Enjoying Paradox

“Wait on the Lord. Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart. Wait, I say, on the Lord” (Psalm 27:14).

“I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised” (Joshua 1:3).

Wait. Go. Stay here. Get moving. These verses seem to be a paradox, and if you see them just as religious orders, frustrating ones. But they aren’t just commands. “Wait” doesn’t mean to hide in a hole until things get better, it means wrapping yourself in God’s presence, binding together with Him. It’s displacing your heart and mind of what isn’t Him with all His good thoughts toward you.

As for the Joshua verse, stepping forward in faith isn’t claiming military authority over everything you see. It’s not about being focused on the warfare, but on His promises, learning and growing in God’s intentions for that place and everyone in it. It’s occupying your circumstances with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, and goodness, the fruit of His life in you.

Let these verses empower you to live in beautiful paradox: You’re going to keep moving forward, because you’re completely at rest in God’s presence. You’re going to accomplish more than you ever have, because of what He’s accomplishing in you. You’ll never surrender your heart to your circumstances, because you’ve already surrendered it to Jesus.