Recording:

I have observed that in many workplaces, people's inherent nature is a significant issue. For instance, in church, I often hear brothers and sisters say, There are only a few people like Joseph and Jacob; they were specially chosen by God. At first glance, it sounds right, but upon closer inspection, there is a problem. In fact, Joseph and Elijah, as recorded in the Bible, had the same nature as we do, but the difference between them and us is that they chose to overcome their inherent nature.

I have done extensive research on career planning. During the career planning process, I encountered a very troubling issue, which I then studied extensively, and that is interest. If anyone wants to learn about it, they can listen online to something called Basic Concepts of Career Planning. Interest is very harmful because it is an inherent nature, and people do not realize that this inborn nature is very harmful.

For example, a girl said, Pastor, I am very interested in multimedia. I asked her to create a webpage, but half a year passed and the webpage was not completed. When I saw her again, she told me that she was no longer interested in multimedia. Do you know why? Because it was too difficult. She retreated as soon as she encountered difficulties, thinking she would be interested in something else, so she tried it, but after encountering problems, she lost interest again. She tried this and that, and ended up accomplishing nothing, wasting her life.

My own experience is that I am fortunate to believe in God and know that human nature is corrupting. In the past, when I was working, I had to manage my subordinates and some trivial matters. As an engineer, I especially liked technical work, but I got a headache when it came to trivial things like processing employee vacation requests, scheduling shifts, and submitting expense reports. However, for the sake of the salary, I still had to do it. So I started to convince myself, often telling myself that I had to like this job, like doing these things, and later I really liked doing it and did it very quickly.

Human nature is very harmful, so do not be impulsive or go with the flow, but overcome your inherent nature. If you do not act according to your inherent nature, you will definitely become a successful person. Some people write books carelessly, and the books tell you to do what you are interested in. This sentence has harmed many people because it caters to human nature. Human nature has many aspects, such as fear, panic, and laziness within people. We will focus on these aspects and overcome these inherent natures.

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. (Joshua 1:5-9)

The background of this passage is that after Moses died, Joshua became the successor to Moses, leading the Israelites into the Promised Land. Moses was a man who performed many miracles. Joshua took over Moses' position and faced this unprecedented responsibility. Joshua's heart was full of fear and dread.

Joshua's Fears

First point: Joshua feared this group of Israelites

Joshua took over nearly three million people, a very large group. This group of Israelites often rebelled, created trouble, and complained, making them very difficult to manage. Joshua was extremely afraid.

Second point: Facing the giants of Canaan frightened them

They were to cross the Jordan River into Palestine, which is where Israel is today, but that land had the giants of the Anakites, very tall giants. Archaeologists have also discovered the skeletons of giants. They are curious about how the large stones on Easter Island were moved. In that distant era, there were giants who saw the Israelites as grasshoppers, and who felt like grasshoppers themselves. Yet they were to enter that land, kill those giants, and occupy that land as their inheritance. But the Israelites' physique and weapons were no match for those giants. The city also had strong walls, and in the battlefield, swords had no eyes and it was easy to die or be injured. All of these made them afraid.

Third point: Fearing the absence of God

Everyone witnessed God's presence with Moses, but now that Moses was dead, Joshua was unclear whether God was with him. In this situation, Joshua prayed to God, telling Him about the situation he was facing, and God responded to him directly with the above passage. In this passage, He speaks of being strong and courageous three times. Do you choose fear or do you choose to be strong and courageous? Your choice is important. Although Joshua had not yet entered Canaan at this time, the days that followed proved that what God accomplished in Joshua was true, and no one could stand before Joshua. The first battle after crossing the Jordan River was the collapse of the walls of Jericho. Did the Israelites themselves collapse the walls? No, God destroyed the walls, causing the entire city of Jericho to be captured.

Do not have the mistaken idea that Joshua was specially chosen by God and you are not. Joshua was also a timid person, so God had to tell him to be strong and courageous three times. If one is brave, God would not need to say that.

Joshua's Nature Reversed

Seeking God

He also looked at the environment and worried, but he had a characteristic: he was a person who sought God. The Bible records that a very tall angel with a sword in his hand, the sword drawn, Joshua went to the angel and asked, Are you for us or for our enemies? The angel replied to Joshua, I have come as commander of the Lord's army. (See Joshua 5) If our battle is a real sword and a real gun, man against man, then it is a comparison of muscles and weapons. If the battle is about possessing the heavenly power behind us, then it is different.

There is a story in the Bible where the King of Aram sent his troops to surround the Israelite prophet Elisha, intending to kill him. Elisha's servant was terrified, but Elisha opened his servant's eyes, allowing him to see that outside their tent were many heavenly soldiers and angels guarding and protecting them, preventing the army of the King of Aram from approaching Elisha. So what we see today is crucial. We must not look with worldly eyes but with spiritual eyes. With mighty angels as our commander to help us, how can we not be victorious? A mighty angel appeared to Joshua, allowing him to see that this battle was not about comparing weapons and strength with worldly eyes and worldly logic, but about the spiritual power behind us.

Obeying God

When he chose to obey God, all the shortcomings in his life, the same as you and me, were overcome. A person who can overcome his own inherent nature is an extraordinary person. So the Bible says that we are new creations. What is a new creation: It is a person who no longer lives according to his original carnal nature.

God's Conditional Promise to Joshua

As I was with Moses, so I will be with you

God is a faithful God. He knows the timidity within us, the fear that fills our hearts. But God promised Joshua that He would never abandon him, nor forsake him. We believe in God's promise to Joshua, we are filled with faith in God's promise, then God's promise to Joshua is also a promise to us.

No enemy will be able to stand against you all the days of your life

The difficulties we face are greater than our innate nature. Therefore, do not act according to human nature. Do not fix your eyes on the difficulties, because when you focus on the difficulties you face, you will magnify the difficulties infinitely and underestimate the power of God. Know that God is greater than all, the ruler of the universe. God is in control of everything. By relying on God, nothing can trap us, and difficulties are always under our feet.

Your way will be prosperous, and you will be successful in everything you do

Being released from bondage and living a life of God's blessing and grace, being successful and prosperous in everything, that is the most beautiful life. These promises to Joshua are clearly recorded in the Bible, so those who make the same choices as Joshua will receive these promises.

Wherever you go, God is with you

God's promises are conditional, choose to rely on God to overcome your nature. When you do not know how to choose, make a decision by faith, because wherever you go, God will be with you.

A few days ago, I was communicating with a sister from Chongqing. This sister said that she had a special gift, that is, whenever there were two options, she put her hand down, and her hand would automatically turn to the back or palm to tell her which one to choose. I told her that this was an evil spirit. Two years ago, I cast a demon out of a sister, and the next day she came to church and told me that God had given her a special gift, that she could guess numbers, and they were always right. It seems very spiritual, but is this how God accomplishes things? The Bible does not teach this! This is an evil spirit! We should not be like them. We must know that the key to God's accomplishment is faith! It is that we must go wherever we go with faith, and God will be with us.

The Key to Receiving Promises

Be strong and courageous

God told Joshua three times to be strong and courageous. Human nature is to be afraid, because when we face the environment, we think according to our innate logic. When faced with natural and man-made disasters, we will be afraid because we can do nothing about these things. Those who believe in God will shift their eyes from the environment to God. It is not terrible to have natural fear in us, but we must not allow this nature to control us. Therefore, Paul said I discipline my body and bring it under subjection (see 1 Corinthians 9), so that all fears are subject to the power and promise of God.

Meditate on God's Word Day and Night

Because we are naturally weak, we are easily controlled by our own nature if we do not often meditate on God's Word. Although God's Word does not conform to human logic, it is beneficial to us. Therefore, our whole life is a battle against our innate carnal logical system. Human beings are born with a memory that corrupts people. People's memory determines people's destiny and future. Constant reading of God's Word will wash away all the hatred and complaints stored in our hearts. Joshua and Paul are both people who must reject their own logical system and put God's logical system in their hearts.

Therefore, I encourage everyone to meditate on God's Word day and night, to gain God's promises, and to bring hope to those who have no hope. No matter how empty and chaotic, how dark the surface of the deep, start to learn to operate with God's logic, this is practicing faith. Often meditate on God's Word and put it into practice, and you will experience miracles. I do not believe that a person's life is Mingding Destiny. I believe that a person's choices in life are very important.

Be careful to obey God's Word

Obey God's Word and you will not make mistakes in your life. A wrong decision can turn all previous efforts into nothing. People often say that being a Christian is not free and is too restricted. But what I want to say is: I have the freedom not to sin, not the freedom to sin, I have the freedom to live a holy life, not the freedom to live a dirty life, I have the freedom to make the right decision, not the freedom to make the wrong decision. How beautiful such a life is.

There is no absolute freedom in this world. Either you are a child of the eternal God, or you are a child of the devil; either you live in the glory of God, or you live in the corruption of the devil. How wonderful it is to enjoy all the freedom God has given in the glory of God!

Overcoming Your Nature is Not by Yourself, But by Choosing to Rely on God's Word

Before the Lord Jesus was crucified, He was extremely afraid and prayed earnestly, and His sweat fell like drops of blood. How urgent was that? But Jesus chose to overcome and chose not to obey His own fleshly nature. We must also make such a choice like Jesus. Jesus, Joshua, and Elijah are all people with the same nature as us. They have fear in their hearts and have been tempted, but they all choose to trust in God's Word and choose to bring God's power from heaven into their lives, overcoming their inborn nature, so our choices are very important.

There is a story about two young Americans who went gambling together. On the way, they passed a church, and the sign at the door read The wages of sin is death (see Romans 6:23). Seeing this sign, the two young people made different choices. One of the young people chose to enter the church, while the other chose to go to the casino. Thirty years later, the young man who went to the casino at that time was reading the newspaper in a prison cell when he saw that the young man who entered the church at that time had become the President of the United States. Two different lives were the result of a choice made at that time. When you choose not to obey your flesh, overcome your nature, are not afraid, are strong and courageous, rely on God's Word, and draw on God's promises, you will surely live out God's glory.

Prayer

Let us pray together: Lord Jesus, our inner nature often makes us afraid and frightened. We also have our own set of logical systems within us. We ask you to personally renew us in our lives through your Word, so that we may have the system revealed to us from heaven. . Lord Jesus, lead us to overcome our own nature, speak to us today, we pray in the name of the Lord Jesus, Amen!