Good Monday morning, fellow bible journal friends! Praying that you were able to have a restful weekend and are even more prepared than ever to use your week (whether at work, at home, or traveling), as unto the Lord!
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I stopped over in Joshua for a study recently and wanted to share just a few things that I found. Putting this page together was easy peasy; the stamp-over-acryllic-paint is the quickest way to put a beautiful layout together for journaling in the Word! A few strands of washi, and voila! 🙌
I'm thinking that pinned on a throw pillow, or hoisted to a painting on a wall somewhere, some - if not MOST - Christians have this famous passage proudly displayed: "As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD." This comes straight out of Joshua 24.
Joshua is talking to the people of Israel when he gives this familiar yet very CHALLENGING oration. He's well advanced in years, he's fought battle after battle, and led so many great quests for the children of Israel. Somewhat a right-hand man for Moses, and his resume continues...
I'm really glad that Sweet N Sassy Stamps (Love Your Neighbor) put this stamp set together - it brings us to this place where we can, for ourselves, read the challenge posed by Joshua and ask, "whom WILL I serve?" It's a choice. A BIG choice. And it's a choice that we need to make daily, right?
After listening to a sermon by Colin Smith, I was encouraged to think about this often as it pertains to the life-style for Christians and Jews alike! The heart of God has not changed in these thousands of years since this part of inspired scripture was written, so it's totally applicable! So here's 4 things that could help all of us to maintaining a steady walk and devotion to God.
1. Go back to that place where God found you and in His faithfulness and love, picked you up from the mess that was your life, to redeem you and forever make You His own. Go back in time and remember His goodness and strength in your life; that time when you realized all His promises are "yes and amen" in Jesus Christ!
2. If there be any question or doubt as to the leadership and sovereignty of God, try looking at the alternatives - give them a test to see if God is not greater; if He is not faithful; if He is not more generous and caring than anything or anyone else in your life!
3. Cast off your idols! Yes, it sounds outdated and old-fashioned, but it's a very real hindrance to the way we worship the real God. The Israelites were notorious for fashioning idols, whenever for whatever. It was a saddening thing to God, and something that He STILL doesn't take lightly. So, what is it that we're holding on to that makes us unable to worship Him well?
4. We gotta keep each other in check - hold each other accountable! It's possible to stray when left to ourselves, and without brothers and sisters in the Lord, our faith could die as our worship is redirected to ourselves, rather than to the Living God.
I hope this helps! It did for me. The different things we do in life can either raise a high hand to God, or be completely submitted to Him and His loving power. I'm plenty practiced in going about my day on my own, fashioning my own little "idols" along the way and find that I'm no closer to Jesus than when I started! I can relate all too well to this nation of Israel; though they were selected and preserved as a people for His name, they defied His leadership and plummeted to wreckage over and over again. Ouch... yes, all too familiar.
If God is seemingly still and silent in your life, don't give up! Keep following Him!
Remember His goodness. Remember the futility of the alternatives. Remember to keep Him as FIRST priority. Remember that other Christians are just like us, and we're all able to lift each other up, keep each other believing, and encourage one another!
Much Love,
Deeds
PS - other stamp sets used are "Classy Script Alpha" and "Skinny Caps Alpha." The mixing and matching is fun, and helps those of us that don't have the best of hand-lettering! 😛
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