“As soon as the soles of the feet of the priests…shall rest in the waters…the waters shall be cut off” (Joshua 3:13).

The people were not to wait in their camps until the way was opened, they were to walk by faith. They were to break camp, pack up their goods, form in line to march, and move down to the very banks before the river would be opened. If they had come down to the edge of the river and then had stopped for the stream to divide before they stepped into it, they would have waited in vain. They must take one step into the water before the river would be cut off. We must learn to take God at His Word, and go straight on in duty, although we see no way in which we can go forward. The reason we are so often balked by difficulties is that we expect to see them removed before we try to pass through them.

If we would move straight on in faith, the path would be opened for us. We stand still, waiting for the obstacle to be removed, when we ought to go forward as if there were no obstacles. –Evening Thoughts

The Christian owes it to the world to be supernaturally joyful. In this day of universal apprehension when men’s hearts are failing them for fear of those things that are coming upon the earth, we Christians are strategically placed to display a happiness that is not of this world and to exhibit a tranquillity that will be a little bit of heaven here below. All this takes for granted that sin has been dealt with by sincere repentance and thorough amendment of life. It assumes that we are walking in the light of truth, for true joy cannot be artificially induced. The “keep smiling” school of applied psychology is not even remotely related to the true faith of Christ. The chief fun of the comedian and the good humor of the wit who is the life of the party are like flowers growing on old graves, briefly interesting, but evanescent and always touched with sadness. But the fountain of Christian joy flows out from the throne of God, pure, refreshing and sweet everlastingly.–A. W. Tozer

A fool uttereth all his mind—-
Proverbs 29:11

There are a lot of short-fused, thin-skinned, dog-tired, sour-spirited, worked-up people today who are fit to be tied, hot under the collar, bent out of shape, foaming at the mouth, and mad as a hornet. Every day we encounter rancorous people on the freeways, in the stores, on the job… and in the mirror.

Sometimes anger is justified–when we’re angry in the right way, at the right time, to the right degree, and for the right reasons. Jesus Himself displayed righteous anger. But most of us just “get mad.”

The Book of Proverbs has a lot to say about anger. For example, Proverbs 16:32:  “He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.” Read through the Proverbs, especially chapters 15, 16, 21, 22, and 29. Find a handful of verses to commit to memory. They’ll be like smooth stones for your slingshot, and with them you can defeat Giant Anger.

If you are patient in one moment of anger, you will escape a hundred days of sorrow.
Ancient Chinese Proverb  —-From Turning Point

There is coming a time when we will understand the meaning and love of all God’s dealings with us, however strange and inexplicable they may seem now. There is an old Hebrew story which illustrates the fact. It represents a rabbi as journeying on a donkey through a wild land. His only companion was a rooster, whose shrill crowing at sunrise awoke him to his devotions. He came to a certain village at nightfall and besought shelter, but the inhabitants churlishly refused him. Outside the village, he found a cave, where he prepared to spend the night. He lit his lamp to read a chapter, as usual, before retiring; but a gust of wind blew it out. During the night, a wolf killed his rooster and a lion devoured his donkey. He passed a sleepless night.

Early in the morning, he returned to the village to see if he could obtain a horse or a donkey on which to pursue his journey. To his surprise, he found no one alive in the whole village. A band of robbers had come during the night and plundered the village and slain the people.

“Ah!” said the rabbi, “now I understand my annoyances. Had not the villagers closed their doors against me, I would have died with the others. If my lamp had not been extinguished, and my animals had not been killed, the light, or their noise might have revealed my hiding place to the robbers. Truly God has been good to me.”

“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your father which is in heaven.”–Matthew 5:16 Commenting on this verse, Dr. Stephen Davey writes:

How do Christians gain the world’s attention? How will our local churches catch the ears of those who so desperately need to hear the gospel? It will only happen when Christians begin to get real with their faith and start living it out before men.

People are watching you. So when you say you will do something, do it. When you fail at something, admit it. Don’t claw and scrape and climb over others like everyone else. Trust that God is at work and settle for nothing less than the holiness and purity that He requires of you. Let this so establish itself in your character that it emanates from you before a needy and watchful world. Before our gospel can ever change the world, it must first change us.

Consider this powerful epitaph ——-

 

When I was young and free and my imagination had no limits, I dreamed of changing the world. As I grew older I discovered the world would not change, so I shortened my sights somewhat and decided to change only my country. But it too seemed immovable. So as I grew into my twilight years, in one last desperate attempt I settled for changing only my family and those closest to me. But, alas, they would have none of it! Now, as I lie on my deathbed, I suddenly realize that if I had only been changed myself, then by example perhaps I could have changed my family. From their inspiration and encouragement, I would then have been able to better my country and… who knows? I may have even changed the world.

 

This is where we must begin. It must start with the person staring back at you in the mirror who is willing to make any changes necessary – not for his or her own glory, but for the glory of God. Christ reminds us in Matthew 5 that “they (unbelievers) will see your good works and glorify the Father in Heaven.” Your ultimate purpose and joy will be in seeing others come to know the Savior as you have, for it is God who changes lives and we are living testimonies of that.

Don’t ever forget that you as a Christian are a mirror that reflect God’s character to the world. If the world is ever going to see God, they must first see Him in you.