Getting Ready - Part 1

This podcast is made available by this increasing media as to the generosity of our support is your donation today means great podcast ideas remain available to help people look to God daily presentation at our nation today send out all day through my New Year's resolution to follow God's leading in the right you willing to leave your comfort zone and actually do it that I'm turning for Dr. David Jeremiah offers a compelling example of the dilemma from the book of Joshua. Don't let fear keep you from following God's plan introduces today's special message getting ready friends were in this little parentheses between Christmas and new here between the end of one year and the beginning of another. I don't have to ask you if you will be ready to salute 2020.

Goodbye and begin a new year.

I'm sure 2021's going to be much better without. Perhaps so many challenges this week that in this last year but how do you get ready for a new year.

In fact, how you get ready for anything.

How do you get prepared for what's ahead while there was a an experience in the life of Joshua as he was about to take his people into the promised land. And there's a wonderful section of Scripture.

In the third chapter of Joshua where he gave a speech about getting ready.

He got instructions from God and he got his people, ready. I love this little passage of Scripture because it actually has the word tomorrow and it tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you. I believe that with all my heart and I believe 2021's going to be a great year. Let's get our hearts ready as we open the Scripture together. Well let's get ready. Okay let's get ready. It was August 15, 1987 in Howard Schultz was faced with the toughest decision of his life.

Whether or not to buy a small chain of coffee houses with a strange name Starbucks in his memoir.

Pour your heart into it.

The architect behind the Starbucks brand reflects on his what if moment. This is my moment.

I thought if I don't seize the opportunity final step out of my comfort zone and risk it all. If I let too much time take on my moment will pass.

I knew that if I didn't take advantage of this opportunity, I would replayed in my mind for my whole life wondering what if Howard Schultz made a defining decision to give up the safety net of his $75,000 a year salary to pursue his passion for all things coffee. Starbucks stock went public. Five years later on June 26, 1992. It was the second most actively traded stock on the NASDAQ that day and by the closing bell, its market capitalization student 273 million. Not bad for a 3.8 million investment Starbucks now has 16,580 stores in 40 countries, with revenues topping 4.7 billion and the 137,000 employees is twice the population of Greenland by conservative estimates Starbucks sold 3,861,778,846 cups of coffee last year. Many of you contribute to that.

I would say that Howard Schultz qualifies as one man who took advantage of his defining moment.

What if you knew that this year was going to be the best year of your life. What if you could look into the next 12 months and see the blessing of God being poured out on you and unprecedented ways. Would you be thinking right now for many of you would be planning the party. Others would be calling their friends to tell them the good news with some of you may be more than you would imagine would be overwhelmed instead of joy. You would be experiencing fear. There was a time in the history of the nation of Israel when that particular connection between expectation in fear was present at time when 3 million people faced a divine if story is told in Joshua three to which we've open and it may be the best passage in the Bible to get us ready for a new year, Joshua and the people of Israel were about to experience the greatest moment in their nation's history.

The land which Almighty God had promised to their father Abraham was now in sight.

In the book of Deuteronomy, Moses described what that land look like in these graphic terms for the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land, a land of brooks and water fountains and springs, that flow out of the valleys and hills, a land of wheat and barley, of vines and fig trees and pomegranates, a land of olive oil and honey land in which you will eat bread without scarcity, in which you will lack nothing. Land whose stones are iron and out of whose hills you can dig copper.

This was the land God had promised to his people. It was actually called the land of promise and throughout her history.

The people of Israel looked forward to the day when they would occupy this special territory 30 years before this particular moment in Joshua three Israel had been on the verge of realizing God's promise. You know the story, God had sent 12 spies into the land.

Unfortunately for that generation.

When the spies returned to Katie's bar near 10 of them were overwhelmed with the what if's of entering the promised land numbers 13 says they gave the children of Israel a bad report of the land which they had spied out, saying, the land through which we have gone as spies is a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people whom we saw in it are men of great stature compared those last two scriptures and you see in which the problem lies. God was angry with that generation because they did not believe his promise had told them what they were gonna find when they looked at it without his perspective, they saw different story. The Bible says that the children of Israel walked 40 years in the wilderness to all the people who were men of war who came out of Egypt were consumed because they did not obey the voice of the Lord, the nation of Israel lost 40 years now, after 40 years of wandering in the desert, the people of Israel staying on the border of their fulfilled dream behind them later wilderness and the graves of their disobedient parents and before them, awaiting their possession was the land that flowed with milk and honey.

The land of promise.

But the Bible tells us that between the Israelites and the fulfillment of their dream stood the Jordan River to the Jordan River was not usually a very frightening body of water.

Most of the time it was about 100 feet wide. But during the spring harvest season. The river rose to the flood stage. It overflowed its banks and instead of being 100 feet wide. It was 1 mile wide. If you could pick one time in the whole year when you did not want to cross the Jordan River. It was during the spring harvest season and that was the time God determined for his people to cross over. It seems as if God was making.

This is just about as difficult of faith test as he could. Can you imagine the thoughts that were going through the minds of the people of Israel wandering in the wilderness, was all they knew.

And now the Lord God was telling them to go to a land where they had only heard about from their fathers. Yes, it was a good land, but it was also a frightening land. They had heard stories of the giants who were in the land they heard that this land is fortified cities where people were armed and dangerous. In fact, if you study the story carefully, you'll discover that in the book of Joshua you fine for the first time the mention of implements of iron warfare and now God has placed his people on the bank of the Jordan River at flood stage company and you know God loves to put us in situations like that that are visually evident that we are powerless to succeed without him. That's why he hated the furnace seven times hotter for the three Hebrew children. That's why Jesus didn't show up until Lazarus had been dead for four days without divine intervention. There was no way 3 million people to cross over the Jordan River when it was at flood stage, but the Bible says the people of God were commanded to cross over the word crossovers an interesting phrase in the Hebrew language because it means not just to go from point A to point B. It means a transition from what is known to what is unknown. The Bible tells us that the Israelites were brought to the bank of the Jordan River and God left them there for three days before they could cross over. Some scholars believe God did that on purpose, of the people would have three days of visual reminders that they were about to experience something they never experienced before. If they were going to get across the river. God was again I have to intervene in a miraculous way is awesome to consider these thoughts on the threshold of a new year were going into an uncharted territory.

We don't know what the year holds for us. So many things have happened in this surreal year that we couldn't possibly have anticipated what happened they did and there are going to be things that happen this year that we could not have possibly anticipated. We have no control over them, and the question is how do we get through the unknowns of our lives as I process this Old Testament story, I discovered three things that were at play. God used to help get his people, ready for this new chapter in their lives.

These are truths that work for them and they apply to us today. While I will tell the story as it's told in Scripture. I want to apply the principles in our outline is if it's all about today were on the threshold of this kind experience because believe me, I promise you we are first thing you notice as you thing about the story is the provision of God behind us. The place to start when facing uncharted territory is the past.

Look over your shoulder at what God has already done in your life. In fact, Moses asked the people to do just that. In the book of Deuteronomy, he said, and you shall remember that the Lord your God led you all the way these four years in the wilderness, to humble you and test you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not. Moses said you will remember what the Lord God did for you for the last 40 years. The word remember in the Hebrew is a word which means to mark out or to set aside or to underline or to highlight what had God done for these people will for 40 years, God's people had been wandering in the desert but God had not forgotten about them.

He had miraculously cared for them. Their journey in the desert was one miracle after another. They entered the desert by way of the Red Sea Crossing which was a miracle and every day for the entire 40 years they were in the desert. They were supernaturally led by God. They were led by a pillar of cloud during the day and by a pillar of fire during the night whenever the pillar of fire and the pillar of cloud would move the people would move and when it stopped, they would stop the people of Israel knew exactly what to do and exactly where to go every single day.

Some people wished we lived in such a time, God miraculously sustain them in ways that you and I could not comprehend what he read a couple of verses for you that you will find hard to believe, especially if you are in charge of buying the close for your family. Deuteronomy a for your garments did not wear out on you, nor did your foot swell for these 40 years. Deuteronomy 29, five, and I have led you 40 years in the wilderness and your close have not worn out on you and your sandals have not worn out on your somebody wants to know where you find that on the Internet right God was providentially caring for his people. Yes, they were under judgment for their unbelief, but in his grace and mercy God was burying them up in his loving hands in caring for their needs. There was no grocery store. There was no clothing store.

If God had not miraculously provided for them, they would have perished in the wilderness some time ago I clipped an article out of a magazine that was written by an army general who was interested in this episode in the children of Israel in the wilderness in general try to figure out what it would be like to take care of 3 million people in the wilderness for 40 years. According to the US Army's quartermaster Gen. Moses needed 1500 tons of food per day. That would fill two freight trains each mile-long at one dollar per meal per person. The cost of food alone would've been 9 million each day. For those standards. And since they were out in the desert they would need firewood to cook the food. This would take 400 tons of wood and a few more freight trains. Each mile-long just for one day and they were 40 years in the desert and you would have to have water as well. If they only had enough water to drink and watch a few dishes it would take around 11 million gallons every day and a freight train with tank cars around 2 miles just to bring their daily water God and using the freight trains every day. He dropped their food right in front of their 10 every day a special delivery was waiting for them for four years. They ate manna to know what the word manna means and means what is it that's true. Every day they went out to get their food and they said what is it that I would suggest you try that when you go home and your life is something unusual on the table. You may not know what it is but you sit down and eat it in later in the Morcom mode you say, what was that we had tonight. Manna may not of been all tasty but it sustain them. God faithfully supplied every single day from these people supply their water in a miraculous way. In fact, basic needs of the Israelites did not fail.

One time during the period of four decades every single day in their wilderness wanderings God met their need. So another standing at the bank of the Jordan River and their hearts are filled with fear. It's flood time. The rivers overflowing door 3 million of them. What are we going to do but behind them was the memory of the provision of God that he had made for them for four years. Sometime over this next week. Write down 10 things God provided for you last year. Keep that list in the place where you can get it when you need it when you get a little discouraged during the wonder of God is involved in your life.

Go back and see what he's already done for you hasn't changed and is not going to change you can count on it. The provision of God behind us. Then add this the presence of God beside us read with me the first three verses of Joshua chapter 3, then Joshua rose early in the morning and they set out from Acacia Grove and came to the Jordan. All the children of Israel and lodged there before they crossed over so it was after three days, that the officers went through the camp and they commanded the people, saying, when you see the Ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, and the priests, the Levites, burying it, then you shall set out from your place and go after it. Now the central focus in Joshua chapter 3 and four is the ark of the covenant. What's the big deal about the ark of the covenant in the desert, the pillar of cloud and fire were visible signs of God's leading his people. They were not to move until the sign was evident, but the presence of God with his people was always symbolized by the ark of the covenant, the ark of the covenant was a box of about 45 inches long and 27 inches deep and wide was made out of occasional wood and it had a lid on it and there were gold rings on each of the four corners of the box they were in place so that polls could be inserted into those rings in the ark of the covenant to be carried on the shoulders of the Israelites inside the ark of the covenant was a copy of the law of God been given to Moses on Mount Sinai.

Also in the ark was a portion of manna from the desert and the rod of Aaron that butted those were the contents of the ark of the covenant, the ark was associated with the light and glory and direction and presence of God.

If you know the story of the Old Testament you know that when the ark of the covenant was removed from the people of God as it was once by the Philistines was experienced, but when the ark was brought back victory returned. Now you will see this referenced in verses 10 and 11 of chapter 3 watch carefully as I read these verses and Joshua said by this you shall know that the living God is among you, and that he will without fail, drive out from before you the Canaanites and the Hittites and the hydrides and the parasites and the Shiites in the Amorites and the Jebusites.

Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth is crossing over before you enter the Jordan, the people of Israel looked at the ark of the covenant, and it was to them. The presence of God when they saw the ark were reminded of God's presence with them and don't miss this. The people of Israel were getting ready to cross the Jordan River.

They were given very specific instructions about the distance they should keep between themselves and the ark of the covenant. Look at verse four yet, shall there not be a space between you and and and 2000 cubits by measure not come there and that you may know the way by which you must go for you have not passed this way before marriage. Just imagine, with all of us that that's a good place for us. We have not passed this way before. How do we walk into an area where we had never been, how do we look at a time that we've never experienced well the people were told by God and by Joshua that they were to keep the ark a certain space away from them. Now let's unpack that for a moment 2000 cubits is a distance of about 3000 feet, or 1/2 mile. In other words, the ark of the covenant was to stay far enough out in front of his hoard of people so that all of them could see it. If the ark was too close to the people at the front end of the market would be hidden from the people at the rear end of the March. The ark had to be seen by everyone, not just by the leaders at the front. Almighty God was teaching a lesson.

Leaders are important, but each of us individually needs to keep our eyes on God. It's not enough for us to see God through the eyes of others. We need to see God through our own eyes, especially when were going into the unknown man well bore this tomorrow here on Turning Point as we finish up old year together. I hope you're doing well. I hope you're enjoying your family. I hope you are physically well and the have not been impacted by this crazy thing that's going on around us and getting ready for the new year. These messages during this particular week, are all about will have more about getting ready tomorrow unless you wouldn't talk about the journey inward and then on Thursday and Friday facing forward miss a day this week as you make your notes in your journal again. Think about what your goals are for the new year. These messages are just for more information on Dr. Jeremiah visual messages for the new year place.

Visit our website. We also find two freeways to help you stay connected monthly magazine Turning Points and a daily email device. Sign up today. Jeremiah thought/ready. That's Jeremiah.org/right asked me a copy of the 365 day devotional for 2021.

It's called strength, tenets of biblical truth for the year.

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I'm very join us tomorrow as we continue out special messages for the Turning Point. Jeremiah taking time to listen to all