He Goes Before

"Listen, O Israel!  Today you are about to cross the Jordan River to take over the land belonging to nations MUCH greater and more powerful than you.  They live in cities with walls that reach to the sky!  The people are strong and tall - descendants of the famous Anakite giants.  You've heard the saying, 'Who can stand up to the Anakites?'  But recognize today that the Lord YOUR God is the one who will cross over AHEAD of you like a devouring fire to destroy them.  HE will subdue them so that you will quickly conquer them and drive them out, just as the Lord has promised."  Deuteronomy 9:1-3

Sorry my friends.  It is late, but my mind is racing.  My heart is beating fast.  I am overflowing with joy, and this passage, it is speaking powerfully to me.  Who shares from Deuteronomy, seriously?  :)

Long and many stories recently, but it boils down to this.  The Lord is stirring in us a deep desire for the things of Him and a deep passion to dive into Kingdom work that may be far beyond what we ever asked or imagined.  As we dream and pray and seek the places to put our feet, the places to get involved in locally and globally, of course in the back of your mind there are road blocks.  Finances or logistics, questions... you know, the norm.

But isn't this an encouragement!  Here is Israel, and the Lord is telling them they are going to conquer a nation that is HUGE compared to them.  People that are giants, people that others speak of as the "unconquerable".  Frightening stuff.  Yet, the Lord tells them HE is going to go before them.  He has already decided the outcome, and He is going to go before.  He's going to clear the road blocks and pave the way for that which He has promised them.  In human eyes, SO impossible.  SO scary.  In God's eyes, nothing.  :)  It is nothing to Him.

I am (once again) amazed that HE goes before us.  That what He has and is and will call us to, HE will be the one to pave the way.  We shall fret no more.  If He calls us, He will equip us and He will pave the way.  Oh how sweet to lean into and trust His going before us!  Tis so sweet to trust Him, to follow Him to wherever He wants to use us.

Here we are, Lord, send and use us.