God’s plans for you are good. His promises are steady and true. His intentions are to bless you. Yes, even with what you are going through, he will bless you. Even in this uncertainty, God is sure.

Knowing this, you can continue. You can keep moving forward. You can keep showing up. You can keep being faithful no matter what may come next, because you know God has declared his will for you is good, your future is held, and your destiny is promised.

Hebrews 6:12 “Then you will not become spiritually dull and indifferent. Instead, you will follow the example of those who are going to inherit God’s promises because of their faith and endurance.”

Have we become spiritually dull? Checked out, going through the motions, and generally unimpressed by the sheer miracle of life? Oh, what kind of example have we become when we’ve given up? Who would possibly want to know our Jesus when our lives are so darn dull?

No, our lives are full of hope because of God’s promises to us, and we’re 100% counting on God to do everything he promised. That’s how we get through the hardest of times, and that’s how we are used as a vibrant example of God’s faithfulness. God doesn’t need one more representation of a dull life painting a picture of boring days ruled by chores and tasks. God wants his girls shining bright for him, living BIG, overflowing with his love and power, living with unshakable faith and great endurance. Girls who don’t give up. Girls who don’t back down. Girls who stay the course. Girls who are committed. Girls who don’t check out.

We are called to be those girls!

The MSG translation says we are the ones who “get everything promised to them.”

What does it look like to get everything God has promised? Let’s read the next verse. Hebrews 6: 13-15 MSG “When God made his promise to Abraham, he backed it all the way, putting his own reputation on the line. He said, “I promise that I’ll bless you with everything I have—bless and bless and bless!” Abraham stuck it out and got everything that had been promised to him.”

God wants to give us everything. He wants to not only bless us, but bless and bless and bless. Oh, that’s a triple blessing! To walk in that level of blessing, we must be like Abraham and stick it out. When we refuse to give up and refuse to run from the hard things, then we too will get everything God has promised.

What would your life look like if God could bless and bless and bless? That is his desire. He’s been revealing his power to you. He’s been calling you closer. He’s been growing and strengthening you through every struggle and hardship. And every time you don’t give up, you face the hard things, and you stand in faith, you get more of what God has promised you.

A triple blessing on your life. Digging deeper into a triple blessing in scripture, I found a blessing the Lord specifically gave to Moses for his people. Numbers 6: 24-26 “The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.”

Now, Sister, that’s God’s plan to bless and bless and bless. You are totally and completely covered by Him. You receive his protection, his guidance, his grace, his favor, and his peace.

“The Lord bless you and keep you.” The Hebrew word for bless is barak, which means God’s presence in a close relationship with his people. God is not only WITH YOU, but he is personally invested in you. The Hebrew word for keep is shamar, which means to guard,

Is there an area of your life where you were once doing so good, now you find yourself on the struggle bus and unsure how to get off it?

Why do we do that? We do good, we get better, we grow … then we stop.

That’s exactly what we do. We just stop.

We create a good morning routine. We start our day praying on our knees. We are hungry for God’s word. We feel God’s holy presence all around us and we naturally respond to his promptings. We worship him. We praise him. We pray about everything and we are thankful to him for all things. And it grows and builds, and gets better and better … UNTIL WE DON’T.

We don’t make time any more. We don’t put Him first. We don’t feel close. We don’t feel his promptings. Then we don’t grow. It doesn’t build and it’s no longer getting better, it’s getting worse. And it’s all because somewhere along the way, we stopped.

I do it too. I hate it, but I do it.

Is there anything you have stopped and you’re trying to find your way back?

Maybe it was Spring Break and a week of vacation without your normal routines that made you stop. Maybe it was one missed day, and that missed day somehow turned into a missed week. Here’s the problem with missed days and missed weeks … they create ruts. Ruts create big holes where we get stuck. And when we’re stuck in a rut that became a hole, we like to pull a rock over our head and hide in our shame. All while we wonder how we got here and why we feel so yucky about it.

All we did was stop. So that means all we need to do to come back is to start again.

Yes, my sister, that good habit and routine that had you growing closer to God and walking on the path to becoming more like the woman you’re created to be, just come on back to it now!

The enemy loves that rock you hide under sometimes. He delights in the hole you’re stuck in and the shame you feel there. He’s trying everything to keep you there so you sink lower and lower, and further and further from the life Jesus came to give you. Satan will whisper his lies from the pits of hell that tell you you’re a big disappointment and unworthy of more. He will tell you God doesn’t want you back because of all the times you’ve started and stopped, and failed miserably to stay close, but there’s not an ounce of truth in that.

GOD WANTS YOU BACK!

He wants you back in the rhythms that bring you to life. He wants you back in the routines that bring you closer to him. He wants you back in the habits that grow your faith and open your eyes to his involvement in the details all around you.

That little voice that tells you you can’t come back … that’s not God. That’s the enemy who wants to keep you stuck and distant, hiding in shame. You can come back now!

Jesus is the good shepherd, and you know what shepherds do? They go find the lost sheep. The one who has wandered. The one who was doing good, then just stopped. The one who got stuck somewhere along the way and can’t seem to find their way back. Yip, that’s who Jesus comes looking for!

Luke 15: 4-7 MSG, Jesus taught “Suppose one of you had a hundred sheep and lost one. Wouldn’t you leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the lost one until you found it? When found, you can be sure you would put it across your shoulders, rejoicing, and when you got home call in your friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Celebrate with me! I’ve found my lost sheep!’ Count on it—there’s more joy in heaven over one si...

From where you stand today, you cannot see what God has already done in preparation of your next step. You have no idea of the miracles in motion at this very moment on your behalf. But you can move forward in absolute confidence knowing that God is working specifically for you and he has aligned every detail perfectly.

God not only works here and now, but God works upstream. He works in advance. He works in the things that have yet to come your way. He works so far ahead of you that you cannot possibly fathom his goodness until you’re straight up walking in it.

My sister, when you think God isn’t working, take the next step he is guiding you to and see for yourself how he has in fact been working perfectly.

Have you ever prayed over the house you were to move to next, then have the perfect house come on the market and it becomes yours? Think about all God did before you ever laid eyes on that house to make possible for you. He first had to create an opportunity for the previous owner to move. He promoted them, prompted them, or positioned them to leave so that house would become available for you. All of this happened prior to your need and maybe even before your prayer.

Have you ever had the perfect position come available in your career, and you were somehow aligned to step into it? What you didn’t know is while you were feeling unhappy and discontent where you were before, God was moving some other precious soul onto their next position to open it up for you. You didn’t know it, but God was working far ahead of you.

It’s been happening for you all this time, and you likely don’t recognize it. God, working upstream for you. God, far ahead of you shifting things into alignment for the moment you arrive to an opportunity that will be just perfect for you. Not because you are perfect, but because He is perfect, and he simply loves you beyond belief!

Your perfection is not required to walk in the divine providence of God, just your wonder and awe in the process, as his beloved girl.

I recently heard a sermon from Elevation Church on the miraculous crossing of the Jordan. It’s a story we downsize as ordinary, but this was no ordinary crossing. This was huge. This was a miracle. And this was pre-planned by God for perfect timing. Studying this familiar miracle with fresh eyes has me seeing the hand of God on a whole new level.

Let’s first read the story together. Joshua 3: 5-17 “Joshua told the people, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you.”

Joshua said to the priests, “Take up the ark of the covenant and pass on ahead of the people.” So they took it up and went ahead of them.

And the Lord said to Joshua, “Today I will begin to exalt you in the eyes of all Israel, so they may know that I am with you as I was with Moses. Tell the priests who carry the ark of the covenant: ‘When you reach the edge of the Jordan’s waters, go and stand in the river.’”

Joshua said to the Israelites, “Come here and listen to the words of the Lord your God. This is how you will know that the living God is among you. See, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth will go into the Jordan ahead of you. Now then, choose twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one from each tribe.And as soon as the priests who carry the ark of the Lord set foot in the Jordan, its waters flowing downstream will be cut off and stand up in a heap.”

So when the people broke camp to cross the Jordan, the priests carrying the ark of the covenant went ahead of them. Now the Jordan is at flood stage all during harvest.

Through the Holy Spirit of God, power is available to you and I. Power to do what we alone are not strong enough to do. Power to go far beyond our own limits. Power to know that which we cannot possibly know otherwise.

God’s desire is not for us to struggle our way through this life. If it were, why would Jesus have said in Acts 1:8 “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you.” God’s desire is to supernaturally empower us to be at the right place at the right time, to divinely work within us his will.

Are you powered by the Holy Spirit, or are you overwhelmed by a long list of all you have to do but don’t want to do? Has life become nothing more than a dreaded check list rather than the full life Jesus said he came to give you? Honey, we have to change that starting today! And we can. God is showing us how and it’s actually so simple. It’s as simple as declaring his power over your life, and as you declare it, you will be strengthened by it.

The book of Proverbs includes 19 verses on the power of our tongue, meaning the words we speak.

Chapter 18, verse 21: “The tongue can bring death or life; those who love to talk will reap the consequences.”

Chapter 21, verse 23: “Watch your tongue and keep your mouth shut, and you will stay out of trouble.”

The book of Psalm is also filled with prayers over our words and the power they have in our lives.

Psalm 141:3 “Set a guard over my mouth, LORD; keep watch over the door of my lips.”

Have you been declaring the power of the Holy Spirit over your life, or have you been complaining? Your tongue scoops up everything it speaks of. You’re either scooping up defeat, or your scooping up victory. Scooping up strength, or scooping up weakness. Scooping up anxiety, or scooping up excitement.

So, sister, let me put it this way, if you don’t like what you’ve been scooping up in your life, change what you’re saying. Your tongue has been digging for evidence to support the very words you speak.

Yesterday I told you about that mountaintop worship experience I had on Diamond Head Crater in Oahu with my BIG Life sisters singing “Oceans”. Today, I want to tell you about an encounter I had on the way up the mountain.

There were actually several encounters that stood out, and if you were with me, you’re likely thinking I’m going to tell the story of the encounter that led to excessive gagging. Nope, I’m going to spare everyone from the story of the young man who was clearly having the worst hike of his life as he left a brown trail of his Pepto Bismol moment all through the tunnel and down the stairs. Bless his heart, as bad as it was for us, I know it must have been immeasurably worse for him.

Instead, I want to talk about the encounter with an 88 year old man wearing an “Over the Hill” hat. He was strong and fit, and walking with tremendous purpose as he greeted us with joy. I quickly found he was eager to tell me he hiked this mountain most every morning at sunrise and he had done it over 7,000 times! Do the math, that is every day for over 19 years. Impressed by his age and his accomplishments, I said, “Wow, you have been blessed by God!” His response still has be thinking. He said, “I’m blessed by him every single day. I’m powered by the Holy Spirit.” And with that, he sped down the next set of steps to continue his familiar descent on another days climb.

Every day, this man wakes up knowing he is powered by the Holy Spirit.

Do you ever find yourself listening to a song you’ve heard a hundred times before, yet somehow it hits you different? I happened to me twice this past weekend while at the BIG Life Hawaii Retreat.

I drove the Red Roxy Jeep which was a non-stop dance party everywhere we went. With the top off, the windows down, the music turned all the way up, and an occasional dancer hanging out the top, we were overflowing with joy riding all around the island of Oahu. At one point, everyone in the jeep shared their wedding song. Some of us have been married nearly 30 years and hadn’t heard the song since.

My wedding song was the 1994 “I Swear” by John Michael Montgomery. As an 18 year old girl in love, I sang every word, but I surely couldn’t have understood the words. Now, those words hit different. The line “And when there’s silver in your hair, you won’t have to ask if I still care. ‘Casue as time turns the page, my love won’t age at all.” And now, all these years of marriage later, there’s silver in our hair and I understand more how time turns the page, but love doesn’t age. I look at that hubby of mine with his silver beard, and my love for him is so much deeper than it ever could have been as teenagers getting married in our little country church.

The words of that song hit different with experience.

Now, the second song that hit different this weekend. It’s one we’ve all known since 2013. A song we each seem to have a personal connection and story with. Hillsong’s “Oceans”. I bet you too have a memory tied to this song and every time you hear it, it takes you right back. I’ve written so many devotionals on the words “You call me out upon the waters. The great unknown, where feet may fail. And there I find you in the mystery, in oceans deep, my faith will stand.”

What does this song mean to you? When did you hear it at just the right time? What deep waters did it carry you through?

I remember it playing in my best friend Catina’s hospital room and at her funeral. I remember turning it on for my Daddy in the final hours of his life when the veil between heaven and earth grew so thin and he saw Jesus. And now, I add to the precious and priceless moments I sang this song, in a mountaintop worship experience.

On Sunday morning, we left our retreat house here on the North Shores of Oahu at 4:30 am, and drove to Waikiki to climb the world famous Diamond Head Crater. We climbed as the sun peaked up over the ocean and sent it’s rays of lights through the clouds and across the waters. Then, when all 13 of us were standing on the very top, we sang that familiar song, “Oceans”.

Our voices were loud and powerful and our worship could be heard over the entire mountain. And then the words hit me different. Words I have sang hundreds of times before, but now with time and experience, they mean so much more.

Spirit lead me where my trust is without bordersLet me walk upon the watersWherever You would call meTake me deeper than my feet could ever wanderAnd my faith will be made strongerIn the presence of my Savior

What are the borders on your trust? Where have you drawn lines that say you will trust God with this, but not that? What have you unknowingly set as off limits, declaring as impossible in your own life?

Now, the Spirit of God is leading you to those lines and calling you beyond them. He’s prompting you to walk on waters you have been too afraid to step into. He’s guiding you to an encounter with him that is outside of your borders, into the unknown, the deep,

You have been chosen, hand selected, set apart by the almighty God to do his work. God had his eye on you this entire time, preparing you for a time such as this. A time for you to be who he created you to be. A time for his power and his love to work through you.

Will you rise to the challenge? Will you believe he has chosen you, and will you dare to take the next bold step on your journey knowing he will equip you as you go?

In the first 4 chapters of Exodus we read the beginning story of a man named Moses. This was the man chosen by God to lead an entire nation of people to freedom. A man whom God chose to do miracles through, which we still talk about today. Remember the parting of the red sea, yeah … God did that through Moses.

It’s easy for us to hear about this chosen man and believe he really must have been something special. He must have been so favored, so richly blessed, so talented, to have been chosen for a task such as this. But in reality, Moses was anything but confident. He didn’t know what God had placed within him … and maybe you don’t either. You’re just waking up and going through your days totally unaware of the setup God has been working on for you and in you.

How quickly we dismiss ourselves from being the person God would choose to do something through. We slip back, we hunker down, we play little, assuming God could never do something big through us.

He’ll choose someone born into a more prominent family. He’ll choose someone who doesn’t have the past I have. Someone who hasn’t screwed up as much as me. Someone who has confidence and courage. Someone who doesn’t look like me. Surely there’s someone much more talented than me, and that’s who God will use to do his work and make a difference in this world.

But that’s not how our God works at all.

No, God comes into the most humble of beginnings, the most unlikely of families, cuts through every shortcoming, overcomes every mistake and failure and says YOU ARE THE ONE I HAVE CHOSEN.

Why have you dismissed yourself from the calling of God? There’s nothing in your family history, nothing in your past, not a single shortcoming which you worry about, that has dismissed you from a mighty purpose set apart by God.

YOU ARE NOT A LESS THAN. BECAUSE OF JESUS YOU ARE A MORE THAN … MORE THAN ENOUGH!

Yes, I’m speaking to you single mama struggling to make ends meet.Yes, I’m speaking to you, sister overwhelmed in depression.Yes, I’m speaking to you, college drop out beating yourself up over that mistake.Yes, I’m speaking to you, failed business owner regretting ever trying.Yes, I’m speaking directly to you … you have not been dismissed from the calling of God.

He knows your name and he has chosen YOU. Oh how you are treasured. Oh how you are loved. And oh how you are the perfect vessel for God’s power!

Moses was born into chaos. A hidden pregnancy, an illegal baby put into a basket to float away on the river, then found and adopted by a young Egyptian woman who loved him. He grew up under disguise, unable to reveal who he really was, because who he really was, was an Israelite. Moses was a “less than” among the “better thans”.

Have you ever felt like that? Like you’re somehow less than everyone else and you have to pretend to be somebody you’re not to be accepted. You carry this deep dark secret, fearful if others really knew who you were, they wouldn’t like you.

May I remind you God knows exactly who you are,

Whatever God orders, he pays for. Wherever he has a purpose, he has a plan, and provision for that plan. He sees the end from the beginning and the way has been made for all he desires.

What has he ordered in your life? What has he aligned for you? What did he specially design and equip you for? What seeds did he place within your heart as desires to lead you to fulfill the purpose he has for you?

Remember the scripture we often use to look at God as a genie in a bottle, Psalm 37:4 “God will give you the desires of your heart”, as if his only goal is to just make you happy. Nope, he’s not a genie in a bottle or a wish granter, he’s so much bigger. Don’t put God in that box or bottle. He can’t be contained there.

He is the AUTHOR of your desires. Below the surface level, superficial desires, is the core of what you love, what you’re passionate about, and all the authentic things that make your eyes light up with delight, stir your heart, and light a fire within your soul, those were given to you by God. He has given you the desires of your heart, not as a wish granted, but as a purpose planted.

Understanding who you are, how you’re wired, how you tick and what drives you, is better understanding what God has ordered for your life. It’s how he has paid for his order.

If he ordered a Big Mac, then he would have the 5 bucks to pay for it. Not only that, but he would have provided the two all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions, on a sesame-seed bun.

The point is, God not only pays for what he’s ordered, but he provides for it. You can trust whatever God desires for you in your life he has paid for and provided for. He has equipped you, prepared you and paved the way.

David was born a Shepard boy. The little brother to big brothers much greater than him. But God had ordered more. God’s purpose for David was to be a giant slayer, warrior and a mighty King.

While David was out in his father’s fields caring for the sheep, God had sent Samuel to find the next king of Israel. Samuel, under the direction of God, went to Jesse’s house, knowing he had many sons and one had been chosen. When he met the first son, standing tall and strong, he was sure he had found his guy. He looked like a leader. But God told Samuel “Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7)

Okay, not it. Looked like it, but God said not it. Then he discovers Jesse has one more son, the youngest son, the shepherd boy. The least likely of all, yet God’s chosen. When Samuel saw David, God confirmed “Arise, anoint him; for this is he.” (1 Samuel 16:12)

It doesn’t matter what the world sees, when God says you’re the one, YOU ARE THE ONE. When God says it’s time, IT IS TIME. When God says it will be done, NOTHING WILL STAND IN THE WAY.

All David’s life, God had been preparing him for a greater purpose. Training him to lead and guide. Equipping him with experience and strength. God had orders for David, and he was ready to pay for his order.

God has orders for you too my sister. He has a purpose for you. Right now, at this very moment, you are being equipped. You are being trained for your future position. You may not look like the most likely person, you may not feel like the best pick, but when God says you’re it, YOU ARE IT.

Here’s where we get stuck. We get focused on OUR purpose.

In the book of Exodus God commands Moses to go to Egypt and rescue the Israelites. Moses was like “Okay God, but you know, like what should I say?” Basically Moses is saying, “Yo, I don’t want to look all crazy when I get there.” You know sometimes when you tell people GOD spoke to you, you look a little crazy. So Moses is looking for a sane, reasonable way to explain what he is about to do. And God said to Moses in Exodus 3: 14 – “I am who I am – so you should say “The I AM has sent me.”

Well that helps a lot.

God, is the I AM.

Jesus too referred to himself as the great I AM.

But what in the world does that mean? It just sounds like an incomplete sentence to me. Like a long pause. I am …. and it’s a cliff hanger as you’re waiting for the words to follow. So this morning, we will look at 5 “I am’s” in scripture that tell us exactly who our Mighty God and Sweet Jesus are, and who that makes us.

* I AM the bread of life. This means Jesus will sustain you. He will strengthen you. He will fill you. And I don’t know about you, but I straight up love bread. I’m still searching for the all carb diet. Bring on the bread – I like it all. Sweet bread, buttered bread, garlic bread, cinnamon bread. Bread sticks, bread rolls, sliced bread. Bread just makes everything better. And Jesus is reminding us HE is the bread of life. He wants to make your everything better, and he does!
* Jesus says “I am the door.” Jesus is the way out of the situation you’re in. He is your escape. You can try to beat down the walls, but all you need is the door. And he’s also your way in. He is the door in to the house of rest and refuge. This door says welcome. You belong here. You belong to me. Come inside.* Jesus also says “I am the good Shepard.” Scripture uses the reference of a Shepard and his sheep many times. Let me tell you something about a Shepard, they live WITH their sheep. Now let me tell you something about sheep, they wander off constantly. Sheep are like me in the mall. They never know where they’re going and they can’t find their way back to where they came from. So the shepherd ever so patiently gathers his sheep, calls them to him, and when there is one who is lost, he searches for his sheep. That is our Jesus with us. Oh how we wander. We get ourselves into some messes don’t we? We fail and we get stuck, and here comes our great Shepard, time and time again, to pull us out and put our feet on the ground again. He will never leave us or forsake us.* “I am the vine, you are the branches.” The vine is the source of life to the branches. The branches are connected to and dependent upon the vine. Without Jesus we will wither and die. Connected to him, we receive life. Connected to him, we bear fruit. Good things come in our life as a result of Him. Apart from him, we can do nothing. There is no fruit, no success, no breakthrough, no progress, no good things apart from God. Cut yourself off from God and try to do this thing on your own and you will just be a branch without a vine. A dying, brittle, unproductive, disconnected woman unable to produce anything in life. Uh, yeah, no thanks. I think I’ll stay connected to the Great I Am.* Jesus said “I am the light of the world.” He is the light of YOUR world. You don’t have to live in darkness. Nor do you have to hide things in darkness. He is the light. He not only shows you the way, he MAKES the way. He is your guide. 
Because he is the GREAT I AM. He is the light, he is the vine, he is the good Shepard, he is the door, he is the bread of life … because of who God is, I am…

Who are you because of God?

Could you say – Because of God I am saved. I am blessed. I am whole. I am new. I am confident. I am able. I am strong.

You’ve likely heard of the fruits of the spirit. The 9 things that naturally come in our lives as a result of Jesus dwelling within us: Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Today, I present the fruits of the spirit in a different way through the Message Translation of the Bible. Just a more modern wording for us to consider and apply.

Galatians 5: 22-23 “But what happens when we live God’s way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard—things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely.”

I don’t know about you, but I want ALL OF IT! Yes please, God. I need every bit of what you’re offering here in this scripture. How about you?

It’s like a buffet with all of the best things in life and God says “Girl, whatever you want, it’s all yours when you live my way.” Let me highlight a few of the offering’s on this magnificent all-you-can-eat buffet God has offered.

First, exuberance for life. Exuberance is being full of energy, excitement, and cheerfulness. What is all this energy and excitement over? Just LIFE. Life on this Thursday in the middle of March. I’m sure you’ve met one of those people who is just so darn happy to be alive, well, you can be one of those people! This is what God is offering you. Don’t you want it?

My sister, understand, this means God wants to make you a morning person! Impossible you say? NOTHING is impossible to our God. I’ve seen this happen in women’s lives. Former absolute HATERS of the sunrise now wake up an hour earlier just to get more out of life and savor their new favorite part of the day. You can be excited about waking up every day. You can be full of energy and cheerfulness. Yes, this means you can naturally be in a GOOD MOOD. A good mood can be your default. An exuberance for life is yours when you what …. when you live God’s way.

Another offering on the buffet of life set before you today is serenity. Sweet serenity, this means you can be calm. You can be filled with peace in a less than perfect situation. You don’t have to flip the heck out over anything. You don’t have to jump to worst case scenario. You don’t have to play out the 10 possible negative scenarios in your head to be prepared for what COULD happen. Nope, you can be completely calm. You can control your emotions and not be agitated, irritated or stressed out. Anxiety and depression are replaced by a reassuring sense of calm. Serenity is yours when you what … when you live God’s way.

This scripture also says we develop a willingness to stick with things. Well holy schamolly did you hear that girls? God is offering you willpower. He is offering you the ability to finish what you start. Who needs to grab ahold of that and run with it? Who will take a double helping of willpower today? How different would your world be this year if you could stick with things? Imagine the goals you could accomplish if you were a gal who naturally had a willingness to stick with things. Goal weight – check. Debt free – check. Beautifully clean house – check. Are you getting excited yet sister? A willingness to stick with things is yours when you what … when you live God’s way.

And finally I want to highlight one last gift God offers in this scripture. We find ourselves not needing to force our way in life. How many of you feel exhausted because you have to fight your way...

Are you currently facing something in your life that seems ridiculous? Ridiculously hard. Ridiculously impossible. Your solution will likely seem ridiculous as well. Perhaps what God is asking you to do will make NO SENSE. Will you be obedient and do it even when you don’t understand?

God may have been prompting you to do something, but because it doesn’t make sense to you, you’ve been dismissing it. You’re trying to understand it, when God simply wants you to trust it. You’re trying to reason with the ridiculous, when God wants you to run with the ridiculous.

Joshua chapter 6 tells us the story of the Battle of Jericho. (verses 2-5)

“But the Lord said to Joshua, “I have given you Jericho … You and your fighting men should march around the town once a day for six days. Seven priests will walk ahead of the Ark, each carrying a ram’s horn. On the seventh day you are to march around the town seven times, with the priests blowing the horns. When you hear the priests give one long blast on the rams’ horns, have all the people shout as loud as they can. Then the walls of the town will collapse, and the people can charge straight into the town.”

Let’s be real clear here… THIS MAKES ABSOLUTELY NO SENSE.

Joshua led an army of men. Can you imagine how foolish he looked gathering up his troops and saying, “Alrighty boys, here’s our battle plan. We’re going to take this city of Jericho that’s all walled up and impossible to get into by a brilliant plan. Listen up everybody, we’re going to march around the wall. And then, then we’re going to blow some horns and we’re going to yell like real loud with our big manly voices, and then … then those walls are gong to fall down and we’re going to walk right in.”

Talk about looking like a fool.

The city of Jericho was a total of about 6 acres. It was completely protected by a a stone wall 11 feet high and 14 feet wide. At its top was a smooth stone slope, angling upward at 35 degrees for 35 feet, where it joined massive stone walls that towered even higher. It was virtually impossible to penetrate. No one was breaking through those walls. No one was climbing over those walls.

But Joshua had faith strong enough to look like a fool and believe that God would do the impossible if he didn’t give up.

What is your Jericho? What is it that you desperately want in life that seems to be walled up and absolutely untouchable? What are you about to give up on because it now seems ridiculous?

What if God has already given this to you? He’s already declared this will happen for you, but the way there is going to be ridiculous. It will not make sense to you. It will be unlike anything you could have come up with on your own. Others will not understand your journey.

Let me tell you something about the Jericho’s in your life … the process can make you crazy. What seems like should work, doesn’t work. What seems like a reasonable amount of time isn’t enough. And so we get frustrated and we give up. We give up on the dream. We give up on the goal. Because darn it, the walls are too high and too thick and it seems impossible.

Who am I talking to today? Who has been trying everything they know to do? Who’s frustrated over the process? Who’s looking at a huge stone wall in front of them, blocking them from moving forward?

Gather around, God has a message for you today. REMEMBER WHERE YOU’RE GOING. The very thing which you want. The thing you have prayed for. The thing you’re working so hard for … it’s just on the other side and all you have to do is keep the faith and keep marching.