Please read Acts 8:26-40 

For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, Ephesians 2:14 

so is my word that goes out from my mouth:

It will not return to me empty,

but will accomplish what I desire

and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. Isaiah 55:11

Witness: To have knowledge of (an event or change) from personal observation or experience.

I’ve grown-up in church all my life. To tell you the truth, I can’t really remember much about life before I began attending at the tender age of 5. In my time and experience within the walls of the church and Christian school, I have heard countless sermons and talks about witnessing. For a long time, I was really confused about my role in evangelism and witnessing, and if I am honest the notion terrified me. I often panicked and worried about saying the wrong thing or doing something silly that would drive someone away from Jesus instead of toward Him.

It wasn’t until I was in my late 20’s that I realized that God never commanded us to save people. He only asked us to share what we have witnessed—to share the story of what Christ has done in and through us. This thought has made all the difference in the world. I don’t need complicated words or theories, I just need to share how Jesus has personally worked in me to change me. Like the farmer in Matthew 13, we go out and sow seed. Where it falls and the responses of the soil are not for us to worry about. As 2 Timothy 2:4 encourages us, we need only to be ready in season and out of season to share what God has done in us.

This sharing can come in many forms. We can speak to crowds, but for most of us Christ is shared in the office, over coffee, as we parent, going through the drive-through, or standing in line at the grocery store. It begins with praying for those around us to have hearts that are stirred and prepared to hear the Good News. I guess St. Francis of Assisi was right when he said, “Preach the Gospel at all times. If necessary use words.”

We all have a story to share and our own creative ways in which to share it. Remember, witnessing is just sharing what you have seen and personally experienced. It is seen in the everyday mundane ways we live our lives and it is spoken in boldness. How can you be a great witness to those around you today? Maybe it is in a meaningful conversation, or maybe it is as simple as holding the door or leaving an encouraging note. Get creative, share your story, and shine your light.

By Sheila Rennau

And after the whole nation had been circumcised, they remained where they were in camp until they were healed. Joshua 5:8

I think waiting just might be one of the most painful things we do as humans. Prone to impatience, waiting is not only difficult for us, it’s seemingly unnatural. When the time period of waiting is elongated, patience begins to wane. We all just want to get to the “good part,” be it in a story or in life. I am sure this is just as true for you as I know it is for me. It is a frustrating prospect to be still, especially when forward motion is once again halted.

I can only imagine that the nation of Israel must have been thoroughly frustrated at finally crossing the Jordan, only to have to stop and have yet another delay. But, God’s timing is always perfect, and His plans are always sure. Even in the waiting, He can be trusted. Israel needed to learn this lesson, and so do we. The delay was not a punishment or some power-trip God was playing. God had called the nation of Israel to separate themselves from the other nations through the process of circumcision.

This process is painful enough for infants in our day, but even more so for the grown men in Israel’s. Before Abraham’s descendants could enter fully into the promise, claiming all God had in store for them, they needed to be set apart and distinct from other nations. This was painful, but they also needed the gracious gift of time to heal and rest, physically, before they charged into battle. Waiting was part of the process.

All of us have gone through a season of pain, be it physically, mentally, emotionally, or spiritually. Our Western view says to suck it up, get back to work, and to rush the process, but a healthier alternative is to take the gift of time given to us and to wait, rest, and heal. Processes that are rushed often end in disaster. But when we allow Time to do the work God has given it to do, we can be the very best version of who God designed us to be.

Is there a difficult conversation that you need to have, or possibly a difficult task that you need to do? I would encourage you to take it to God in prayer, then to take the first step toward real healing and lovingly bring up that subject or courageously begin that task.

By Sheila Rennau

When the whole nation had finished crossing the Jordan, the Lord said to Joshua, “Choose twelve men from among the people, one from each tribe, and tell them to take up twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan, from right where the priests are standing, and carry them over with you and put them down at the place where you stay tonight.”

So Joshua called together the twelve men he had appointed from the Israelites, one from each tribe, and said to them, “Go over before the ark of the Lord your God into the middle of the Jordan. Each of you is to take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the Israelites, to serve as a sign among you. In the future, when your children ask you, ‘What do these stones mean?’ tell them that the flow of the Jordan was cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord. When it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. These stones are to be a memorial to the people of Israel forever.”

So the Israelites did as Joshua commanded them. They took twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan, according to the number of the tribes of the Israelites, as the Lord had told Joshua; and they carried them over with them to their camp, where they put them down. Joshua set up the twelve stones that had been in the middle of the Jordan at the spot where the priests who carried the ark of the covenant had stood. And they are there to this day. Joshua 4:1-9

In today’s passage, the children of Israel created an Ebenezer (stones of remembrance), to tell of God’s goodness to them in leading them to the Promised Land. For approximately 14,600 days the Israelites had walked through the desert. While they never did get to enter the Promised Land because of their complaining and disobedience, their children did. Just as God parted the Red Sea, in a magnificent show of strength and power to help Israel escape Egypt forty years prior, God once again parted the water to bring Israel to their new home. To commemorate this auspicious event, the LORD commanded the Israelites, though Joshua, to take twelve stones from the Jordan, one for each tribe, and create an Ebenezer—a memorial to remember generation after generation what the LORD had done.

I have always been fascinated by the idea of an Ebenezer, but the concept never became real to me until I had an opportunity to create my own. In my own personal life, and not too recent past, I walked through my own wilderness season. Due to an unexpected job loss and injuries sustained from a car accident, my world was turned upside down. I went through a crisis of career, identity, finances and hope, wondering if life would ever be normal again. The pain and sheer exhaustion I felt permeated not only my body, but also my mind, emotions and soul. For 1,243 days I walked in what felt like circles, wading through circumstances as sticky and thick as mud. Then, as only God can, in the middle of a pandemic when jobs are scarce, I got a call offering me a job in my chosen field. This gift has not only helped my family, but has lifted my heart to a new place and allowed me to see God with fresh eyes. To commemorate this joyous news, I created homemade thank you cards to all the people and organizations that prayed and supported me. From the paper used for said cards, I took a scrap and created a piece of art with a memorable verse that had sustained me through the hard times. It sits on my shelf, and every time I see it I remember what God did—what seemed impossible that God made possible.

This week, think through your own journey. Perhaps create an Ebenezer of your own while being encouraged by the song “Do it Again.”

By Sheila Rennau

 Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their ancestors 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. Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; 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 afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go. Joshua 1:6-9

Be strong and courageous. Three times this command is spoken by the LORD to Joshua. But why? It might help to look at his circumstances to understand what God commands, why He commands it, and how good God is in Joshua’s life.

Moses, the great deliverer of Israel, Joshua’s mentor and friend, who walked by Joshua’s side for 40 years through the punishment of the wilderness, is dead. The time to enter the Promised Land has finally come and the mantle of leadership has been passed to Joshua. A million people are now under his care. The land is a land Joshua has never fully seen; flowing with milk, honey…and enemies. This conquest would not be a cakewalk. This was, after all, the land of giants. There was much work to be done, many people to fight, and it will take more strength than Joshua possesses. In the midst of all this turmoil and angst, God commands Joshua to be strong and courageous, not in and of himself, but in the Lord’s power.

Joshua was essentially being commanded to be at peace. God knew the task would be difficult, even at times impossible. But God promised Joshua His presence. Joshua had nothing to fear. As God was with Moses, so God would be with Joshua.

Right now we are facing some scary things as a society. The current pandemic, failing economy, raging wildfires and uncertainty around our elections has set many on edge. But in the midst of such upheaval and pandemonium we can be strong and courageous like Joshua, knowing and experiencing God’s peace right now in the moment that we need it. God has promised to walk with us through the fire and through the flood. We can face the future, no matter who sits in the White House, how this pandemic or economy turns, or how bad the blazes rage, knowing God is and always will be on His throne. He sees, hears, cares for, and loves us. We are commanded to have strength and courage too,

Take something heavy from around your house and lift it up. Do the same with a light object. Use them remember that no matter the weight of the burden, God is lifting it with you and giving you the strength and courage to do so. This week, consider reading Psalm 68 to remind your heart that God is with you every step of the journey.

By Sheila Rennau