I knew why. I was getting ready to speak at a Women's Retreat at our church on Friday night. Nearly 50 were already signed up. Earlier that week, while driving by, I saw my name on the billboard promoting it...and I nearly got into an accident. Satan was after me. And he was after me through my mind, through my kids...and through my husband. For some reason, Jeremy hated me that week. He didn't really hate me. But he did. And he knew it was Satan, so he very wisely and patiently and carefully just.... kept silent.
Wise, yes. But does that turn a girl crazy? YES! But he knew every emotion in him that was irritated and bitter toward me was nothing, just Satan. So he stayed silent.
On top of that, I was really struggling with this talk. Was it the crowd? No. They are awesome. Was it my story? No. I've shared my testimony tons of times,. But for some reason, it just wasn't coming together. I had one hour. One. How do I put my testimony into a message that is saturated with scripture into one hour?! How do you pick what to say and what not to say? I was clueless. I needed God to give me something.
He finally did... at 11:00 pm the night before. Go figure.
The theme for the night was Hawiian and titled, "Unshakable Faith." I was super excited about it until I sat down to prepare. Then I was ready to jet. Unshakable Faith? Is that even possible? Even Jesus in the Garden of Gethsamane shook when He prayed, "Father, if it be your will, take this cup from me." He wasn't so sure about being tortured and killed the next day.
So I thought about the theme of the night. Palm Trees. How do they survive such storms in their lives? I started to google and found some pretty sweet things:
* Their roots are deep and wide.
* They are flexible. (They stand tall and they don't resist the storm. They ride it).
* If grown with other palm trees around them, they survive a lot better than the ones standing alone.
Hmmm... such now that's a great picture of our lives, isn't it? So that is why scripture says the righteous will flourish like a palm tree... (Psalm 92:12).
O.k., so now what? I thought. Great picture. But where is the meat? Give me some scripture, God. So I thought about the title "Unshakable Faith" and went to Hebrews 11, the Faith Chapter. Every hero in the Bible is listed in this chapter. It's even been given the label the "Great Hall of Faith."
Rhab, the prostitute caught my eye. If a prostitute can make the Great Hall of Faith, then anyone can. So I followed her back to her story. Oh no. Please no, God....don't take me there.
The Old Testament.
Joshua and the Battle of Jericho. Yuck. I don't like the Old Testament. It's filled with words I can't pronounce, countries and kings I don't care about, and history I don't understand. I know my Creation and Noah childhood stories, and that's enough for me. I did not want to be brought here!
But I said, "O.k. God, I'll think about it." I got on the computer and googled, "Jericho" and up popped the following: Jericho: Otherwise known as the City of Palm Trees.
Crap.
So I obeyed and I began... and I struggled every step of the way. But here is what God gave me:
When God calls us to go to battle or allows us to endure unfair storms in our life, we, like the great hero's of the Bible, can develop a famous faith and make a difference in the lives of others because of it.
Even a prositute is still changing lives today.
So what was it that led to Joshua's Famous Faith?
#1. His Roots Were Developed.
I had read it before, but it didn't hit me until now. Before Moses died, God told him to raise Joshua up. Train him. Equip him. Get him ready. Most of Deutoronomy is just that.
Is God developing roots in you? Do you see a battle ahead that you're afraid to fight? Is He calling you to quit your job... take a job...get out of a relationship or get into one? If you have been seeking God's will for your life and He is calling you into the uncomfortable, get ready! If God calls, it's time for walls because your foundation has been laid!
For me, the battle God called me into, way back at Northwestern College in 2001, was dating a man that was not the Ephesians 3:20 man that Hi promised me, when he told me to break up with my ex back in 1998.
Ephesians 3:20? "I will give you immeasurably more than what you could ever ask or imagine...."
I was confused.Totally didn't get it. And was definitely a palm tree standing alone in that storm. I got beat up bad with no support in this heavenly calling. But I weathered through it anyway. I had a strong rooting system laid and everything about my foundation was unshakable, even though me (a goody goody) dating Jeremy (Saved. But a bad ass.) shook my faith every single day. But I rode the storm.Which leads me to the second thing that led to Joshua's famous faith....
#2. He Was Called to Stand Tall.
At the end of Deutoronomy Moses dies, but Joshua was filled with the spirit of wisdom when Moses laid hands on him. In Joshua 1, before the battle of Jericho and other battles take place, God spends His first one-on-one personal moment with Joshua. He raises him up and says, "Be strong! Be Courageous! For the Lord Your God is with you! Do not be afraid! Do not fear! I will give you every piece of land you step foot on....."
But...."Do not let the Word depart from your mouth. Meditate on it day and night!"
Woah. I thought back to my moment at Northwestern College. It was nearly midnight. I was alone in the chapel. It was dark and the janitor was about to lock up. Tears streaming down my face , I'm on my knees at the front of the altar. God, I cried. Why are you calling me to date him? Why won't you take these feelings I have for him away? As I was sharing how awful the experience was, dating a guy with such baggage who continued to mess up while my "perfect" godly people around me thought I was crazy, I look up. And if I could have seen the spiritual world I would have seen angels hovering above. At that time is when I, like Joshua, heard my own personal commission and calling to stand tall. I felt God say, "One day he will wreck this world for Christ!"
It was at that moment God had to have filled me with His spirit of wisdom. My roots were deep, they were wide, and I was filled up, called and commissioned...ready to fight this battle. Little did I know how hard I would have to fight.
The third thing I found was this:
#3. Joshua Was Flexible.
In other words, he rode the storm. He didn't resist what God was asking him to do, no matter how insane or crazy it was. First, he was told to march around the city 13 times and the blow trumpets and shout. Really? But the walls came tumbling down. He went with it. He kept his heart right with God. He stayed close to God. He didn't let the Word leave his life. The Word was his life. And then there's the next several battles... but with different strategies. God tells him to ambush one and surprise attack the other.
God is a God of variety, isn't He?
I thought about my battle. What felt like a hurricane in my life when He called me to break up with highschool boyfriend was more like a sprinkle compared to the hurricane ahead. Fast forward a few years.
Jeremy and I end up married. In less than 2 years we experience him in a serious construction accident, deal with pornography crap, have 3 miscarriages, a new baby, a new job and a new move. Who survives that in just 24 months? Well, we weren't doing so hot. But I kept my foundation strong and this time had other palm trees around me. Heck, I was a church staff member. How could I not fall apart working in a place where I get paid to read my Bible and pray.
But Jeremy. That's a different story. His rooting system wasn't so deep... or wide. And the palm trees around him, well... you know. The construction environment. Dirty jokes. Bad attitudes. Bitching about your wives... and a beer or two or more after work. And this storm in our life. He didn't survive so hot.
Next thing you know we've got hurricane Katrina just slamming us to the ground. A.K.A. Affairs. How did I surive? How did we survive? Like Joshua, we rode the storm. We shook. Oh did we shake!! But we didn't break it. We didn't resist it, but learned from it. We didn't turn bitter toward it, but turned our hearts toward God. We didn't let the Word leave our hearts. Our mind. Our lives. The Word was our life. And we spent the next 4 years picking up the rubble. The mass destruction left behind. And although we occassionaly find traces of broken lumber and shattered glass, God has delivered the very thing He promised me in 1998. Yup 14 years ago (God is crockpot). He gave me my Ephesians 3:20 man.
And He has remained faithful to the very thing He told me, on that lonely night in the chapel of NWC back in 2000. Today Jeremy is wrecking this world for Christ.
So, what was the final thing that took place in the life of Joshua after he flourished like a palm tree?
#4. Joshua Enjoyed the Promised Land.
Not only did he, Rhab and her family, and the Israelites enjoy the land... but Joshua and Rhab made the Great Hall of Faith! Although more storms will come (we have yet to raise teenagers) and we certainly haven't "arrived" (we still have marriage fights)... we too are enjoying what feels like our own Promised Land in our marriage. I have never been happier.
Ephesians 3:20. I always focused on the first part, but it's the last part that has the power....
...according to His power that is at work in you.
In me? Oh, you mean you never had the intention to just hand me an Ephesians 3:20 man on a platter? This was a "you and me work together to make it happen" type thing? Hmmm. Now I get it. Maybe I should have read that more closely up front.
And then the verse ends, ...to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus forever and ever. Amen So just why all of this?!
To bring His glory to you. To me, to anyone reading this.... and of course to glorify Him.
Well, it was worth it. And for now, we are enjoying the calm before our next storm. I don't like to think about that. But either way, when it comes, our roots will be ready and we'll be ready to ride (hopefully). Yikes!
So with that, I sent the 75 women on Friday night away with a challenge from Paul in Hebrews 12, after he finished recognizing all the hero's in the bible....
"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perserverance the race marked out for us! Let us fix our eyes on Jesus the Author and Perfector of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising it's shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God!....
...Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful and so worship God with reverance and we, for our God is a consuming fire!"
"The righteous will flourish like a palm tree...."
Psalm 92:12
Beautiful Danielle. Thanks for sharing... on your blog at with 75 women all at once!
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