses, and Jesus even said this to His disciples on his last night on earth: “You future is secure – it’s a done deal!”
So, if we believe in Christ, we don’t have to be afraid of the unknown. God is sovereign and our eternal future with Him is set.
2. You will not and cannot fail because I’ll give you what you need.
When we’re facing great uncertainty, most of the time what we’re afraid of is failing. We’re afraid of failing God, our family, and ourselves. To this, Godsays, “You’re bulletproof because I’m with you!”
We can trust that God will give us everything we need to be victorious no matter what challenges we’re facing.
How does He do this? He takes the written word of God by the Spirit of God, and as we meditate on it, He uses the living word of God to give us power tothink and act and respond to any situation we’re facing.
3. You’ll never be abandoned because I will never leave you or forsake you.”
God promises that He will never leave us or, literally, “drop us.” If we are in Christ, then we have the Holy Spirit living inside of us and guiding usinto all truth 24/7. Once He comes to live inside of us, He never leaves.
It’s with these promises that God assures us and calls each of us to be strong and courageous.
Remember, though, being courageous doesn’t mean that we won’t feel scared. It means that we act on God’s word and choose to believe that He willcome through for us and will be with us, even though what we’re going through might be unknown, difficult or painful.
We are living in times that are very uncertain. Yet how we choose to respond could be the most strategic thingthat we could ever do as Christ-followers.
Learn more about trusting God with your fears and doubts with Chip’s audio series I Choose Hope, available for purchase in the Living on the Edge store.
Written By
Chip Ingram
Founder & Teaching Pastor, Living on the Edge
Chip Ingram is the CEO and teaching pastor of Living on the Edge, an international teaching and discipleship ministry. A pastor for over thirty years, Chip has a unique ability to communicate truth and challenge people to live out their faith. He is the author of many books, including The Real God, Culture Shock and The Real Heaven. Chip and his wife, Theresa, have four grown children and twelve grandchildren and live in California.
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