No matter where we are

I was talking to a friend the other day, who mentioned how lonely and out of place she felt in her first year of college.  The parallel to me was unmistakable.  I’m not in my first year of college, but I still often feel lonely and out of place.  Whether is was while I was in Korea, living for a year in a country whose language I did not speak, or struggling through a tough year of graduate studies, I’ve battled many overwhelming experiences. 

But Isaiah 43 gave me such a peace.  It says, “Fear not, for…I have summoned you by name.  You are mine…you are precious and honored in my sight, and I love you…do not be afraid, for I am with you…I will bring your children from the east, and gather you from the west.  I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!,’ and to the south, ‘do not hold them back.’  Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the ends of the earth.”

What a wonderful promise.  Not only does God make it abundantly clear how valuable and special we are to Him; He also lets us know in no uncertain terms that He will be with us, no matter where we are.  No matter if we’re in the town we grew up in, or quite literally on the other side of the world, like I was, He will always be there with us.

Isaiah 43:1-7

But now, this is what the Lord says— he who created you, Jacob, he who formed you, Israel: “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. 2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. 3 For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior; I give Egypt for your ransom, Cush and Seba in your stead. 4 Since you are precious and honored in my sight, and because I love you, I will give people in exchange for you, nations in exchange for your life. 5 Do not be afraid, for I am with you; I will bring your children from the east and gather you from the west. 6 I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’ and to the south, ‘Do not hold them back.’ Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the ends of the earth— 7 everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.”

Jump

Last year my brother Joshua turned 13.  To commemorate the occasion, I wanted to leave him with a verse that really meant something.  So I did some research on Joshua’s biblical namesake.

The Biblical Joshua is such a fascinating figure.  He was Moses’ right-hand man, one of only two Israelite spies who didn’t doubt God’s promises, and thus one of the only people from his generation to make it to the promised land.  It’s easy to remember his incredible feats and faithful reliance on God, and forget about his human insecurities.  But I think it makes his story so much more powerful if we remember them. 

Joshua was not some super-Christian.  He wasn’t immune to the fears and failures that we all face every day.  In the book of Joshua, over and over again we hear God encouraging him, telling him to not be afraid, reminding him that his courage and strength should be found in God alone.  In fact, it could be said that before Joshua’s greatest feat – finally capturing Canaan for the Israelites after years and years of waiting – he faced his greatest fear.  God has spent a lifetime preparing Joshua for what he was about to do…and yet he was still afraid!

Fear, in itself, is neither abnormal nor unholy.  What matters is that you make the jump anyway.  True, abundant life is not found in the ride; it’s found in the jumps, the leaps of faith that we take that allow God to work uninhibited in us and through us.

Joshua 1:1-9

After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ aide: 2 “Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them—to the Israelites. 3 I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses. 4 Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the great river, the Euphrates—all the Hittite country—to the Mediterranean Sea in the west. 5 No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. 6 Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their ancestors to give them. 7 “Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. 8 Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”