Joshua 1 and Encouragement

Hello world,
I know some of you may be anticipating the post about the future. Some details are still "under construction" but I can tell you, I know, I am confident that the Lord has called me back to Latvia longer term. I am currently looking at late August to take a trip back there and moving forward with those plans. Like I said, the details are in the works and I will share more as I get things set in stone. Now I had to give you this short synopsis in order for this post to make sense. Now that you know some of that, let's get started. :)

The other night I had a dream, a very vivid dream. A dear friend was in the dream and in it, she sent me the scripture Psalm 143:7-8. I don't remember much from the dream but I remember her giving me the scripture and then me searching frantically for those verses but I could not find them. So when I woke up the next morning, the dream was still fresh in my mind, so I grabbed my bible and looked up these verses. Here they are:
"Answer me quickly, LORD; my spirit fails. Do not hide your face from me or I will be like those who go down to the pit. Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life." Psalm 143:7-8

Now as I read this and prayed about this, the verse that stuck out to me was 8. Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life. As I prepare for the future, I know I cannot do this on my own. I know I cannot get back to Latvia on my own plans and my own strength. But I do know that I trust God. I trust the plan He has for me and as He shows me what next step to take, I will boldly and in trust, take that next step. I know there will be moments on this journey that will be exhausting, there will be moments where I may feel defeated or may be overwhelmed, but as I read His word, as Psalm 143 tells me, it is there I will find His unfailing love and His plan for me. :) That's a great promise! :) Then last night I felt in my heart to start studying Joshua again. I read the first chapter and that was all I needed. I will post them here and then tell you all of my revelations. :)

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 Mediterranean Sea in the west. No one will be able to stand 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 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.”

So Joshua ordered the officers of the people: “Go through the camp and tell the people, ‘Get your provisions 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.’”

But to the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh, Joshua said, “Remember the command that Moses the servant of the LORD gave you after he said, ‘The LORD your God will give you rest by giving you this land.’ Your wives, your children and your livestock may stay in the land that Moses gave you east of the Jordan, but all your fighting men, ready for battle, must cross over ahead of the other Israelites. You are to help them until the LORD gives them rest, as he has done for you, and until they too have taken possession of the land the LORD your God is giving them. After that, you may go back and occupy your own land, which Moses the servant of the LORD gave you east of the Jordan toward the sunrise.”

Then they answered Joshua, “Whatever you have commanded us we will do, and wherever you send us we will go. Just as we fully obeyed Moses, so we will obey you. Only may the LORD your God be with you as he was with Moses. Whoever rebels against your word and does not obey it, whatever you may command them, is to be put to death. Only be strong and courageous!”

Many things stuck out to me in these verses.
1. "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." In here it says, be careful to obey.....then it talks about success. Now we could go into a whole post about what is success, but that's not the point. But what is the point is that obedience must come first. You, or I, cannot wait for success first to then say, "okay Lord, now I'll be obedient". No, obedience must come first, then success will follow. I know what God has called me to do, so now I must be obedient. Step by step, each one is a step of obedience. :) Thanks AweStar :)
2. "Have I not commanded you?" This is when the Lord was speaking to Joshua. So when it says, "have I not commanded you" the I who is speaking is the Lord. When small glimpses of selfishness set in, I must remember this verse. Hasn't the Lord commanded me to go? I must be obedient! I think I have some understanding of where a disobedient life gets you, but now that I have a deeper understanding for the call on my life, I would really hate to see where a disobedient life would get me now. NO place I want to be for sure. The LORD, the One whose plans cannot fail, has commanded me to go! I think I will trust His plans, not my own!
3. The third and last thing for tonight. In the first chapter which consists of 18 verses, it says be strong and courageous 4 times! I think if something is repeated, and especially 4 times in one chapter, the author must really mean it. As I read this, I felt the Lord tenderly speaking to me, BE STRONG AND COURAGEOUS Alesha! Be strong in the Lord! Be courageous to trust the Lord! Take that next step in faith and charge forward with what God has commanded you!

So as I wrap this up, thanks for hanging in with me for this long post. But I have a great confidence in this. I know that with each step, I must be obedient. God isn't going to show me the whole picture at once, but step by step, walk in obedience! I know who has commanded me! The God whose plans never fail, whose love is unfailing, and the One who cannot be defeated! And now that I know who has commanded me, I must obediently walk with His strength and His courage! :)