“Be strong and courageous...” This word to Joshua and God’s traveling people can guide us today.We can rise in the face of fear and move courageously with the heart. God will be with us wherever we go.
“I am about to do a new thing.” We can trust that there is something on the horizon for us, for our church, and for our world and that God will make a way. How might God be transforming your life? What new thing awaits?
“Live in me. Make your home in me…” Jesus is the vine. God is the vinegrower. We are the branches. It is deeply important that we stay connected. In our connection, there is life and love and grace and forgiveness and hope and joyful service. Good news. It is easy for busy-ness and responsibility and work and parenting and worry and life in general to come between us and deeper connection in our relationships with God and others. How might we find deeper connections in our lives and our faith?
"Don't be anxious about anything..." Worry can be all-consuming. The demands and concerns of life can cause us to be anxious. What causes us to worry—family, work, school, health, or national or global matters? Often, we worry about things that will never happen. And worry steals energy from our lives that could be offered in more positive and life-giving ways. So, when we rely on God in prayer and when we share our concerns with others, we will see a shift in our brain’s focus. Breathe deeply. Pray. Confide in a friend. Then, worry won’t have power over our lives. We can find peace. God's peace.💝