Good Morning Gorgeous,

It’s a brand new day. A fresh new start. A new day to rise and move with confidence that the Lord who has delivered you in the past is still working in your life and will deliver you again and again.

It would be great if when we survived a storm or a deep trial or a great loss, we could move ahead with confidence that it would be our last trial and the remainder of life on earth would be lived out without another storm. Like ok, that’s behind me, now I’ll never face another struggle.

But, because we live in a fallen world that is filled with the effects of sin and we also have an adversary who is continually prowling the earth to steal, kill, and destroy, then we can be sure that we will face giants, trials, storms, and losses.

BUT God, He has given us the VICTORY!

No enemy that comes against us is too big for our Deliverer!

The Name of God as the Deliverer runs all through the Old Testament!! Here are only a few of the MANY mentions of God as Deliverer.

And then there are the STORIES! The real life thick in the battle deliverance that the Lord gives to His people. Again and again and again.

And what is SO awesome is that a miracle from the Lord that He has done in the PAST testifies to what He does and can do and will do NOW and in the FUTURE.

For example, we often hear the story of the Lord parting the Red Sea for Moses so that the Israelites could escape from the Egyptians on dry land.

But did you know that He parted the waters MORE THAN ONCE? I get so over the top excited when I think about how rich and full God’s Word is and how He has provided so many examples of His love and might and power.

It was 40 years later and the Israelites have been wandering in the desert since their escape from Egypt. The reason for the wandering? When they left Egypt, they experienced God as their deliverer, savior, provider and yet when they came to the promised land, they were too afraid to occupy it. They forgot all that the Lord had done for them and let the fear of their current situation cover their heart from trusting in the Lord who had already shown His power.

So now they are getting a 2nd chance to possess the promised land. They are getting another opportunity to face their fears and go into the promised land and occupy it. But they will have to cross the River Jordan. Joshua has been given the role of leader by God, and He is given instructions to have the priests carry the Ark of the Covenant, and they are to boldly step into the river and THEN God will part the sea for them again just like He did for their ancestors. There is an act of faith required first, and then God will fully deliver here.

Then, there are MORE instructions: they are to set up a memorial so that THIS time, they remember what God has done. This time the Lord gives instructions so that the future generations have a physical reminder that they can ask about and the parents are to tell them about what God has done. This is to provide a way to pass the faith from generation to generation. It’s a God given way to remember that God saves. And, it also gives them something to cling to when they experience hardship again. They can remember the saving Hand of God that split the sea twice for them!

Our family hosts a bible study in our home on Monday nights, and this past Monday, we gathered together and paused from our regular study to celebrate what the Lord has done and to look expectantly to Him to deliver us again. We shared stories of previous victories and we prayed and shared things we are in need of deliverance from now.

We included our children too and we painted stones that represented things we once prayed for and now have been delivered from..there were stones about health, children, freedom, and blessings.

We spent the evening remembering the goodness of God in our lives, so that our faith can be renewed as we move ahead.

This would make a great Christmas craft, a New Year’s Eve tradition, or anytime to reflect on the Lord and His Hand that delivers us again and again.

Have you been saved? Tell someone! Has God moved in your life? Reflect on it and remind your own soul of the goodness of the Lord! Pass the stories of God’s deliverance onto your children.

And How does the fulfillment of Jesus in the New Testament align to this story in Joshua?

Jesus is the ultimate Deliverer because at the cross, He delivered us from EVERY enemy.

In the Old Testament, we see people delivered from sickness, fires, destruction, judgement, impossible situations, war, famine, and more..

In the New Testament, with His Sacrifice, Jesus delivered us from every one of those things, and even the power of death. We have been saved and set free from sin, washed clean, and given the Holy Spirit as a sign of our eternal inheritance. There is no enemy or power that comes after you on earth, that will be permanent. Every affliction on earth is temporary for the people who call on Jesus as their Savior.

And Paul recognizes Jesus as the fulfillment of the prophecy that a deliverer would come and save us from our sins.

We know that even as followers of Jesus, we will have trials and afflictions, but look at this beautiful promise… you will suffer a little while, and then God will make you complete, steady, firm, and strong.

Dear Heavenly Father,

Thank You for being our Deliverer! You are the Mighty One who saves and we Trust Your Hand to save and deliver us both now and also for all of eternity. We trust that there is a glorious inheritance ahead for all who love You and place their trust in You alone.

In Jesus’s name, Amen.

Blessings and sweet memories of God’s Hand in your life,

Vanessa Lynn