Recap:
Week 1: Adam Hides. God Searches.
Week 2: Humanity Falls. God Provides A Way Through The Storm.
Week 3: God pursuing a people, so that through those people, He can rescue the world.
Week 4: God’s pursuit continues, in the unexpected and even into the pit.
Week 5: God’s pursuit of humanity is to free, not just to find.
Week 6: God not only brings you out, He will bring you through
Week 7: God pursues us because He is faithful to His promises.
Joshua 21:45, “Not a single one of all the good promises the Lord had given to the family of Israel was left unfulfilled; everything he had spoken came true.”
GOD’S PROMISE CAN OUTLIVE THE PEOPLE WHO FIRST RECEIVED IT.
Many of God’s promises have outlived the people who received them - and that is why we are always called to steward His promises well. Abraham was told his descendants would be as numerous as the stars in the sky (Genesis 15:5), but he did not live to see that come to pass. Can you think of other promises in Scripture that were given to recipients who were not able to see them fulfilled? What difficulties do you think they faced as they sought to believe the promise they were given? When we look at Abraham, can we see the promises that God did fulfill in his lifetime that helped Abraham to believe and hope in the ones he did not see fulfilled? Share your thoughts and discuss in your small group.
Has God given you promises that, like Abraham and his numerous descendants, might be promises you are to steward because they might outlive you? It is important to remember that the promises we are given are seeds to plant and water; they will grow in due season as God causes them to bloom. God will provide what you need to build the faith necessary to continue moving forward toward fulfillment of the promise - but we must trust Him in that provision. One good way to build trust is to practice remembering other promises that have been fulfilled and other ways God has proven faithful. Can you think of other ways that you can practice faithfulness in the waiting? What did the people you thought of for the last question do so they could faithfully steward their promises? Discuss with a trusted Christian friend or your small group.
YOU HAVE TO STEP AND PLANT INTO WHAT GOD PROMISED.
The promises that God gives will be things only He can bring to pass. “Miracles” that we can manufacture on our own are not miracles. God’s promises require us to step out in faith and really trust Him. His promises build our character and our dependence upon His faithfulness. More often than not, our promises require steps of faith, like the priests stepping into the Jordan, before we see the waters stop flowing. How do you handle taking those steps? Have you learned to take them in boldness, or do you take them with some fear? What is something that you can do to practice taking steps of bold faith? Share with each other, encourage one another. If you have grown in boldness, don’t keep what God has done to yourself. Take some time to discuss what it looks like to step out boldly and trust with a trusted Christian friend or small group.
Faith. Faith says God can, and I will trust Him to do so. And the reality is, that God’s “doing so” rarely looks the way we thought it would look. This is where it is important to live with open hearts and open hands, trusting that God is good ALL the time. What are some examples of how God’s “doing so” as we trust Him looks very different from our expectations? Discuss how when we place expectations on God, we can easily be disappointed. How can we move away from expectations and towards child-like faith and trust? Take some time to write a prayer asking God to help you trust Him without placing expectations upon Him. Ask Him to guide you and to bring people to encourage your faith alongside you in this season. Thank God in advance for what He is going to do on your behalf.
WHAT GOD HAS CALLED YOU TO BUILD IS WORTH FIGHTING FOR.
Building according to God’s call is often similar to swimming against the current. God can be subtle, but the Bible is full of examples of His glory on display for all to see. Impossible odds are His forte. For this reason we honor Him when we take steps of crazy faith, when we walk in obedience that doesn’t make sense. Let us remember that the more we respond faithfully to our faithful God with the responsibility He has given us, the more we glorify His name. Do you take time to reflect on how God might be glorified in those difficult situations? If not, what can you do to start moving toward that mindset? If you have a focus on proclaiming God’s glory, how can you encourage others to do the same? Take some time this week to really sit with these questions and examine how good you are at trusting God with the responsibilities He has given you. Journal your thoughts and anything that He reveals during this process.
Another recurring theme over these past several weeks is responding to God’s call with obedience. Think about how crazy it seemed that God called Israel to walk around Jericho the way that He did. His instructions did not make sense and that was done on purpose. God told Israel that the promised land was theirs, and this new generation did not see Him defeat the Egyptians… so He did what He does best. He told them to step out in crazy faith and trust that He was giving them the victory, and sparing Rahab’s family in the process. Where is God calling you to move, but to wait on Him for deliverance and victory? Are you encouraged by how He showed up for Israel? What one step can you take this week to put this into practice? Discuss with your small group or a trusted Christian friend.
DON’T FORGET WHO DELIVERED YOU INTO THE PROMISE.
In our first point we mentioned the practice of remembering God’s faithfulness to us in the past. God knows that we humans are fickle with very short memories of the good He has done. He knew Israel was going to need a memorial to remind them that they walked through the Jordan River on dry ground. Do you have memorials of God’s faithfulness in your life? One way to practice remembering is through journaling. You can do it in a notebook, on your phone, or in your Bible. Practice sharing those memorials with others, as they are part of your story and will not only continue to give you encouragement, but God will use the sharing to encourage others. Take some time to consider what memorials you can add to your testimony and share in your small group. Ask God to reveal things to you that perhaps your spiritual eyes may not have been open to see in the past.
God's pursuit is meant to remind us of how He has delivered us into the promises of our past, and encourage us to practice remembering for the future. How is God continuing to pursue and transform you today? How is He asking you to remember His faithfulness in the past to encourage you in the present and remind you in the future? If you haven’t, take some time to read over the Scripture we covered this week and select one verse or passage that resonates with your spirit to memorize and serve as a reminder of how God continually pursues His people.
Scripture References for this week:
Joshua 1; Joshua 3-4; Joshua 5; Joshua 6; Joshua 24; Hebrews 4; Joshua 21:45
