Shadow.  That word has been repeating to me incessantly since Friday.  It has appeared in scriptures, songs, sermons, e-mails, and books that I’ve read over the last few days.

Perhaps God is trying to tell me something about shadows.  Perhaps He’s not, but my interest is peaked to say the least. When/if I figure it out, I’ll be sure to pass it along.

In the meantime, I thought I would share a song that has been haunting me all weekend, “Only Water” from Brandon Heath‘s new CD, “Leaving Eden.”  It is by far my favorite song on his new album.  The words and the message are profoundly simple:  God can use something as simple as water to change the world.  Just imagine what He can do with people.

Only Water

There’s a shadow coming
As the sky goes black
It’s a stubborn rain
On a Nebraska plain

There’s a farmer standing
On a thirsty ground
He holds his breath
This is life or death
It’s only water

And it washes over me
Like a single river stone
Changes everything
But has no power on its own
It’s only water

There’s a winding canyon
Where a mountain stood
Miles of earth and clay
Carried far away

But there’s something holy
In these cathedral walls
They took a lot of years
And a lot of tears
It’s only water

And it washes over me
Like a single river stone
Changes everything
But has no power on its own
It’s only water

There once was a wedding
All the wine was gone
They said He’s just a man
That’s where it all began
It was only water

And it washes over me
Like a single river stone
Changes everything
But has no power on its own

It washes over me
Like a single river stone
Changes everything
But has no power on its own, on its own
It’s only water

Lyrics by:  Brandon Heath, Lee Thomas Miller, Ross Copperman
© 2011 Sony/ATV Cross Keys Publishing / Big Skwawka Music (ASCAP) All rights on behalf of Sony/ATV Cross Keys Publishing and Big Skwawka Music admin. by Sony/ATV. / Writers of Sea Gayle / Emma’s Garden (BMI) / EMI Blackwood Music / Ross Copperman Music (BMI)

Do you ever have moments when you are reading God’s Word and you wonder, “Why is that in there?”  I do.  All the time.

Behold, Joshua 12.

This chapter basically details out the kings the Israelites conquered, who did the conquering (i.e. Moses or Joshua) and the order in which they were conquered.

As tedious as it is to read those things, I am reminded that just as God asked Joshua to record His victories, we should do the same.

I believe that God wants us to document our own battles and record His victories so that we can remember God’s goodness and His might.  It serves not only as a reminder to us, but it is a testimony of God’s hand on our lives to those who read them.  That’s how we pass down His legacy of faithfulness.

The book of Joshua chronicles the long awaited trek of the Israelites into the promised land.  Trust me when I say that it is a much needed reward (both to the Israelites and to me) from the frustrating, painful, and bloody mess that was Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy.   Finally!  The Israelites are entering the promised land.  Woop!  Woop!

As I was cruising along with Josh, I had an ah-ha moment right between chapters 11 and 12.  The journey into the promised land for Israel is very much like our spiritual journey.  Check it out.

1.  God starts out with something crazy and miraculous.

Israel’s first victory at Jericho was no doubt a miraculous one.  You remember the story…march around the city once for six days.  March around it again on the seventh day, but this time blow some horns and yell really loud and the walls will come tumbling down.  (May I be so bold as to suggest that the miracle of this moment was not that the walls came tumbling down at the shout of the Israelites, but that the Israelites actually went along with this unconventional battle plan?)  Not only did this scene prove their obedience to the Lord, but by seeing those walls come crashing down it built up their confidence to trust God in His ability to keep His promises and to fight for His people.

When we are on our journeys, whether it is in our daily walk with the Lord or we are pressing toward a mission or promise that He has revealed to us, God often starts out with a bang.  Something that totally knocks our socks off.  Something that can only be explained by Him.  It is up to us to take a step of faith (which might require us to do something seemingly senseless) in order to see His deliverance and promise.

2.  Whenever we go without God we lose.   Period.  ’Nuff said.

3.  Satan increases his attacks the closer and closer we get to God.

The further and further the Israelites went into their territory, the more intense the battles became.  Five kings gang up on them.  Then, ten kings.  The armies become bigger and bigger.  Similarly, the closer and closer we come to reaching what God has in store for us the more nervous Satan becomes.  He responds by increasing his forces in battle.  Are your battles getting harder and harder?  Perhaps you are right around the corner from your promised land.

4. The harder Satan comes at us, the more intense and intentional we have to be in our walk with God.

Just as the Israelites had to increase their armies as the ferociousness of the battles increased, so we have to increase our efforts with more prayer, more bible study, and more of ourselves.

5. When the battle intensifies, we are to remind ourselves, just as Joshua reminded the Israelites of God’s commands:

“Do not be afraid…”
“Be strong and courageous…”
“Do not be discouraged…”

6.  God always wins through whatever means necessary.  Whether it is breaking down walls, making the sun stand still, hardening the hearts our enemies, or throwing people into confusion.  God always wins and His resources are unlimited.

A lot of people struggle with praying. Perhaps you are one of them. Perhaps you aren’t. But prayer is crucial to intimacy with God and something that needs to be discussed.

This may sound harsh, but I don’t care how often you read your bible, or go to church, or how often you serve. Without prayer, your spiritual life will always be lacking.

When most people think of prayer, they think of something boring and structured. Images of people kneeling with hands folded and head bowed might pop into your mind. But that isn’t what prayer has to look like.

A lot of people get hung up on what to say. Maybe you’ve been taught the ACTS acrostic – Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication. Seriously? Just writing that out makes me crazy. Does anyone, especially a new believer, even know what supplication means?

If there is something that we, as humans, are good at, it’s developing a formula for everything and prayer is not immune.

Obviously, I get pretty passionate when I talk about prayer because we absolutely, hands down, make it harder than it is, and that makes Satan smile. The harder we think it is to pray, the less we do it. The more cumbersome we think it is, the more we dread it.

Please hear me when I say this: Prayer is simply a conversation. Nothing more. Nothing less. Period. There is no right way or wrong way to pray.

How do you talk to your friends and family? That is how you need to talk to God.

No flowery words are needed. He knows you don’t understand the meaning of half of them anyway. If you don’t know what sanctification means, don’t use it. You aren’t fooling Him.

My prayers differ all the time, and most people would think that I’m crazy if they knew how I prayed.

The other morning, I looked back over my prayer journal, and it immediately hit me that someone reading it would probably think that I’m out of my mind because it sounds like a letter to a real person. And guess what? It is.

Sometimes, I sit in my chair, coffee cup in hand, and imagine Jesus sitting in the chair across from me. I talk aloud (oh, the benefits of being single) and I recount yesterday’s events or what I have planned for the day. I talk through any hurts or disappointments and anything that is bothering me.

Sometimes I give him a high-five for something awesome that He has done.
Sometimes I just sit and listen.
Sometimes I have angry, irreverent prayers. Prayers where I am animated – throwing my arms up in frustration.
Sometimes my prayers bring me to my knees or flat on my face.
Sometimes my prayers are one word. Sometimes they are thousands.
Sometimes I write my prayers down. Other times, I say them aloud.
Sometimes my prayer is singing before Him. Other times, words are insufficient.

The point is this. Pray. Pray. Pray. Pray without ceasing. Pray when you are standing at the copy machine at work. Pray when you are at a red light. Pray in the morning when you wake. Pray in the evening. Whatever you do: pray.

What about you? How do you pray? What do your prayers look like?

It is not surprising that I have become attached to Moses after reading about him for the past several weeks. We know him pretty intimately. We have covered 120 years of his life.

We rejoiced in his birth (Exodus 2:2), imagined his privileged childhood (Exodus 2:10), and cringed at his mistakes (Exodus 3:12).

We have been amazed at the calling on his life (Exodus 3:10), craved his courage, and sympathized with his struggles (oh, the whining…oh, the complaining).

We have been challenged by his unrelenting love and patience for the people of Israel (I mean, seriously? How many times does he fall prostrate on the ground pleading for God not to strike down the Israelites in His wrath?)

We related to his failures (Numbers 20:8), wept at his disappointments (Deut. 3:25-26), and envied his conversations with The Almighty.

At the end of Deuteronomy, the Israelites are standing on the fringe of the promised land. Moses’ work is complete, and it is time for him to be “gathered to his people” (Deut. 32:50) – which, by the way, is code for death in the OT.

As Moses says goodbye to the Israelites,  there is no doubt that tears were shed.  He spent the past forty years with these people and has likely known all of them since they were little tikes walking around with their little twig “staffs” as they looked up to him in admiration. I’m sure they all wanted to be Moses when they grew up.

As Moses makes his way up to the top of Mount Nebo, I wonder what his thoughts were.  Were they of where he was going? Or where he had been?

Most people would want to be surrounded by family and friends when they breathed their last. Moses is no different. His Father is beside him.

Before Moses closes his eyes for the last time, God wants to show him something. So, there, at the top of Pisgah overlooking the Jordan, God shows him the promised land. Though Moses couldn’t enter it, God knew the desire of his heart to see the land he had been leading Israel to for forty years.

Deuteronomy 34:1-4 tells us that God, personally, showed Moses the whole land. Can you hear the conversation?

“Over there, Moses, is where Dan’s clan will live. Do you think they will like it?”

“They would be crazy not to! What about Judah? You’re going to give them the best, aren’t you?”

“Of course. They will be over there – over by the western sea. Naphtali’s family will be over by the lake. I think it has the best view.”

Tribe by tribe God points out where Moses’ people will live.  The land Moses has likely dreamed about.  The land God promised to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. A land flowing with milk and honey.

Moses spent his last moments chatting with The Almighty until his earthly eyes became heavy and dim.  Then, God focused Moses’ spiritual eyes on his new heavenly home.

Did you notice that God buried Moses himself? I’m not sure exactly what that looks like, but I know one thing:  It is the sweetest, most tender thing that I think I have read in The Bible.

God loves Moses so intimately that He personally buries him in a secret place. God’s very own hands picked up his child and gently laid him to rest.

I wept as I bid farewell to Moses. I can’t wait to meet him face-to-face. Can you?

Did you know that you are God’s masterpiece?  Check out this sketch written by The Skit Guys, and performed recently at Valleydale Church.

Untitled from Valleydale Church on Vimeo.