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WORD FOR THE WEEK
Inspirational Articles by Elle Bailey

Encouragement is the best gift that you can give to anyone. It's appropriate for any occasion. It's always a perfect fit. It's accepted and appreciated universally. And in this day and age, it's sorely needed by men, women and children from all walks of life. So whether you're soaring like an eagle or you've had your wings clipped just a bit, the word for the week will inspire you to give faith a fighting chance as you work to make today's dreams tomorrow's reality.
Get In Position


Scripture:

After the death of Moses the servant of the LORD, the LORD said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses' aide: "Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them--to the Israelites. I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses. Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the great river, the Euphrates--all the Hittite country--to the Great Sea on the west. No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. "Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give them. Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go." So Joshua ordered the officers of the people: "Go through the camp and tell the people, 'Get your supplies ready. Three days from now you will cross the Jordan here to go in and take possession of the land the LORD your God is giving you for your own.' " (Josh. 1:1-11 NIV)


At the Closing Ceremony of the XXX Olympiad which was held in Great Britain, Prince Harry, the younger son of Prince Charles and the late Princess Diana represented the monarchy in his grandmother’s absence. As the second son of Prince Charles and younger brother of Prince William, Harry is third in line for the British throne. Should his father and brother become incapacitated or otherwise unable to serve, he would inherit the throne on his grandmother’s death.

Positioning is key when it comes to matters of inheritance. While man-made monarchies tend to rely on birth order as the basis for their succession plans, God tends to view obedience as a determining factor in His succession plans. He chooses leaders who study His word, believe in His promises and obey His commands. What’s more, He uses servants who are strong and courageous, who follow instructions and who are relentless in their pursuit of the goals which He sets for them. That’s clearly the case in this passage of scripture pertaining to Moses’ successor Joshua. While Joshua’s success often has been attributed to his faith and fearlessness, perhaps equally important was his position. As Moses’ apprentice, Joshua had an excellent opportunity to learn skills that would serve him well when he became leader of the Israelites. Note that Joshua maintained his position as Moses’ apprentice. He did not try to stage a coup or otherwise undermine Moses’ authority. Nor did he take a group and splinter off to form another community. Joshua simply maintained his position as Moses’ faithful servant and in due season God promoted him to the role of leader. As a result of his preparation and patience, Joshua was ready to take the reins when they were handed over to him. Not only was he a capable and competent leader, but he was an effective communicator and commander as well. Those qualities were essential since his early responsibilities as leader of the Israelites included crossing the Jordan River and fighting the battle of Jericho on their way to conquering Canaan. Though each of those events was somewhat of a major undertaking, Joshua was successful every step of the way because he maintained his position. He fully obeyed both the will and the Word of God.  

Just as God kept sinners in Canaan preparing the land for the saints, He has unjust folks minding stores of wealth and resources which He intends to transfer to the just among us (Prov. 13:22, Prov. 28:8, Eccl. 2:26, Job 27:13-19, Exo. 12:35-36). For our part, however, we have to get in position in order to receive such blessings. For example, we have to be strong and courageous. We have to study the Bible and meditate on it daily. And perhaps most important we have to obey the will of God. 

As legendary inventor Thomas Edison once said, “We should remember that good fortune often happens when opportunity meets with preparation.” While it’s God’s responsibility to provide us with opportunities, it’s our responsibility to be prepared to take advantage of them. So like an heir to the British throne, get in position. Take full advantage of your training and testing so that when the time comes for your ascension, when the time comes for the transfer of wealth and power, you will be able to rise to the occasion. Like Joshua, get in position so that you can handle the transition both seamlessly and successfully.  


Peace and blessings.


Elle Bailey
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