Title Follow Him
Contents
♡♥♡ Follow him / Joshua 3:1-6
*** Introduction
Goals are very important in our life. People who have clear goals and those who have blurred or no goals are different in everything, including their way of life, values, and consciousness.
There is a saying in the old sayings, 'Consultation with God (臥薪嘗膽)'. During the Spring and Autumn Warring States Period of China, the Wu (吳) and Yue (越) dynasties were deep and deep enemies. That's why even now, they have a very bad relationship and call it the "five months of the year". Washin Counseling means ‘sleep on a couch and lick your gallbladder’, which means ‘to endure all kinds of suffering in order to achieve your desired goal’. This is O and Wol, the two countries spent years of hard work with only one goal to avenge each other. If so much suffering is to be endured with the goal of revenge, what of a Christian with the goal of eternal life?
What do you live for? Do you have a clear goal? Or are you living day to day?
You and I have goals that are so clear and clear. This goal is the most valuable and greatest, irreplaceable for anything in the world. In other words, the goal is the eternal life and life given through the complete resurrection, and the kingdom of God, the seat of eternal life. This goal was already given by God when he accomplished Israel through Abraham.
When Israel was not yet formed, the goal was the land of Canaan, which would become the nation of the chosen people called Israel. However, Canaan in this world was not perfect, nor did it achieve Paradise. In the end, the perfect resurrection through Jesus Christ and the kingdom of God became the goals of Christians as eternal Canaan. Herein lies the strength to overcome the hardships and difficulties of life, and here lies the power to overcome riches and glories, pleasures, and temptations. Therefore, for us Christians, if this goal is not clearly felt in our daily life, our lives will be lost. How, then, can you live with this goal clearly felt in your daily life? The text of this hour will guide you on that path.
1. It takes time to prepare.
The Canaan we are aiming for is not easily given to just anyone. There is a dry and harsh wilderness, and there is the Jordan River, the river of death that must be crossed. The wilderness and Jordan River are roads beyond which human strength cannot cross. However, if you wait quietly, God's grace does not automatically roll in. Preparation is necessary to obtain Canaan.
After wandering around in the wilderness for 40 years, Israel was trained to depend on God alone. All the elements of complaints, resentment, and disobedience were dissolved through a life of suffering. We have now reached Siddim, the edge of the wilderness. They head to the Jordan River, the last gateway to the land of Canaan. Early in the morning, they left Siddim and came to the Jordan. Just crossing this Jordan is Canaan. But they were not in a hurry. They have seen their parents fail by complaining, resenting, and hasty without waiting for God. And now I have the patience to wait for God's commands. After three days, God gave Israel a final check. Now, in just one day, you will experience the amazing work that God is leading. For this, Israel had to thoroughly check all preparations.
The most important thing to prepare is to sanctify yourself. To sanctify ourselves is to call us to repentance. In order to occupy God's promises, above all, we must correct our wrong relationship with God. Repentance is necessary in order to rectify our relationship with God. Read the Bible carefully. Before meeting God or experiencing the work of God, you can see that you must go through the work of sanctification. Repentance is the channel through which God's work of preparing and accomplishing great and great things is accomplished.
Therefore, believers must thoroughly prepare to see what God will accomplish by believing in them. Although these things are prepared by God, believers must sanctify themselves through repentance, and also pay the price of sweating toil and devotion. Colossians 1:29 says, “For this I also labor with all my might, according to the work of him who works in me with power.” know,” he said. If we refuse to do this kind of hard work and dedication, we cannot expect God's work. Jesus said in Matthew 16:24, “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” Israel has been working with the utmost determination since early morning.
How do you start your day? Don't you rush to work as soon as you wake up without even thinking of God's plan and asking for a day? Thinking of the goal I want, do I not start work without being prepared for hard work and dedication? Israel did. They thought only of their discomfort and suffering. In the end, they all had to be annihilated in the wilderness because of their complaints and murmurings.
Before you start your day, or start doing anything, first think of your goals and anticipate God's plan. And pray for the determination that you will put up with any effort and sacrifice to achieve your goal. Still, when it is difficult and difficult, look at the Canaan prepared for me and think of the way of the cross that the Lord carried.
2. We must boldly follow the Lord in faith.
Let's look at verses 3 and 4 of the text. “When you see the Levite priests tying the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, leave your place and follow him. But let the distance between you and them be about two thousand cubits, and do not come near it. Then I will show you the way to go... ” he said.
This verse tells us to move forward in faith, but to follow God's laws. There are four rules here. These are: ① to watch the priests carry the ark of the covenant, ② to leave the present position and depart, ③ to follow the ark, and ④ to keep the distance from the ark of the covenant constant.
The center of this verse is the ark of the covenant. It was the ark of the covenant that Israel had to follow. Israel must watch carefully as the Ark of the Covenant moves, and keep a certain distance behind it. What is the ‘Ark of the Covenant’? The Ark of the Covenant contains items that symbolize God's commandments, God's love, and God's justice. In other words, there are three items: the stone tablets on which the Ten Commandments are engraved, the jar containing the manna that Israel ate in the wilderness for 40 years, and Aaron's rod that budded, who showed God's justice when Goradang rebelled. And the lid of the Ark of the Covenant was a golden lid with two cherubs carved on it, and it was called ‘Siunso’. It was a symbol of God's presence.
If so, the meaning of these words today is 'a life that follows the Lord'. In order to follow the Lord, you must first know God through His Word and understand His will. And when you understand the Word, you must obey it immediately. However, one thing to be aware of is that ‘You must follow the Lord’s footsteps.’ In other words, we must not get ahead of the Lord or go too far. Walking with the Lord and following Him do not require the wisdom of the world or your own thoughts. This is Matthew 7:21. We must remember the saying, “Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only those who do the will of my Father who is in heaven.”
This is the story of the evangelist ‘Henry Moore House’. He faced a very difficult problem. I was worried because I couldn't solve it on my own. Then one day, it was when he went into the house with his wife's luggage. His young daughter, Minnie, who has polio, was delighted to see him coming.
After holding his daughter and kissing her, he asked, “Where is your mother?” “Mom is upstairs.” “Yeah, I have a package for Mom.” Then the daughter said, "Dad, I'll bring it to you." “No, darling. how do you carry Can't you take it by yourself?" However, the daughter showed aegyo and said, "That's right, Dad. But I can carry the luggage and Daddy can carry me.” He went up the stairs with his young daughter, Minnie, and his luggage.
At that very moment, he realized his place before the Lord. For the past few days, he has been grieving with the heavy burden of life, but he was like, 'Isn't God carrying him?
Are there times when you and I also worry and worry about problems in life? With their lips, they confess that it is 'a life that walks with the Lord' and 'The Lord is with me.' But in real life, don't you worry and worry and complain about the pain of life? Sometimes I forget that the Lord is holding me and carrying me in difficult times.
In order not to get lost like this, we must follow the Lord. Today's text also says that if Israel follows the Ark of the Covenant, "You will know the way you should go." He said that even if it was the first path I took, I would definitely know the way I had to go.
If we follow the Lord, we can go on a road we don't know for the first time, or even on a rough and difficult road, without losing sight of our destination. Because the Lord who guides us is ‘the way, the truth, and the life’.
Guys, let's not depend on the world. Let's just rely on the Lord and follow Him. If you stay for a while and become attached to the world you are leaving, you will not be able to reach your destination. As our goal is noble, let's be prepared to pay a reasonable price, look back on ourselves and maintain holiness, trust and rely on the Lord who is going ahead and follow us.