Why God is... well... God

So, tonight I went to church (which ironically has become a fear of mine) I went to church alone... I didnt think about it. I just got online and found a service. I got dressed. I got in my car and drove there... So many times on the way I thought I shouldnt go. I should just go home. When I got there no one was engaged in worship, and I thought this is not for me... I should just leave, but something drug me to church and so I must have been there for a reason... Then the pastor stood up, and I thought this is so commercialized I should just go... He prayed... Empty words? and I asked the Lord, Why cant he just talk to you like a person without the show Lord... why did you bring me here?! He put a peace over me, and whispered, "shhh, just listen..." Music started playing and a video flashed across the screen... names of hereos... names of Courageous Bible characters that changed the world... Rahab, Joshua, David, Paul...names of historical figures who had a great impact on society... Martin Luther, Anne Frank, Martin Luther King Jr...
My heart jumped with excitement... I want to be like that...
Then a quote appeared on the screen... "Courage is not just one of the virtues, but the form of every virtue at it's testing point." C.S. Lewis
Then another "Courage is contagious. When a brave man takes a stand, the spines of others are often stiffened." Billy Graham
then one more... "Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgement that something else is more important than fear." Ambrose Redmoon
On the edge of my seat I was excited for what this service was going to be about, then I saw that word... the word that rings deep in my heart; fear. I sat back quickly! The pastor prayed again, and had us all open our Bible to Joshua. Ironically just as we all turned there he let out a sigh and told us to close them. With to the point, very direct words he humorously put us in Joshua's place. Moses' eduaction, his time in the courts of Pharoah, His pleas with Pharoah himself... Who could fill the shoes of such an amazing leader... Then God points to Joshua... I won't sum up the whole sermon for you, but I will hit the main points.
FEAR: F-False E-Evidence A-Appearing R-Real
Fears are mental... 90% of our fears will never happen! Courage acts in spite of fear... When God told Joshua to send the Ark of the Covenant into the Jordan before the people, Fear said this is not a smart plan, not only are we going to loose people in that river we are going to loose the most important thing we have in that river!
When God told Joshua to march around Jericho 13 times total and blow horns at the wall... Fear said, this is not a smart plan... they are going to stone us from the tops of the wall... Only after they mock us for six days! I learned about the construction of Jericho... The walls were not supported other than by the house that were built right up againt them on the inside of the wall... So, was it the blows of the trumpets that brought the walls down? What if you put a whole city on top of those walls and have them crowd and push to the outside to see what was goin on down below? Maybe to have them mock and throw things at the people down there? Were their weight cause the unsupported walls to crash down to the outside? Probably so!
So many times in life, We look at the situtaion, and try to make a good plan. something reasonable that fits and makes sense, but God says, MMM Try this! and we look up at Him, and with the intensity of an ant through our fist up and tell Him He is crazy! We know better...
All of our rebellion is out of fear... it is out of False Evidence that Appears to be Real. We think we know...
What do we really have to fear? With an all-knowing God. With an all-powerful God. With an eternal God. With a loving God... What do we really have to fear?
Joshua 1:9... go look it up! and know that THAT is the truth of our reality!