DAILY TRUTH - Providence & Presence ｜ Two Forms Of Grace Through Trials
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Summary
In the midst of trials, God is gracious in his revelation, in his word, and in his presence. God is also gracious in the words He speaks to them. God has already given them the command, "Do not be afraid of them," and they don't need a reiteration of that command. They know what is expected of them, they know what they are called to do, and they know exactly what God has commanded them to do.
Transcript
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In less than a year, our podcast has gone from an average of 10,000 downloads a month
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to 50,000 downloads. What made the difference? You leaving us a five-star review. The more
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positive reviews, the more the algorithm picks us up, and more people are confronted by the law
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and gospel of Jesus Christ. Help us press forward the crown rights of King Jesus by leaving us a
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five-star review on your favorite podcast platform. Thanks. God is also gracious in his
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revelation, in his word, not just what he orchestrates through providence in terms of
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degrees of challenges at various times, but he's also gracious in his explicit word to his people.
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What God says to Joshua in verse six is, do not be afraid of them. And God would be perfectly
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within his rights to say nothing. God's already given them the command. They don't need a
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reiteration of what obedience would look like. The command was given multiple times through Moses
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before Joshua ever even came into leadership. And the command has been remade several times
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underneath Joshua's command. They know what is expected of them. They know precisely what God
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has commanded them to do namely to drive out all the wicked pagan inhabitants of the land
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what i'm saying is that in this moment as joshua and israel are surrounded by
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the greatest number of opposition they've faced yet god is not obligated in any sense
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to speak to them why because god has already spoken he's not spoken in riddles or rhymes
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but he's spoken plainly. They know their marching orders. They know God's command. They know
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precisely what they are called and commanded, expected by God to do, to go to war, to face down
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the enemy, to face them with courage, with everything that they have, every resource
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available to them, and to give no quarter, no surrender, no peace treaties to be made,
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but to face the opposition head on and to put all the wicked inhabitants of this land to the edge
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of the sword. Israel is not ignorant, but God is gracious. Israel is not ignorant, but God is
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gracious. He does not speak in this instance because there is a need for clarity. He speaks
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in this instance solely on the basis of his mercy, because there's a need for courage.
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Israel doesn't need clarity. The clarity has already been provided. But what Israel
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continually needs again and again and again is fresh courage. And even that is an indictment
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of Israel. And it is an indictment of us as New Testament Christians today.
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God has already provided enough merciful confirmation of his presence, his help, his aid, his faithfulness to his covenant people.
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They shouldn't need what I'm saying is that they should not need in this moment another encouragement from the Lord.
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he's already encouraged them quite enough and not merely in word but indeed he has proven
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his presence his faithfulness his provision to his people and yet he comes to them not just
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in providence what he orchestrates in the natural sense but he comes to them in his explicit
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presence in his word saying i'm with you take courage do not be afraid of them for tomorrow
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at this time i will give over all of them slain to israel so god is gracious in the midst of trials
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in two ways one in his providence allowing us to face trials as we are able by god's grace to
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overcome them and second god is gracious not only in his providence but in his presence
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that he speaks to his people and gives us fresh encouragement from his word by the holy spirit
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his presence dwelling within us illuminating the text of scripture reminding us of all the promises
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of god not just 10 years ago when we first began the christian life but today his mercies are new
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today every morning fresh grace fresh bread fresh encouragement even though we may be facing
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the thousandth challenge and should know by now that the lord is with us he still reminds his
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people he speaks to us as a father speaks to his child so that's god's grace in the
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midst of trials his providence and his presence