By Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go (Joshua 1:9)
And the Lord said to Joshua, “This day I will begin to exalt you in the sight of Israel, that they may know that as I was with Moses, so shall I be with you (Joshua 1:9)
Our son is almost four years older than our daughter. This age difference made for interesting times as Craig became old enough to play youth league sports and do other things that Karen was not old enough to do.
Soccer games really brought this to the forefront. Craig would be ready to play; Karen wanted to play, too. Her famous words were “Me too”. In fact, I started calling her Karen “Me Too” Snyder. In reality, she was afraid of being left out. She didn’t understand that her time would come to do things her brother was doing.
In scripture, we find that Joshua’s time had come. He had seen God part the Red Sea, provide food and water, and defeat enemies under the leadership of Moses. Joshua knew God had been with Moses; Joshua would now know that God was with him. His moment had come!
All of us need that moment — the moment there is no denying that God is with us. The good news is we all can have it.
At times, we see other people being blessed and even used by God to do His work. We feel that our time will never come because that only happens for certain people. However, Acts 10:34 tells us God is not respecter of people. If he will bless one, he will bless the other. If he will use one, He will use the other in some way to do His work on the earth. The words of Romans 10:12 affirm this fact. “For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.”
God is not looking for extraordinary people. He is looking for ordinary people to do extraordinary things through. We provide the vessels; He provides the power and wisdom to get things done. Remember these biblical examples:
When God needed a king, he called David, the shepherd boy.
When God needed someone to save the Jewish people, Esther stood before the king.
When God needed a forerunner for Jesus, John the Baptist was the voice crying in the wilderness.
God wants us to have a Joshua moment — “As I have been with others, so I will be with you.”
Have you had your Joshua moment?
Dave Snyder is an Ordained Bishop with the Church of God – Cleveland, Tennessee. Before entering the ministry on a full-time basis, he was a school teacher. He also coached middle school basketball for eight years.
Dave and his wife, Sara, have two children — Craig and Karen. They also have one ten year old granddaughter — Breanna.
Dave and Sara pastored in West Virginia for thirty-six years. Sara is now retired from the banking industry, and Dave is retired from pastoring. However, Dave currently serves as prison Chaplain for the West Virginia Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation.
Writing essays, articles, and devotionals is a real passion for Dave. He also enjoys playing musical instruments and singing.
by leaps and bounds 