Joshua 1:9 (NIV)
"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.”
We all have moments of doubt. We all get that feeling of abandonment. We all sometimes ask God where He went. The answer to that question is He never left. God is present with us during good times, bad times, and everything in between. Whether we feel Him present with us or not depends on how much room we give Him. It depends on whether we put our faith in Him or ourselves. Granted, this is all easier said than done. We all have different reactions when things begin to go haywire, and we all act differently when everything starts to line up. How we react, however, is important.
Take into account the verse up top. This verse is from taken from the moment when God initiates Joshua as the leader of the Israelites. Before this verse, God multiple times told Joshua to be strong and courageous. This obviously was done for a point of emphasis. Joshua could go out knowing that God would be with him just like He was present with Moses. That's how Joshua was able to lead the Israelites eventually into the promise land.
1 Peter 5:7 says, "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you." He cares about every little detail in our lives. There's no detail too small or too big for Him to ignore. When I first arrived on my college campus in Beloit, Wisconsin, one of my priorities was finding a church. I was about 400 miles away from my church back home so clearly, that wasn't an option. I found a Christian group on campus that first week. They just so happened to be taking to students on an expedition to all of the local churches to help students find their fit. So I joined in and two months later still hunting. The leader of the group informs us that Sunday that this next church would be the last one they are visiting. I was quite nervous when I heard that. Since my family practically lived in the church, that was a great place of comfort and importance to me. I was discouraged I hadn't found anything yet. So to the last church I go with the group. I was blown away the minute I walked in. It was exactly what I was looking for. From worship to the preaching to the people in it, it felt like I never left my church back home. Thank you, Beloit Life Center. (If you're in that area, I highly encourage you to check them out.) God truly was looking out for me.
He looked out for Joshua; He looked out for me. Romans 2:11 says, "For God does not show favoritism." He came through for us, and He will come through for you. Don't allow discouragement to beat you up. The promises made to us, He will make good on all of them. Don't let impatience stand in the way. Joseph and David both waited nearly 30 years for their promises. Abraham waited triple that for His promise. The constant in all these is that God came through. I waited two months before I found what I was looking for. Don't let doubt reign when you can't see progress. He didn't leave you or forget about you. He's working, and trust in the work He's doing.