Then Moses summoned Joshua and said to him in the presence of all Israel, “Be strong and courageous, for you must go with this people into the land that the Lord swore to their ancestors to give them… The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged” (Deuteronomy 31:7-8).

Many of us have heard the words of our text in one form or another. In several variations, they are repeated throughout the end of Deuteronomy and recur in Joshua 1. They act as a book end here, because in the early chapters God tells Moses to encourage and strengthen Joshua.

This is the first transition of leadership that Israel is experiencing. They have spent 40 years in the desert under Moses’ leadership, they are on the brink of entering the promised land, but Moses is not going with them. One can imagine that many of the Israelites wondered if Joshua was up to the task; Joshua was not sure that he was. And who would blame him?

These words have often been used in the Christian church to commission new leaders. They are fitting for such occasions and should continue to be used to encourage all who are taking on leadership roles within the Christian community. Also, it is good to refer to them whenever Christians are going through strenuous days.

The key words in the commissioning are “be strong and courageous” (7). They are not meant merely as a psychological boost. They are based on two great truths. First, the existence of Israel and now the church proves the faithfulness of God. God promised to give them this land. God has invested His reputation in the future of this people and so ultimately, responsibility for them rests on Him. Recall that Moses used this fact to effectively intercede for Israel when God threatened to abandon them (cf. 9:26-29).

Jesus launched the church on this foundation. To Peter he said, “I will build my church” (Matthew 16:18). This is the first time the word church is found in the English translations of the Bible. Every participant in the church needs to remember this promise. The very fact that the church exists 2000 years later demonstrates Jesus keeping his word.

Secondly, Christian can count on the unfailing presence of God. “The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you” (8). According to Matthew Jesus finished his earthly ministry with these words, “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (28:20). In John 20, Jesus disciples are afraid. Three times Jesus shows up and says, “Peace be with you” (19,21,26).

With these words at the end of his ministry, Jesus is inviting his disciples to remember the transition between Moses and Joshua. Like Joshua took over from Moses, and Elisha from Elijah, they are to take over from him. But there is one big difference, Moses died, Elijah went off to heaven, and Jesus is going there too. But he will be coming back through the Holy Spirit. He will be with them to the very end. He has kept his word from then to now. We can be sure he will keep it till he returns.

So Christian, even if you do not have a leadership role in the church, “Be strong and courageous”. Jesus calls you to be his disciple in the classroom, in the kitchen and laundry room, in the office, on the job site, and on the playground. Be strong and courageous, he is with you.

As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:

May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you: wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness: protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing; at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.

In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple. … Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I. Send me!” He said, “Go…” (Isaiah 6:1, 8, 9a)

Justin Trudeau resigned Monday, the same day the American election result of Donald Trump was certified in Congress, Kamala Harris presiding (peacefully). It was another significant January 6, albeit less violent than the one four years ago. But while January 6 may have marked some significant happenings on the political stage, we do well to remember that in the Christian calendar it was also the day of Epiphany.

The context surrounding Isaiah’s call to ministry gives a fitting parallel. King Uzziah (also called Azariah in 2 Kings 14:21), had reigned in Jerusalem for 52 years at the time of his death. Unlike Trudeau or Trump, he was the only King that many people had ever known. Much like Queen Elizabeth had been. As her death was the symbolic, yet definitive end of an era, so King Uzziah’s death would have been in Judah.

During Uzziah’s reign over Judah, the Kingdom of Assyria began to rise in power in the East even as political unrest plagued the Northern Kingdom of Israel. The cold winds of change had begun to blow through the kingdoms of the world, even though Uzziah’s presence kept a sense of stability in the land. Not long after Uzziah’s death, Assyria would strike: conquering and exiling the Kingdom of Israel.

So it was at this shift of the epoch when all the old institutions and politics began to crumble and give way that Isaiah sees his vision. But the vision he sees is not necessarily what the astute philosopher or political scientist of the day would have seen.

In the year that King Uzziah died, Isaiah does not see civilization crumbling around him: he sees the Lord. High and exalted, still seated on his throne: the temple scarcely large enough to hold his royal presence and garments.

Lowly Isaiah steps into the presence of the true King of all the Earth, gripped with fear and suddenly aware of his impurity and sheer ineptitude. But with fire from the alter he was cleansed and made ready to stand in the King’s presence.

Then boomed forth the voice of the Lord: “Whom shall I send?” “Here am I. Send me!” replied Isaiah. “Go…” came the response.

In these days of weariness and swirling anxieties when it feels like the world we once knew is continually sloughing off into the heart of the sea: these words come to us again. The Lord Almighty is still on the throne. And we are firstly citizens of His Kingdom, not of Canada or any other country. Be still and know that he is God, our God who remains our refuge and strength—ever present in times of trouble.

And our Triune God still calls out to his people, saying: “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” Will you respond today? Will you go on this royal mission as an ambassador of Christ? Will you go out as sheep among wolves—shrewd as snakes and gentle as doves to minister to your nation, neighbours, co-workers, and friends in His name?

In this season of Epiphany, may you too catch an Isaiah vision of Jesus on His throne and hear the Spirit-breathed call to go forth in His name—together, in faith.

As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:

May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you : wherever he may send you.

May he guide you through the wilderness : protect you through the storm.

May he bring you home rejoicing : at the wonders he has shown you.

May he bring you home rejoicing : once again into our doors.

Our text is from Psalm 96:

“Sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth. Sing to the Lord, praise his name; proclaim his salvation day after day. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvellous deeds among all peoples” (Psalm 96:1-3).

What's the point of life? Where is history headed? Is it just a random series of events? Why even ask questions like this? Isn't it better just to do one's best to survive? Can't we just adopt the old bumper sticker: 'the one with most toys wins'? How would you define toys? What would winning mean for you?

As Christians, Psalm 96 helps us shape an answer to these questions. The point of history and our lives, as short as they may be, is to worship God. We have long believed that declaring the glory of God gets about as close to the heart of living as we can get.

There is an important context to our psalm. It’s a shortened version of the song Israel sang as the ark was given its place in Jerusalem. 1 Chronicles 16 tells the story. God is enthroned as King in the worship of his people. His presence, glory, is symbolically present among his people ‘between the cherubim’ which covered the ark of the covenant in the tabernacle.

This presence of God is a shadow leaning forward towards Jesus, for John says, ‘the word became flesh and dwelt (tabernacled) among us” (John 1:14). There is more. This psalm is about God as king. “Say among [all] the nations, the Lord reigns” (10). Jesus leans back to this psalm when he says to Pilate, “You say correctly that I am a king” (John 18:37).

The writer of Hebrews declares that “After he had provided purification for sins, [Jesus] sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven” (1:3). Jesus is king. Our text is fulfilled in Christ’s resurrection and ascension. John sees and hears it in Revelation 5 when all the creatures in heaven and earth gather to sing a “new song”: “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!” (Revelation 5:13).

When we talk about the mission of the church, we start here. Everything the church does flows out of this desire to give glory to God, who is King. The followers of Jesus on this earth long for that day when all glory will be given to God. But here we come up against the problem don't we: do we desire to give glory to God?

Let's not gloss over this matter of our desires. If you are starting your day with this meditation: what is your goal for the day?

When raising your children: what is your goal? If you are on your way to your workplace: what is your goal? If you are in a dispute with a family member, co-worker, or church member: what is your goal? What do you want?

You see, most of us do believe in the bumper sticker: the one with the most toys wins! To believe that the goal of life, of history, of the church, is to give glory to God is much too difficult.

Giving glory to God begins with a passion for Him. The psalms of worship keep repeating: "For great is the Lord and most worthy of praise" (4). Worship that is passionate about God is by nature missional or evangelistic. It desires others to join us. The bigger the crowd the better.

Take some time to examine God. Do you see that he is worthy of worship and exaltation? Do you see his majesty and holiness? Do you see his righteousness and love? Do you see his justice and his mercy? Do you believe that one day the entire earth will 'ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name and bring offerings into his courts'? (8)

The worship of Christians is the aroma anticipating that day. Giving God praise is a necessary part of the Christian life because it reminds us of who we are and where we are going. It moves us away from the bumper sticker philosophy to the life described in Psalm 96.

As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:

May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you: wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness: protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing; at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.

I delight greatly in the Lord; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. For as the soil makes the sprout come up and a garden causes seeds to grow, so the Sovereign Lord will make righteousness and praise spring up before all nations…You will be a crown of splendor in the Lord’s hand, a royal diadem in the hand of your God (Isaiah 61:10-62:3).

In ancient times, the week prior to a wedding was time for celebration, with the men celebrating in one area and the women in another. On the day of the wedding, the bride was led to her groom’s home dressed in a gown he had provided for her. There another round of feasting occurred before the bride and groom went to the wedding chamber.

These ancient wedding customs lie behind the verses of our text. Knowing them is helpful for understanding Isaiah, but even more, to understand how this theme plays in the New Testament. In Ephesians 5, Paul writes that the church will appear before Christ “without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless” (5:27). Revelation 19 adds, “For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear. (Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of the saints)” (7-8). Both passages are rooted in our text.

The wedding of Jesus and his bride, the church, will be the final act of this age. Rooted in Isaiah’s imagery, the New Testament makes the point that we are currently in the week of wedding preparation. Two things happen in that week: dressing up and celebration. Earlier, Isaiah wrote that God promises to bestow on the grieving “a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair” (Isaiah 61:3).

Praise and thanksgiving are the natural response to grace that has been received and experienced. Inspired and gifted poets help us to voice this praise. Hymns such as Amazing Grace and In Christ Alone give us words to express our praise for God’s grace which we have experienced in Christ.

Because we live between the two comings of our Lord, the Christian life is characterized by joy. There are times when it becomes buried under the griefs and hardships of life in this sin-stained world. Yet, it keeps rising again, leaking quietly back into our lives, filling us with thanksgiving and with expectation and hope for what is to come.

Celebration marks the Christian life; but also, ‘dressing up.’ Notice how Isaiah phrases things, “For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness” (10). Also take in what John sees, “Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear” (Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of the saints) (Revelation 19:8).

God does for us what we cannot do for ourselves, that is, make us like himself, to behave as he does. To Titus Paul wrote, “Jesus Christ gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good” (2:13-14). Forgiveness of sin is not the end; it is only the means. The end is that we should live out the righteousness of God by faith. We cannot live out this righteousness in our own strength. Only as we believe, that through his Spirit, Jesus is giving us cloths of his own righteousness, do we discover God making us holy.

Shall we go to the wedding feast of the Lamb clothed in the rags of our own failures? Surely not! We come to the celebration clothed in a gown of righteous behavior. Jesus has caused this garment to grow through the power of the Holy Spirit. Isaiah invites us to lift our eyes from the horror of our own sin and to see the glory of what Jesus is doing in us. Like the ancients, let’s celebrate as we get ready.

As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:

“May God himself, the God who makes everything holy and whole, make you holy and whole, put you together—spirit, soul, and body—and keep you fit for the coming of our Master, Jesus Christ. The One who called you is completely dependable. If he said it, he’ll do it” (5:23).

A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text 2 Samuel 2. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!

To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca

1. What do you see as the goal of a sermon?
2. How should we understand the long story of David? What is the question that propels the first part of David’s story? If you were in David’s place, how would you have responded to the news of Saul’s death?
3. Ecclesiastes 3:4 says there is a time for mourning and weeping. How easily do you do this? Have you? Will you? As a society, are we losing our ability to accept death?
4. Do you take time to develop good friendships?
5. David submitted his ambitions to God. What ambitions do you need to submit to God?

“Praise the Lord, all you nations; extol him, all you peoples. For great is his love toward us, and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever. Praise the Lord” (Psalm 117).

God does not require long prayers. The issue is not the length of the words, but the intention of our hearts. For this reason, Jesus warned us about elaborate praying, believing that we are heard for our many words (Matthew 6:7). Brief praise is enough when it expresses our relationship with the Lord.

And that is what this brief psalm does. Its a simple yet powerful statement about the relationship between Israel and her God. In ancient Israel, it was recited towards the end of the Passover celebration. It was part of her thanksgiving to God for redeeming her, recited with a goblet of wine in hand.

As we echo Israel and recite, `Praise the Lord,' we declare our intention to praise God. And it is an invitation for others of all nations to join us.

The second stanza begins with the preposition 'for'. We praise the Lord 'because'. There is a reason for praise. The question is 'because why'. And the psalmist answers for us: because of the Lord's love and faithfulness towards us. These are two of God's self-descriptive words to Moses in Exodus 34:6.

Since that time God had shown himself to be true to his word. The psalm doesn’t linger here but does invite us to fill in our story of God’s love and faithfulness. Our story begins with Jesus, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). With this beginning, we tell our own story of redemption.

Like Psalm 117, this verse expands our focus to those not yet part of the worshipping community. An essential element of worship is to declare the greatness of our God, not for those praising, but for those listening in. The uniqueness of this short prayer is that it is focussed on the Gentiles. They too are upon God's heart. They too need to know Him. But how will they know him if no one tells them? He is the Creator of all, and He will become the Redeemer of all.

The fulfilment of this psalm now rests in the church carrying out the Great Commission. Jesus commands the apostles to make disciples of all the nations (Matthew 28:18-20). Obedience to this command is essential for the church's life. God wants those from every tongue and tribe and nation before His throne.

Our neglect to send missionaries or go ourselves is disobedience. Only as we witness to the world can we pray this psalm with integrity. This is a short prayer for a missionary heart. Witness begins with declaring the praises of our God.

As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:

May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you: wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness: protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing; at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.

"Praise awaits you, O God, in Zion; to you our vows will be fulfilled. O you who hear prayer, to you all people will come. When we were overwhelmed by sins, you forgave our transgressions. Blessed are those you choose and bring near to live in your courts! We are filled with the good things of your house, of your holy temple.…You care for the land and water it; you enrich it abundantly. The streams of God are filled with water to provide the people with grain, for so you have ordained it” (Psalm 65:1-4,9).

Reading through the psalms can feel like riding a rollercoaster. Psalm 64 is a deep introspection into the cunningness of our hearts. From the darkness of the human heart, Psalm 65 ushers us into the glories of God’s movements in the cosmos.

Yet the distance between the two is but the blink of an eye. This psalm does not ignore the realities of human sinfulness. Rather, it recognizes that the disasters we create are overwhelming. We get buried under the chaos our schemes create. The only way to get ‘unburied’ is to turn to God and God alone. In his goodness, God comes to the rescue. That is what this psalm is about.

If we are stuck in the darkness of the misery we have caused, or others have caused for us, this psalm offers us profound hope.

It plays two melodies. The first is the praise that describes the power of God. Those who are near him are blessed. He is the God of salvation, whose power controls the raging of nature and of human affairs. It is our Lord who gives the land fertility and brings about the joy of its great productivity. His awe-inspiring deeds bring about the reverential fear of all who dwell in it.

For Israel, God's presence was centred in Jerusalem, His holy city. But His works extended out to immense horizons of creation and history. He is the Hearer of Prayer unto whom all people may come. For Christians, we believe that, through Jesus, everyone is invited to come before God in prayer (Hebrews 10:19-22) and receive his grace.

God visits the earth and moves through it like a conqueror, but unlike human conquerors he does not leave it desolate. His trail through the land leaves fertility and abundance behind, unlike armies of old and today who leave destruction and famine and starvation in their wake. Fatness drips from the tracks of the great Hearer of Prayer. This is the first melody of Psalm 65.

The second are the petitions which ask God to pour forth His blessings. In God's rule of the universe, He does not need our prayers, yet He desires them. The strong word of Scripture is that we don't receive if we don't ask.

Thus, we turn to the great Hearer of Prayer for forgiveness of our transgressions. And he forgives, true. But the word translated ‘forgave’ has a richer meaning. It says, “you make atonement for”. God not only forgives, he also sets things right. That is what this psalm leans into. We wreck relationships, we devastate the planet, we refuse to give justice, but God does not do these things. He is the God of redemption.

The strongest impact of the psalm is surely in the joy over the gift of rain and the flourishing which results from God’s coming. He sustains His creation with active involvement in its mountains and oceans, its water supply, and its harvests, bringing life amid human devastation.

His work is to undo all the damage we bring. Surely, this is what Jesus meant when he said, “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I too am working”. This comment after he enabled a lame man to walk (John 5:17).

The melodies of this Psalm sing of His saving power throughout creation and of our prayers for complete redemption. They are in captured in the yearning of the Bible’s closing prayer, “Amen. Come, Lord Jesus” (Revelation 22:20). A good psalm for a new year.

As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:

May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you: wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness: protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing; at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.

Our text is from Luke 2:46-47 Lost

After three days they [Jesus’ parents] found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers (Luke 2:46-47).

Of all the stories about Jesus’ childhood, why would Luke choose to tell this story? Certainly, there were more interesting ones; stories that would give us a flavour of what his youth was like. Luke chooses to tell us this story to fill in the portrait of Jesus he has been painting. In Philippians 3, Paul details how in his early life he was the perfect Jew. Jesus is pictured with similar colours. He was born to and raised by pious Jewish parents. Only men were required to attend the religious festivals in Jerusalem, so Mary’s going shows deep family piety.

With this family setting, Luke invites us to consider the kinds of things our children learn from us. Do our words and actions match the faith teaching that we offer our children and grandchildren? Is our piety mostly showy, as Jesus decries in Matthew 6, or does it show a deep faith in God’s activity in this world? Can those around us notice our growing faith?

Further, Jesus and his parents were well integrated into their community. The trip from Nazareth to Jerusalem took three days and folks traveled in caravans for protection. That Jesus’ parents did not worry about him for the first day, indicates that they fully expected others to be looking out for him. They were likely looking out for other children and youth. This tidbit suggests that Jesus’ family was very ordinary.

In that day, it was not unusual for students to gather at the feet of the rabbis to discuss the Jewish faith, their understanding of God, and how to live faithfully with him. This was usually in a group question-and-answer discussion format, as Luke indicates. Thus, Jesus’ interaction with the rabbis was not unusual. That he didn’t leave Jerusalem with his parents was unusual, but Luke does not put the focus there.

His intention is that we recognize that even at this young age, Jesus has amazing knowledge of the things of God. Those listening to him are astonished at his understanding, a reaction that will occur later to Jesus’ miraculous work (8:56). Already early in life Jesus values the pursuit of comprehending God.

I think Luke wants us to understand that Jesus’ pursuit of God was not a product of his unique sonship with God. Rather, it was the outcome of a life lived among those who walked with God. It pictures how all of us should prioritize our lives before God. The way he lived his life and pursued God faithfully reflects how we should seek God’s face. When David was dying, he counselled his son with these words, “If you seek [the Lord], he will be found by you” (1 Chronicles 28:9). Luke is illustrating this truth.

Finally, this story illustrates something that one of Jesus’ brothers would later write, “whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do” (James 1:25). Later, Jesus and the religious leaders would come to logger heads, but that was because they were threatened by him. They refused to believe that he was the Son of God. They pursued their own power rather than submitting to the Lord. Jesus began by submitting to them.

As you ponder the year that was, consider these things.

As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:

May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you: wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness: protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing; at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.