Tag Archives: faith

1 Peter 1:20-25

Recap: 1 Peter 1:18-19

For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.

1 Peter 1:20-21 – Putting our hope in Jesus

Verse 20
He was chosen before the creation of the world
but was revealed in these last times for your sake

Through him all things were made.
      For us and for our salvation
           he came down from heaven;
           he became incarnate by the Holy Spirit and the virgin Mary,
           and was made human.  (The Nicene Creed, 325/381/459 AD) 

Verse 21
Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him
  • When you believe in Jesus as Lord, you are believing in the One who sent him. John 12:44.
  • jesus’ claims were vindicated by the Father when He raised Jesus from the dead. Acts 17:31
and so your faith and hope are in God
  • Believing in Jesus is believing in God

1 Peter 1:22-23 – Sincere, earnest, heartfelt love

Verse 22
Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth
  • God’s truth has a sanctifying effect on us. It changes us. John 17:17
so that you have sincere love for each other
  • Obedience to God’s truth should cause us to love one another. John 13:34-35.
love one another deeply, from the heart
  • This love should be heartfelt and earnest, not shallow and fleeting.  Jesus’ love for us was sacrificial.
Verse 23
For you have been born again 
  • Our ability to love sacrificially does not come from ourselves. It is the fruit of being born again, born from above. John 3:3
not of perishable seed, but of imperishable
through the living and enduring word of God

1 Peter 1:24-25 – the enduring word of God

All people are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field
the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord endures forever.
  • God’s word is reliable. Everything in this age is temporary, but God’s word is permanent. Matthew 7:24-25
And this is the word that was preached to you
  • The preached word has its source in the eternal, enduring word.

Reflection

  • Do you truly believe that Jesus was revealed for your sake?  How does this conviction affect your life?
  • Where does love come from? If we realize that we need to grow in love, what can we do about it?
  • What difference does it make that God’s word is eternal?

 

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1 Peter 1:13-19

1 Peter 1:13-16

Verse 13
Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober
  • We are not called to be escapists
set your hope 
  • We are called to a hope that is active.
  • We choose what to hope in
on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming
  • the word grace (Greek charis) can also be translated favour or kindness
  • for the ungodly, the day of the Lord will be a day of deep gloom (Zephaniah 1:15, Isaiah 2:17-18, 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11)
  • for genuine believers, the day of the Lord will be a day of great joy, a day when God shows us His favour
Verse 14
As obedient children
  • What is the mindset or attitude of a truly obedient child?
do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance
  • Desire is not a bad thing. To avoid evil desires we need to cultivate good ones.
  • Philippians 4:8-9

Verse 15-16

be holy in all you do
  • What does it mean to be holy?
Be holy, because I am holy
  • What happens to you when you are in relationship with a holy God?
  • What happens to you if you ignore His promptings to holiness?
  • Can you have fellowship with a holy God and continue to live an unholy, rebellious life?

Verses 17-19

Verse 17
a Father who judges each person’s work impartially
  • Does God miss anything?
  • Does His mercy mean that he turns a blind eye to rebellion?
live out your time as foreigners here
  • In what sense are we foreigners in this present world?
in reverent fear

The Greek simply says in fear. “Reverent” is an interpretive word added in the NIV.

  • What is the fear of the Lord?
  • Why is it the beginning of wisdom? (Proverbs 9:10)
  • Isaiah 11:2-3 says that the Messiah would delight in the fear of the Lord. Does this surprise you? Does it alter your picture of Jesus?
Verse 18
not with perishable things
  • the opposite of a perishable thing is an eternal or incorruptible thing
  • it takes something of eternal value to prepare a place for us in an eternal Kingdom
you were redeemed
the empty way of life handed down to you

empty : The Greek can also be translated vain, useless or worthless

  • Why are these fitting words to describe a life without God?
Verse 19
but with the precious blood of Christ
  • Does God value all human life (all human blood)?
  • Can anyone else’s blood redeem you from eternal punishment? (Psalm 49:7-8)
  • Is Jesus’ blood more precious than anyone else’s blood?
a lamb without blemish or defect
Reflection

Let’s thank Jesus for His sacrifice for us.

 

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1 Peter 1:6-9

1 Peter 1:1-5 Recap

In his opening greeting (vs 1-2), the apostle shines a spotlight on the privileged status of the first believers. Although they are a persecuted minority, exiles from a dying age, he reminds them that they are chosen by God, that God knew them from the beginning, that they are destined to become like Jesus, set apart by the Spirit and by the shed blood of the Lamb.

Then the apostle launches into prayer. He begins (vs 3-5) by thanking God for the living hope that He has bestowed on believers, and for the inheritance to which we can look forward.

Today we listen in as Peter continues to pray.

1 Peter 1:6-9

Verse 6
In all this you greatly rejoice
  • Rejoice translates a Greek word that originally meant to leap much or to leap greatly,
    much like our English expression jumping for joy.
  • In all this  : in what? What was the reason for all this rejoicing when their lives were so hard?

We rejoice in our hope of sharing in the glory of God (Romans 5:2). This is a living, vibrant hope, as we look forward to an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade.

though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.
  • for a little while :  Suffering is temporary. Our inheritance is eternal.

The Greek wording suggests that suffering in this age is inevitable and even necessary. The ESV translation of verse 6 brings out this thought more clearly.

  • Why might suffering be necessary from God’s point of view? What reasons can you think of?
Verse 7
the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire

Peter then goes on to use the analogy of refining gold in a fire, which suggests one reason why suffering is necessary. He says that It purifies and tests our faith.

  • How does suffering purify our faith?
  • Why is our faith more precious than gold?
  • What does fire accomplish in the process of refining gold?
may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 
  • What will be the end result for those who submit to this fiery process of refinement?
Verse 8
Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him
  • See John 20:29
  • How can you love someone you have never seen?
and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy
  • have you ever felt anything so strongly that you could find no words to express it?
  • have you tasted what the KJV describes as joy unspeakable and full of glory?

Verse 9

for you are receiving the end result [outcome] of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
  • see 2 Corinthians 5:1-5
  • What event are Peter and Paul referring to?
  • How can Peter say that we are receiving (present tense) this future event?
Reflection
  • How real is the hope of resurrection to you?
  • Does that hope bring you great joy?
  • How can you increase the level of resurrection hope in your life?
  • See Psalm 16:11

 

 

 

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John 6:30-51

Jesus the Bread of Life
vs 30-34 The True Bread from Heaven

So they said to him, “Then what sign do you do, that we may see and believe you? What work do you perform? Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.'” Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” They said to him, “Sir, give us this bread always.”

vs 31 – what sign do you do? 

  • What sign had they just seen the previous day? (see vs 5-14)
  • Why do you think they asked Jesus for another sign? (see vs 26-27)
  • See also Matthew 12:38-45

vs 34 – give us this bread always

  • Do you think they understood what Jesus meant by bread from heaven?
  • See John 4:13-15
vs 35-40  The Bread of Life

Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”

vs 38 – not to do my own will

  • whose will did Jesus come to do? What motivated him? See John 4:31-34
  • what does he tell us here about the will of the Father?
  • why does the Father want to raise people to eternal life through Jesus?
    See John 17:22-24 , Ephesians 1:7-10
vs 41-51 Drawn to Jesus by the Father

So the Jews grumbled about him, because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” They said, “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How does he now say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?” Jesus answered them, “Do not grumble among yourselves. No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day. It is written in the Prophets, ‘And they will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me — not that anyone has seen the Father except he who is from God; he has seen the Father. Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”

vs 42 – Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph?

  • See Mark 6:3-4
  • Why did the crowd not believe Jesus when he spoke of coming down from heaven?

vs 44 – No-one can come to me unless the Father … draws him

  • Where does faith come from?

vs 47 – Whoever believes has eternal life

  • What is the connection between faith and receiving miracles of healing?
    See Mark 6:5-6, Matthew 9:27-30
  • What is the connection between faith and receiving eternal life?

vs 51 – the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh

Reflection
  • Was the miracle of the loaves a blessing?
  • Did the people who saw it miss the point?
  • What does Jesus most want to give us?
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John 4:43-54

Jesus returns to Galilee and heals a court official’s son

vs 43-45 – Return to Galilee from Judea

After the two days he departed for Galilee. (For Jesus himself had testified that a prophet has no honor in his own hometown.) So when he came to Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him, having seen all that he had done in Jerusalem at the feast. For they too had gone to the feast.

  • the two days (vs 43) – the extra two days that he had spent in Sychar at the request of the Samaritans.  See vs 40.
  • departed for Galilee (vs 43) – see vs 1-3.  The visit to the Samaritans happened while Jesus was on the way from Judea to Galilee.
  • a prophet has no honor in his own hometown (vs 44) – see Matthew 13:57, Mark 6:4, Luke 4.24
  • the Galileans welcomed him, having seen all that he had done in Jerusalem (vs 45) – is it possible to “love” Jesus’ miracles and yet not love or honor Jesus himself?
vs 46-48 – a court official asks Jesus to heal his son

So he came again to Cana in Galilee, where he had made the water wine. And at Capernaum there was an official whose son was ill. When this man heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went to him and asked him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death. So Jesus said to him, “Unless you [people] see signs and wonders you will not believe.”

  • Cana … Capernaum (vs 46) – these two towns were about 25 km apart. Cana was about 100 meters above sea level, situated on a limestone outcropping. Capernaum was on the shores of Lake Gennesaret (Sea of Galilee), about 200 meters below sea level.
  • official (vs 46) – probably attached to the court of Herod Antipas.
  • this man heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee  (vs 47) – Evidently Jesus had become known as a healer and teacher.
  • he went to him and asked him to come down and heal his son (vs 47) – they didn’t have cars. This was a journey of several hours. They were in hilly terrain, probably travelling on foot,
  • Unless you [people] see signs and wonders you will not believe (vs 48) – Galileans in general, not just this man. Still, Jesus seemed to be putting him off. Why did he do this?
  • signs and wonders – why does God grant them? Should we seek them? Is it better to believe without signs? What does the Word say about this?  In Matthew 8:13 Jesus praises the centurion who believed before receiving a miracle, then grants him a miracle. What does this tell us? In Matthew 9:35-38 it seems evident that healing miracles done by Jesus were a major part of his ministry, yet in Matthew 12:38-39 he rebukes the scribes and Pharisees for asking for yet another sign. In Acts 2:42-47 it seems evident that signs done by the apostles played a part in the great numbers of people who were being saved. Again, what does this tell us?

vs 49-51

The official said to him, “Sir, come down before my child dies.” Jesus said to him, “Go; your son will live.” The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and went on his way.
As he was going down, his servants met him and told him that his son was recovering.

  • Sir, come down before my child dies … Go; your son will live. (vs 49-50)  – the man pleads with Jesus and Jesus grants him a miracle. What other story does this remind you of? By telling him to go home, what is Jesus asking of this man?
  • The man believed … and went on his way …. As he was going down, his servants met him and told him that his son was recovering (vs 50-51) What does this show us about God’s ways of dealing with us?

vs 52-54

So he asked them the hour when he began to get better, and they said to him, “Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him.”  The father knew that was the hour when Jesus had said to him, “Your son will live.” And he himself believed, and all his household. This was now the second sign that Jesus did when he had come from Judea to Galilee.

John 2-11 is sometimes referred to by scholars as the Book of Signs, whereas John 12-20 is called the Book of Glory. John lists only seven signs (miracles) of Jesus but each one has special significance.

  • he asked them the hour … The father knew that this was the hour (vs 52-53)  – Why is this significant? Why does John mention it?
  • he himself believed, and all his household (vs 53) – the goal of John’s gospel.  See John 20:30-31
  • the second sign (vs 54) – what was the first? what are signs to John and why are they important?
  • Note that Jesus’ prophetic word to the Samaritan woman, although clearly of heavenly origin (a work of the Spirit) and having great power to change her life, is not called a sign by John. He uses this term to refer to physical miracles, and selects seven (of a much larger number – see John 20:30) to highlight key aspects of Jesus’ identity and ministry.

Reflection

  • What is God saying to us through this miracle story?
  • Do you need signs to bolster your faith?
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John 2:14-17 – Jesus’ fiery passion for his Father’s house

Jesus’ zeal for his Father’s house

Luke 2:46-50

After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers. And when his parents saw him, they were astonished. And his mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us so? Behold, your father and I have been searching for you in great distress.” And he said to them, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” And they did not understand the saying that he spoke to them.

John 2:14-17

In the temple he found those who were selling oxen and sheep and pigeons, and the money-changers sitting there. And making a whip of cords, he drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and oxen. And he poured out the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables. And he told those who sold the pigeons, “Take these things away; do not make my Father’s house a house of trade.” His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal [hot emotion] for your house will consume me.”  (See Psalm 69:9)

  • What was Jesus so passionate about?
  • What did the Temple mean to him?
  • Why did he call it his Father’s house?
  • Jesus’ parents were devout Israelites. Why did they not understand this?

A house of prayer for all nations

Mark 11:17

And he was teaching them and saying to them, “Is it not written,
‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations’?
But you have made it a den of robbers.” 

Isaiah 56:6-7

And the foreigners who join themselves to the LORD [YHVH],
to minister to him, to love the name of the LORD [YHVH],
and to be his servants,
everyone who keeps the Sabbath and does not profane it,
and holds fast my covenant—
these I will bring to my holy mountain,
and make them joyful in my house of prayer;
their burnt offerings and their sacrifices
will be accepted on my altar;
for my house shall be called a house of prayer
for all peoples.

  • What emotion is attached to the promise of God in this prophetic declaration?
  • What do you think Jesus desired to see happening in the Temple?
  • What does God’s name have to do with it? (Hint : What is His name and what does it mean?)

We are the House of God

Ephesians 2:11-22

Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called “the uncircumcision” by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands — remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.

John 17:20-26 (Jesus’ prayer for us)

My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one—I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world. Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.

If we are the House (Temple) of God, then we are – in Jesus’ words – “his Father’s house”. We are holy, different from the world. We are the dwelling place of God. It’s a mystery – the God of the Universe, the Holy One, has drawn near to us and made a way for us to draw near to Him and live in His presence. He has come to us so that we can come to Him and find our home in Him. Jesus wants us to be with Him in the presence of the Father. The God of the Universe – the Holy One – the great I Am – desires intimacy with us and wants to be a Father (Abba) to us. Amazing!

  • In your experience, do most Christians understand this?
  • Do you?
  • Do you want greater intimacy with the Holy One?

For further reflection

Hebrews 3:1-19 – We are His house

Hebrews 4:1-10 – Entering into Sabbath rest by faith

Colossians 2:8-17 – It’s not about a day on a calendar

 

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1 John 5:13-17

I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life. And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us.
And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.
If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he shall ask, and God will give him life—to those who commit sins that do not lead to death. There is sin that leads to death; I do not say that one should pray for that. All wrongdoing is sin, but there is sin that does not lead to death.

vs 13

  • Why is it important to know (have assurance) that we have eternal life?
  • How does this knowledge affect the way you live?

vs 14-15

  • What topic does John immediately turn to after he talks about this assurance?
  • What does this tell you about God’s priorities for your life?
  • When John says “if we ask anything according to his will he hears us”, what does he have in mind?
  • What is God’s will for us?

1 Thessalonians 4:3

Philippians 2:15

Matthew 5:14-16

  • What is God’s will for others?

1 Timothy 2:4

Vs 16
If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he shall ask, and God will give him life—to those who commit sins that do not lead to death. There is sin that leads to death; I do not say that one should pray for that.

God will give him life – means that God will give repentance (Acts 11:18)

  • Who are you praying for who is in need of repentance?
  • Do you have assurance that God is answering?
  • What is the sin that leads to death? (Bible Answers, Matthew 12:31)

Note that John does not say you shouldn’t pray for those who have committed this sin. He leaves it up to the individual conscience.

  • Are you praying for someone who has committed the sin that leads to death?
  • How do you pray for them?
  • What has Holy Spirit shown you about this?
  • What does God’s word and the example of Jesus say about it?

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1 John 5:1-5

Love is not an option

ESV

Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

Discussion Notes

Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God,
and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him. 

In this verse,

  • What does “believe” mean?
  • What does “born of God” mean?
  • Why is it true that if you love the Father you will love his children?

By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments.

To grasp what John is really saying here, check out John 14:15 and John 15:14.

Love is not always easy. If you find some of God’s children difficult to love, consider this.

  • We are saved by grace. But when we are saved, the first and most important evidence of our salvation is that we love God, which is impossible for us to do without His grace.
  • If we love him we will want to please him.
  • In John 14:15 and John 15:14, Jesus says that real love results in obedience
  • God commands us to love His children, who are our brothers and sisters
  • If you love God, you will learn to love His children
    (and He will help you – see next verse)

And his commandments are not burdensome. For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.

Let’s assume that John is talking about only two (or three, or four) commandments.

  • Love God with your whole being – with everything in you
    (heart, soul, mind, strength)
  • Love your neighbour as yourself
  • Love your brother/sister as Jesus has loved you
  • Love your enemies

Do you find these commandments easy or hard to keep?

  • If they are hard to keep, why is this? (See 1 John 2:15-17)
  • If they are easy to keep, why is this? (See 1 John 5:4)
  • Can both these things be true at the same time?
  • Which way do you want it to be in your life?

Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

  • What is the essence of “the world” according to 1 John 2:15-17?
  • How does believing in Jesus – the Son of God – help you to overcome pride and self-preoccupation?

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Lessons from the Battlefield

The Israelites were not happy campers.  In spite of a miraculous early morning escape from Egypt, and a dramatic miracle at the Red Sea when God delivered them from the power of the Egyptian army, their focus was still on survival, not victory.  They had rejoiced when God led them out of Egypt with displays of great power, but many of them still thought and acted like the downtrodden slaves that they had been all their lives.  They had some  serious doubts about this trip across the desert to a Promised Land that they had never seen, but only heard about from God’s servant Moses – a land that God had reportedly long ago given to their ancestor Abraham and his descendants, but that no Israelite had seen for over 400 years.

Suddenly, with no warning or provocation, they were attacked by the Amalekites — a hostile tribe bent on their destruction (read the full account here).   Not only that, Moses – who had been Israel’s leader in all their dealings with the Egyptians, confronting Pharaoh on their behalf  over and over again, and holding back the waters of the Red Sea with his staff so that the Israelites could cross in safety – was not going to lead the troops into this battle.  Instead, he had chosen a young, untested leader by the name of Joshua for this task.

If I were Joshua, I might have had mixed feelings about this assignment.  True, it was an honour to be chosen by the great man Moses as his personal assistant – but to be Israel’s military commander was another story.  The troops were untrained, inclined to grumble, and had never fought a battle.  Only a few weeks previously, they had all been slaves.  For generations they had been beaten down by the Egyptians, and this had shaped their perspective on life.  From the later account of the spies who were sent into the Promised Land (Numbers 13-14), we know most of that generation were timid, fearful, and doubleminded.

Joshua, however, was a fighter, a man of courage.  This is the first time he shows up in the narrative, but as we follow him through the pages of Scripture we discover that he was not one to shrink from a challenge.  He took up the mantle of leadership and won the battle, and because of his heroic exploits the Israelites were delivered.

It wasn’t just Joshua’s military prowess that made him a hero.  No doubt he was a courageous man and a good fighter – but more than this, he was a man of God who had counted the cost and placed his trust firmly in the God of Israel.  In the obedience of faith he chose to step onto the battlefield, lead Israel’s untested troops, and face the enemy.  In the obedience of faith he chose to pick up his sword, raise his voice, and lead the charge.  The reason he is a hero is not just because he did these things, but because he did them in faith, not looking only to himself and his own ability, but looking to the One who is invisible.   That’s why we remember Joshua – because he was victorious not only on the military battlefield with the Amalekites, but on the spiritual battlefield of faith.  His confidence was not in himself but in his God and his people’s God.

A factor that we sometimes overlook is that Joshua not only had God on his side, he also had the backing of a trusted spiritual father.  When Moses recruited Joshua to fight this battle, he didn’t just turn the battle over to his young assistant, he backed him up by praying for him – not from a distance but in full sight of Joshua and the army.  For the duration of the battle he stood on a hillside in full view and lifted his hands in prayer to God, and this prayer support was crucial to the victory.  Scripture records that as long as Moses had his hands raised in prayer, Israel prevailed in the battle, but when he grew tired and lowered his hands, they began to falter and it looked as though they would be defeated.   So we see that it wasn’t just Joshua, the young leader, who needed human support as well as support from God.  Even the great man Moses needed others to assist him, to strengthen him, to hold up his arms in prayer so that he in turn could hold Joshua up before the Lord, and the battle would be won, and no Israelite would ever think that they had won this battle by themselves.

God’s people are in a war with Satan’s kingdom, and this battle will continue until Jesus returns in power and glory.  While the ultimate victory is assured, our actions make a big difference in the sphere that God has assigned to us.  This little gem of a story reminds us of several key insights that can help us in the daily battles of faith – little and big.

  • When the odds seem impossible, we need to put our trust in God, offering Him our resources but placing our trust in what only He can supply.
  • Our faith needs to be active, not passive.  Faith without active obedience is not faith at all.  (See Spiritually Aggressive Christians in my other blog)
  • Joshua was a man with a vision, and his allegiance was undivided.  He was committed to seeing the Israelites cross the desert and enter the Promised Land as God had promised them.  He was committed to fighting the Lord’s battles.  He knew his allegiance before the battle began.  Godly vision and an undivided heart keep us motivated.
  • Spiritual fathers and mothers need to uphold, encourage, pray for and believe in young leaders.
  • Young leaders need to rely on the protection, encouragement, counsel and prayer support that spiritual fathers and mothers can provide for them.
  • Even leaders of leaders (like Moses in this story) need support.  No-one in the Body of Christ is meant to be independent.  We all need others to cover our weaknesses; every member needs to be linked to others in relationships of support and accountability.
  • When a leader (or anyone, for that matter) has an area of weakness, the rest of us are called not to undermine, but to step in and support and help the leader succeed.  The person with the weakness needs to be gracious and humble enough to accept this and know that it is for the ultimate good of all.  Since the glory is God’s, not ours, and since we all have areas of weakness and we are all saved by God’s mercy and not our own goodness, none of us has a point to prove anyway, so this should be no big deal.
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