The measure of a man isnât found in the approval of others. Itâs found in the quiet moments when he stands alone.
Joshua was not the loudest voice in the crowd. He wasnât a showman. He didnât spend his life trying to win the favor of men. His life was forged in a harder fire: the fire of obedience to God when everyone else turned away.
When Moses sent twelve men to scout the Promised Land, ten of them returned with fear. Only Joshua and Caleb came back with courage. Ten said, âWe canât.â Two said, âGod can.â The consensus was fear. Joshuaâs courage made him an outsider.
He didnât win a popularity contest that day. He won something better: Godâs approval.
Joshuaâs courage wasnât reckless. It was rooted in trust.
He had seen God move. He had tasted manna in the wilderness. He had stood at the foot of Mount Sinai and heard the thunder of God’s voice. He knew: if God said the land was theirs, it didnât matter how big the giants were.
Courage like Joshuaâs isn’t blind. It sees the size of the enemy clearly â and trusts God even more clearly.
It was this kind of courage that forged Joshua into the man who would lead a nation. It was this kind of fire that prepared him to hear God’s personal command later:
“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.” â Joshua 1:9
Joshua didnât rise to leadership because he demanded it. He rose because when it mattered, he stood alone â not for himself, but for the honor of God.
Today, the world still bows to consensus.
Majority opinion sways like the wind. Fear drives decisions. Safety is celebrated as wisdom. But a man forged by God doesnât take his cues from the crowd. He doesnât measure truth by counting noses. He measures it by the Word of God â even when that means standing alone.
Sometimes real strength is not winning an argument. Itâs standing firm when the crowd has already decided against you.
Joshua teaches us that courage is not about being fearless. It’s about fearing God more than you fear man.
Reflect:
Where am I letting fear of othersâ opinions shape my decisions?
Would I be willing to stand alone if it meant honoring God?
Forged in Fire men are not called to blend in. They are called to stand out â courage over consensus, obedience over approval, God over giants.
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart.” â Jeremiah 1:5
“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” â Psalm 139:13â14
Before you spoke a word, He knew you. Before you took a breath, He loved you. Before you lived a single day, He had already dreamed of you.
You are not an accident. You are a deliberate, deeply loved creation of the King of Heaven.
He didnât simply allow you to exist â He wanted you. He crafted you. Every fiber of your being was knit together by His hands, woven with love and infinite attention. You are fearfully and wonderfully made because He treasures you.
Do We Treasure Him in Return?
As staggering as it is to realize that the God of all creation treasures us, thereâs a question that stirs the heart:
Do we treasure Him in return?
“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” â Matthew 6:19â21
If He loved us enough to create us, to call us by name, to walk with us through every moment of life â where is our treasure? Where is our heart?
It’s easy to invest ourselves in earthly things â money, approval, success, comfort. But none of these will last. One day, everything that seems so urgent now will vanish like mist. Only the treasures we lay up in heaven will remain.
When we realize how deeply we are loved â how highly we are valued â it stirs something inside us: a longing to treasure Him above all else. Not out of guilt. Not out of duty. But out of love.
Because when your heart treasures God â the One who first treasured you â you begin to store up a different kind of treasure: the kind that can never be stolen, never rot, never fade.
A Place for Your Heart
Today, pause and remember: You are loved more than you can imagine. You are treasured by the Maker of heaven and earth.
And in return, treasure Him. Lay up your treasure where your heart was meant to be â in His hands.
If this encouraged you, share it with a friend who needs to be reminded: You are deeply treasured. â¤ď¸
Among Christians, there’s a question that never quite goes away â sometimes whispered, sometimes argued at full volume:
âWas the Bible written directly by God, or is it a collection of inspired writings from men?â
Depending on who you ask, the answers vary, layered with passion, scholarship, and centuries of debate.
I used to think this was a critical question to answer â that settling it would somehow unlock a deeper, truer faith.
But somewhere along the way, I realized something surprising:
It doesnât matter.
At least, not in the way I used to think.
Because whether the Bible was dictated word-for-word by the voice of God, or penned by inspired men striving after Him, one thing remains absolutely clear:
Jesus trusted it. Jesus loved it.
And if my Rabbi loved it, I should too.
That thought hit me like a stone dropping into still water. The ripples spread quickly, reshaping everything around it.
If my Rabbi â the one I claim to follow â held the Scriptures close, quoted them in times of trial, taught from them with authority, leaned on them in prayer, and fulfilled them with His life, then my relationship to Scripture isnât first and foremost about how perfectly I understand its origins.
Itâs about trust.
I trust the One who trusted it.
And that simple trust sets me free. It frees me from the pressure to solve every mystery or win every argument. It turns faith from an academic exercise into something far more personal, far more alive.
Itâs no longer about proving the Bible is perfect to skeptics.
Itâs about loving what my Rabbi loved.
Jesus and the Scriptures
When Jesus stood in the wilderness, tempted and hungry, He quoted Scripture:
“It is written, âMan shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.â” (Matthew 4:4)
When He stood in the synagogue, announcing His mission, He opened the scroll of Isaiah:
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to proclaim good news to the poorâŚâ (Luke 4:18, quoting Isaiah 61)
When He faced the cross, the words of the Psalms were on His lips:
“My God, my God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Psalm 22:1 / Matthew 27:46)
He lived and breathed the words of Scripture â not out of cold obligation, but out of deep, living trust.
He didnât nitpick its historical construction. He lived its heart.
And so should I.
What This Changes
This realization didnât just change how I see the Bible â it changed how I see everything.
If my Rabbi loved mercy, then mercy should be my heartbeat. If He loved justice, then justice should drive me. If He loved truth, humility, courage, sacrifice â then those arenât just virtues to admire from a distance.
They are banners Iâm meant to carry into my own life.
Where I Stand
I donât need to have the perfect argument for every question. I donât need to dissect every uncertainty before I can act.
I just need to stay close to Him. To love what He loved. To walk the road He walked.
Theologians will keep debating. Scholars will keep wrestling. And thatâs okay.
But as for me, I know where I stand.
I stand beside the Rabbi who loved the Scriptures. I stand beside the Rabbi who loved sinners. I stand beside the Rabbi who loved His Father with every breath of His being.
And because He loved these things â I love them too.
For You
Maybe you feel overwhelmed by questions. Maybe you wonder if your faith needs to be stronger, smarter, sharper. Maybe youâre tired.
I understand.
Stay close to the Rabbi. Love what He loved. Thatâs where life begins.
I spent my Easter morning with a lamb. Not a symbol, not a sermonâan actual lamb. And in that quiet moment, I was reminded of what today is really about.
Itâs not about breakfast. Itâs not about Easter eggs. Itâs about the Lamb.
John the Baptist saw Him coming and said,
âBehold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.â (John 1:29)
Later, in exile on the island of Patmos, John saw a vision of the risen Christ:
âThen I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing at the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders.â (Revelation 5:6)
This Lamb is Jesus. Slain. Risen. Exalted.
As I sat on the ground with that lamb this morning, I couldnât help but remember a scene I once imaginedâwhen God first created the lamb. I picture Him kneeling in the dust, forming it with His hands, and pausing for a moment. Maybe He looked into its innocent eyes and whispered something only the heavens heard. Perhaps there was a tear. He knew the future of this creature. That one day, lambs would be offered as sacrifices. And ultimately, one day, His LambâHis own Sonâwould be offered.
These soft, gentle creatures were not an accident. They were made with intentionâto reflect something far greater.
Easter isnât about tradition. Itâs about redemption. Itâs not about a holiday. Itâs about a Lamb.
The Lamb who was slain. The Lamb who lives. The Lamb who will one day be at the very center of all things.
So this morning, I sat on the ground with the Lamb.
We say it every year. We hear it sung in churches, printed on cards, and whispered in reverent tones: He is risen!
But maybe today, as the world spins with chaos and quiet personal battles, you wonder: Why does that matter now?
It mattered then because a crucified man walked out of a grave. It matters now because the One who defeated death hasnât changedâand neither has His power.
If Jesus conquered death, then nothing in your life is beyond redemption. Not your past. Not your pain. Not even that silent ache you carry when no oneâs looking.
But if you’re honest, maybe you still donât feel it. Maybe that resurrection power doesnât seem to show up in your life. Not when you’re exhausted. Not when you’re lonely. Not when the week has been long and the prayers seem unanswered.
We often hear the verse:
âThe same power that raised Jesus from the dead lives in you.â (Romans 8:11)
And we whisper, âWow. Thatâs amazing.â But quietly, we add, âIt doesnât feel like itâs true for me.â
Hereâs the twist we often miss: In the original language, that verse doesnât say âyouâ singularâit says ây’allâ plural. Not âyou, the individual.â But you all. Us – together.
That resurrection power lives in the body of Christânot just in me, not just in you, but in us… “y’all”
Itâs not always thunder or miracles. Sometimes itâs a meal delivered in a time of need. A word of comfort at the perfect moment. A hug that says, âYouâre not alone.â A teaching, a prayer, a shared tear, or a laugh that reminds someone: There is life here.
When the women came to the tomb, they were prepared for closureâready to anoint a corpse. Instead, they were given a mission. âGo. Tell the others. Heâs alive.â
That same resurrection life now pulses through a community of believers who:
Love without conditions
Carry one anotherâs burdens
Teach with grace
Heal with compassion
Forgive what seems unforgivable
Shine light in the darkness
And draw one another to the feet of Jesus
This is Easter power. Not a moment, but a movement. Not a monument, but a bodyâalive.
So maybe you donât feel powerful today. But you are part of something that is.
He is risen. And the same power that raised Him from the dead dwells in us.
Scripture to Remember
âIf the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you (plural), he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.â âRomans 8:11 (ESV, emphasis added)
âNow you are the body of Christ, and individually members of it.â â1 Corinthians 12:27
âCarry one anotherâs burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.â âGalatians 6:2
A Challenge to Live It Out
This Easter, donât just celebrate an empty tomb. Be a living testimony to resurrection power.
Ask yourself:
Who in my life needs to see resurrection love today?
How can I be part of the power God placed in us?
What small act of care, compassion, or courage can I offer this week?
Rememberâthe same power that raised Jesus lives in the body of Christ. Let that body move through you.
