Going Forward For God

*And 1 Peter 5:8: “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walks about, seeking whom he may devour:

*We should also meditate on God’s wisdom for life like Matthew 11:28-29, where Jesus said: “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”

*And James 1:5, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.”

*We should also meditate on God’s great works like the Creation and the miracles in the Old Testament and New.

*But mostly we should meditate on the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ:

-That Jesus died on the Cross for our sins and rose again from the dead.

-That He will save our souls if we will open our hearts to receive Him as Savior and Lord.

*Pastor William Stidger told the story of a man in his church who served in the Navy during World War II. One night, this man was running his transport across the Atlantic, when he noticed the white trail of a torpedo coming right toward his ship. It was a troop-transport filled with hundreds of soldiers. The possible loss of life was devastating.

*Nearby, the captain of a smaller ship had also seen the torpedo coming. And that captain had time to maneuver his ship between the transport and the torpedo. The explosion destroyed the smaller ship. Everyone on board died.

*Years later, as the surviving captain told his story to the preacher, he said, “Dr. Stidger, the skipper of that other ship was my best friend. -- You know, there is a verse in the Bible which has special meaning for me now. It’s this: “Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” (5)

*Jesus Christ said those words on the night before He died for our sins.

-Meditate on the truth that Jesus is our Best Friend.

-Meditate on His sacrifice and suffering.

-Meditate on His call to us in Matt 6:33: “Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”

4. Saturate your life with Scripture. -- But also rest in God’s reassurance.

*If you really want to go forward, you must rest in God’s reassurance.

*In vs. 9 the Lord repeated Himself when He said, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” It was the 3rd time the Lord repeated those words: “Be strong and of good courage.”

*It’s like God is asking, “Did you get that, Joshua?”

-So often we don’t. We are slow. -- I am so slow.

-But God is so patient to tell us over and over the things we need to know.

*Over and over, the Lord tries to reassure us: Seek the Lord, trust in the Lord, wait on the Lord. He really is the God of the Second Chance.

*I know that God will not strive with a man forever. And tragically, many people run out of time before they realize their need for Christ. But Moses got a second chance 40 years after killing an Egyptian slave master.