Thursday, August 17 – Joshua 1:16-17

They answered Joshua, saying, “All that you have commanded us we will do, and wherever you send us we will go. Just as we obeyed Moses in all things, so we will obey you; only may the Lord your God be with you as He was with Moses.”

What is your attitude when receiving instructions? If we respect the leader, we likely take the instruction well. If we think another way will be better, we may try our methods instead of the ones given to us. If we don’t respect our leader, we may address our issues before the job has even begun. The truth is, following leadership is usually necessary to complete a goal. If every person on a construction site did everything his or her own way, the job would never be complete. The walls would not be square, lights would be positioned in odd places, and the goal would never be reached. Working together requires a unified vision and direction for the process to go smoothly. The people of God were unified, not only with the agreement to follow God’s commands but also the desire for God to be among them during the process.

What would it look like to desire God’s presence in all we do in our lives? This submission to God would unify our churches, our families, our friendships, and it would anchor us to the eternal purpose we have in Him. We are called to daily surrender, a daily decision to follow God’s plans over our own, to respond to others in a way that reflects His heart, and to prioritize sharing His grace and mercy. When we are practicing daily surrender to Christ, we will lead people to the source of life they truly need. Our ministry will start to look a lot less like us and a lot more like Him, representing His love and compassion for all people. May we be followers of Christ who that take on lives of surrender, truly doing all He has commanded us to do and going wherever He wants us to go each day.

• Where are you currently having a hard time surrendering to God?
• Who is a leader that has shown you how to surrender to God? How might you encourage this person today?
• Pray and surrender to God the things you have been carrying yourself.

What is your attitude when receiving instructions? If we respect the leader, we likely take the instruction well. If we think another way will be better, we may try our methods instead of the ones given to us. If we don’t respect our leader, we may address our issues before the job has even begun. The truth is, following leadership is usually necessary to complete a goal. If every person on a construction site did everything his or her own way, the job would never be complete. The walls would not be square, lights would be positioned in odd places, and the goal would never be reached. Working together requires a unified vision and direction for the process to go smoothly. The people of God were unified, not only with the agreement to follow God’s commands but also the desire for God to be among them during the process.

What would it look like to desire God’s presence in all we do in our lives? This submission to God would unify our churches, our families, our friendships, and it would anchor us to the eternal purpose we have in Him. We are called to daily surrender, a daily decision to follow God’s plans over our own, to respond to others in a way that reflects His heart, and to prioritize sharing His grace and mercy. When we are practicing daily surrender to Christ, we will lead people to the source of life they truly need. Our ministry will start to look a lot less like us and a lot more like Him, representing His love and compassion for all people. May we be followers of Christ who that take on lives of surrender, truly doing all He has commanded us to do and going wherever He wants us to go each day.

• Where are you currently having a hard time surrendering to God?
• Who is a leader that has shown you how to surrender to God? How might you encourage this person today?
• Pray and surrender to God the things you have been carrying yourself.