So last week I told y’all how I was entering a season that I knew would be filled with more rejection than I face on a regular basis. You can read about it here. I also told you how I wasn’t writing for you…I was writing for me.

Well, you all stepped on the scene and proved me wrong. I received messages, DMs, and comments, reminding me that I’m writing for all of us.

It’s why Black Girl Musings exists. BGM is for the, “Oh my gosh, girl me too!” moments. I appreciate you all for reminding me of that.

So since last week we talked about what we learn from rejection, this week we have to remember that success is still coming.

Meet Joshua

Joshua is a biblical rider.

He was Moses’ right hand man. Joshua was one of the Israelites who followed Moses out of captivity on their journey to the promised land. Moses sent Joshua and a few others to go scope the scene of the promised land and see who and what was there. But, there was a perceived problem.

While the land overflowed with milk and honey, there were also some scary looking people on the land God said belonged to the Israelites. The men didn’t want that smoke. So the majority of them went back and told everyone else if they went, they would get crushed, which started an uproar of people complaining about not wanting to go to a land God already said was theirs with all the resources they would ever need.

Fear will make you reject what already belongs to you.
But that’s for a whole ‘nother blog post.

Why do we think the promise comes without a process?
Also, another post.

In their complaining, God gave them what they wanted. The Israelites didn’t go into the promised land. What they weren’t prepared for was to spend the next 40 years in the wilderness. God wouldn’t bring anyone but Joshua and his homeboy Caleb into the promised land. God waited out the Israelites in those 40 years, until all who complained had died.

And this, my friends, is why Joshua is a rider.

Even though he was down to step into the land God had given him, he endured the punishment of the Israelites with Moses and the others and wandered in the wilderness for 40 years as Moses’ assistant.

So our story begins, after Moses has died, and God has appointed Joshua as the new leader.

God’s Promise

3 I promise you what I promised Moses: ‘Wherever you set foot, you will be on land I have given you-‘

7 Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the instruction Moses gave you. Do not deviate from them, turning either to the right or left. Then you will be successful in everything you do. 8 Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do. 9 This is my commandment–be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

Joshua 1:3, 7-9

His presence gives us courage.

God tells Joshua to be strong and courageous over and over in this chapter. I often feel guilty about this particular instruction from the Lord when I feel everything but strong and courageous.

It wasn’t until reading this scripture that two things hit me.

1. Being strong and courageous ≠ feeling strong courageous.
2. I often “feel” courageous when I have confidence in myself.

And self confidence is wonderful, as long it isn’t where you place your hope. The moment you aren’t confident, then where does your hope go?

God’s continued presence is far more stable than my waivering view of myself.

It’s his presence that creates the conditions for my courage.

His guaranteed success requires our dedicated obedience.

The promise comes with a process.

You know why I don’t always fully live out what God is calling me to?
Because I want to create my own process and apply his promise.

I want to hold fast to the “…you will be successful in everything you do,” but I forget about the “be careful to obey all the instructions…do not deviate from them, turning either to the right or left.”

Our success is living right in the middle of the directions we won’t follow.

I won’t even tell you not to look at me like that, girl.
I want to look at myself that way too.

But I love us too much not to tell us the truth.

We’ll never get the same outcome by taking God’s promise and trying to execute our plan. The plans we execute have to be from God.

And aren’t you glad about it? All we gotta do is:
– Stay close to God for protection
– Follow the directions He provides

Bet. That feels infinitely better than stumbling through life not knowing what the heck I’m doing.

Not all land is your land.

This I’m just going to drop straight from my journal. I was sitting in quiet time with the Lord when I heard this:

Daughter,

When I told Joshua wherever he sets foot, he will be on land I have given him, it’s because I was ordering his steps and I want to do the same for you. So stop becoming inwardly discouraged through this process when I send you a no.

Don’t you see that wasn’t land you should have set foot on?

The Big G

When I receive a change in plan whether it be through redirection or rejection, I will know it’s because it’s not land I should have stepped foot on.

There is magic in our musings, processes, and success,
Nicole