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“No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you.”

Joshua 1:5

God’s assignment for Joshua might have caused him some concern. Being the successor to Moses wasno small task. Through Moses, God had turned the waters in Egypt intoblood, parted the Red Sea, destroyed the Egyptian army, andmiraculously fed the nation for forty years. God spoke to Moses onMount Sinai and gave him His law. Joshua must have wondered how hecould follow Moses. To erase any doubt, God assured Joshua that Moses’accomplishments had all been due to God’s presence. Joshua grewconfident because the same God who walked with Moses now walked withhim (Josh. 1:6). 

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So he awoke from his sleep, and said, “I will go out as before, at other times, and shake myself free!” But he did not know that the Lord had departed from him.

Judges 16:20

One of the signs of a heart that has shifted from God is the absence of spiritual power.If you are like Samson, you will not be immediately aware that God’spower has left you. Only after he tried to defeat his enemies didSamson recognize that something was wrong. He went against thePhilistines as before, expecting their swift defeat. But this time thePhilistines easily prevailed over him. If you allow sin to creep into your life, if you refuse to obey your Lord, if you do not reconcile with those who have hurt you, your spiritual vitality is waning.

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Elijah said to Elisha, “Ask! What may I do for you,before I am taken away from you?” Elisha said, “Please let a double portion of your spirit be upon me.”

2 Kings 2:9

There had never been a man like Elijah. He had raised the dead, called down fire from heaven,and revealed God’s plans for a devastating drought. The Israelitesmust have felt certain there would never be another prophet likeElijah, until Elisha came along. Moses was arguably the mightiestleader the Hebrews had ever followed, yet God prepared Joshua toaccomplish what not even Moses had achieved. David’s reign marked ahigh point for the nation of Israel, yet it was Solomon who carriedout the task that was denied his father, by building the spectaculartemple. We can be tempted to put more trust in the leaders God givesus than in God Himself. 

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Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, youdouble-minded.

James 4:8

There may be times when God seems far away.You may feel as if your prayers go unheard. James said there is asimple reason for this and a solution. If you are far from God, it isbecause your sin has separated you from Him. God is unchanging. Hischaracter stays absolutely holy. His faithfulness remains constant; itis we who change. We allow sin into our lives. We choose our owndirection. We spend less and less time with Him in Bible study andprayer. Then one day we realize that we have gradually grown distantfrom God. The solution, according to James, is straightforward. We areto draw near to God. 

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