Category Archives: Sychar

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How to Stop Looking for God in the Wrong Places

The solution to the futility you feel is easier than you think.

The world makes promises it can’t keep. It says the reason we’re unhappy is that we just haven’t found the right whatever yet. But if we keep looking, we’ll find it.

Looking for God in the Wrong Places

(Photo courtesy of Unsplash.com)

The right spouse, the right hairdo, the right salary, the right entertainment system, the right church, the right pastor, the right Bible, the right seminar, etc.

Those without God struggle with this, for sure. But even those of us who do believe in Jesus can chase these shadows.

We may not know we’re looking for God. But we are.

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The Way to Make the Most Excellent Choices

Joshua’s secret to success is one we can apply daily.

Few choices last a lifetime. Most require daily, deliberate reminders. Joshua knew this well. Immediately after he and the young nation of Israel entered the Promised Land, they made a beeline to a particular valley between two mountains.

The Way to Make the Most Excellent Choices

(Photo: Where Joshua stood: Mount Gerizim, Shechem, and Mount Ebal. Courtesy of the Pictorial Library of Bible Lands)

God had commanded half the people to stand before one mountain and the other half to position itself before the other. Each group was to shout either the blessings or the curses that Israel would experience as a result of their response to God’s Law (Deuteronomy 11:29).

As they shouted, their voices echoed in the city of Shechem, which lay in the valley between these hills. Before God’s people would conquer and settle the land, they affirmed their obedience to God in the very place where God had promised the land to Abraham (Genesis 12:7).

The significance of the place served to strengthen their commitment to God.

If we’ll listen, it can strengthen ours as well.

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Shechem Still Shouts for Us to Choose God Today

Joshua's words show us the way to succeed in life each day.

Have you noticed when someone says something to you, the tone of what they say speaks louder than their words? As I’ve studied the Bible, I’m convinced something else also contributes to the words: the place the words were spoken.

Shechem Still Shouts for Us to Choose God Today

(Photo: The summit of Mt. Gerizim overlooks ancient Shechem. Courtesy of the Pictorial Library of Bible Lands)

That’s why Joshua regathered the young Hebrew nation to Shechem. The geographical context of his words played a significant role in shaping the message.

The place screamed as loudly as Joshua’s words.

What he said that day still applies to us.

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Your Rededication to God Can Begin Right Now

Get back to where you once belonged.

If you have visited the Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC, you’ve likely seen the etching engraved on the top of the steps. It marks where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. gave his famous speech, “I Have a Dream.” Standing in the shadow of Lincoln gave greater force to Dr. King’s words that day. The site intensified the message.

Rededication

(Photo: warrengoldswain, via Vivozoom)

I’m convinced that’s why Joshua regathered the young Hebrew nation to Shechem. The geographical context of his words played a significant role. They spoke as loudly as Joshua did that day.

And they speak to us.

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