Strength and Encouragement Courtesy of Yoda

Courtesy of freeimages.com

I struggle with people-pleasing and caring too much what people think (among the many other issues I deal with. I know, I’m in process.). 

One cause of this is that I'm petite. Everyone is bigger than me. They can outrun me AND beat me up. Staying on peoples' good side is necessary for my survival, but over the years it's gotten out of hand. 

Overcoming and moving on from these issues has become a major theme for me. When I'm afraid or heartbroken or weary I look for the strength to stand.

I’ve been looking for quite a while. I'm still looking.

I realize now that I've had it backward.

First I have to stand, then I have to trust that the strength will be there when I take a step. 

I need to fake it ‘til I make it. I need to think strong because “as a man thinks in his heart, so he is.”  (Prov 23:7 KJV)

I need to take a lesson from Yoda -- Do or Do Not. There Is No Try. 

God said something similar when Israel was on the brink of conquering the Promised Land (this was the second time. They were too stupid/fearful/weak to learn the first time. Yay for second chances). Eight times Joshua and/or Israel were told,  "Be strong and courageous." Sounds like they needed as much en-courage-ment as I do.

God didn't command them, "Try to be strong and courageous." He didn't tell them, "Think about being strong and courageous."  He said to BE strong and courageous. If He commanded it, it must be possible.

I’m not going to try strong. I’m going to Do. 

And when I fail, as I surely will, there will be a second chance to move forward. 

Debbie All New, Not All New Debbie

Spring Crocus 1 by jtuhtan from freeimages.com

In my newsfeed today something was said about God making all things new. That reminded me of the phrase I’ve heard and shared before, “He is making all things new, not making all new things.” I’ve heard that from a few sources but always in reference to Revelation and the new heaven and new earth, to creation.

I got a new take on that today.  It also applies to us, to human beings, as His beloved creation. He makes US new.  

Just as He isn’t going to destroy the earth and start over, He isn’t going to destroy His people and start over.

He almost did once. In Numbers 14 God is so fed up with Israel’s whining and lack of faith, after all He has done for them and saved them from, that He tells Moses He will wipe them all out and start a brand new nation through Moses. Thankfully, Moses talks God out of it (did you know we can change God’s mind? How cool is that?).

That’s the only time I can recall Him saying He is going to do that. Everything else I can recall has to do with renewing, redeeming, restoring. There is always a remnant of some sort -- some section of the nation of Israel, some section of creation, some section of US -- that He reserves.

He doesn’t ever say, “Okay, that’s it. I am SO DONE with Debbie. She has gone too far and is too far gone for Me to help. She has sinned too much and too often. This time I. HAVE. HAD. ENOUGH. I give up. I’m throwing her away, destroying her, and starting over with a brand new Debbie.”  

Thank You, God!

What He does say is that He will never leave us, never forsake us (Joshua 1:5, Hebrews 13:5, Deut 31:6). He will be with us always, even to the end of the age (Matt 28:20).  David asks where he can flee from God’s presence and the answer is that he can’t (Psalm 139). His very name, Emmanuel, means WITH. God WITH us (Matt 1:23).

God said all of those things, made all of those promises, thousands of years ago and guess what? He’s still here with us.

Being as I screw up a lot and sin even more than a lot, I’m beyond grateful.