God on the Go: New Situations

What’s New!

Monday Bible Story:

• Joshua and Caleb go to a new land. While everyone else with them is scared and sees only problems, Joshua and Caleb are excited and see lots of possiblities.

Tuesday Key Verse:

• Numbers 13:30 – Let’s go up and take the land—now. We can do it.

Wednesday Prayer:

• Dear God, help me see the good things in my new classes and new experiences. Help me remember that you are always with me. In Jesus’s name, amen.

Thursday Question:

• What feels too big or too scary for you right now?

Friday Fun Fact:

• Q: What is something that is usually small that that took two guys to carry it when Joshua and Caleb went to look at the new land?
• A: GRAPES!

 Special thanks to George Fox University for sponsoring the God on the Go Podcast!

Show Notes:

To get this week’s episode and daily text prompts, text the word Go to 89419. If you are in Canada, text GodOntheGo to 866-729-1065

Transcription:

When I was a kid, I moved around a lot. I mean, it felt like just every so often we just had to change things up and things would move around. And what that meant was I was often having to walk into new situations and new habits, new routines, new people, new teachers, new ways of doing things. And I have to tell you, it often made me feel kind of scared, kind of nervous, and a little bit excited. It was just a whole bunch of emotions that sometimes seemed to not make a lot of sense, but it sure felt like a lot of feels. Whether you’re starting a brand new school year or you’re going back to the school you were at last year, or if you’re homeschooling, or if you’re trying out a new activity or you’re on a new team, each time we start something new, it brings a whole lot of new feelings.

Things feel different, and it can take a while to feel comfortable, like you know what you’re doing, that’s normal. I’m Julie Lyle’s Carr, and this is God on the Go, where we help you make the minutes matter, when you’re on the go to school and errands and activities. This sense of being new in a new season, it reminds me of Joshua and Caleb from the Old Testament. Now Joshua and Caleb, they went with 10 of their friends and they went to go check out a new situation, and a land that was new to them called Canaan. Joshua and Caleb and their friends, they were hoping to find a new place to live, and God had told them about this place that they went to see. As they were hiking there, they saw different kinds of plants and mountains. And here’s a really cool fact about this new place. The grapes were so big, it took two guys to carry a vine of grapes. Can you imagine how big they must have been? And when they peeked over into the land, they saw all kinds of new people. People who looked really tall and really big to them. For Joshua and Caleb’s friends, it made them super nervous. But for Joshua and Caleb, they got excited. They trusted that God would be with them, and they said, “You know what? Let’s go up and take the land. Now! we can do it.”

I want you to know it is normal to feel nervous as you start a new school year or a new team or anything new, really, here is what is so awesome: God is with you. He’s with you in the things that you are comfortable with and you were used to from last year, and he is also with you when you go into these new places, into these new situations. He’s right there and can tell him exactly how you’re feeling. You can tell him if you’re excited. You can tell him if you’re scared. It’s not going to make him more proud of you, or upset with you, for you to be honest about how you’re feeling when you head into something new. I think what makes God’s heart happy is when we just are honest with him. When we just tell him what’s going on, and then we talk to him and ask him to help us in the places where we’re feeling a little scared, and to be with us in the things that we’re really excited about. When we’re able to talk to God, I think you’re going to find that he is going to make this new situation very soon, feel all kinds of good for you, because you’re going to know that he’s with you. And you’re going to know that this is exactly where he wants you. Just like Joshua and Caleb felt about this new land that they were looking at. Now their buddies, their buddies actually never got to experience this new place because they just couldn’t seem to lean into God. They couldn’t seem to just be really clear with God and ask God to give them courage. Instead, they decided to stay stuck and scared instead of moving forward with excitement, and looking for the things that were good about what the new situation was.

So I want you to know God will help you in every step you take. And before too long, you are going to start feeling like Joshua and Caleb, happy to try out new things. Hey friend, I’d love for you to text me. Text the word GO, g o to 89419. That’s the word, GO to 89419, and I’m going to send you some special surprises and extra tools to go with each episode of God on the Go. God on the Go is sponsored by George Fox University, where each student will be known personally, academically, and spiritually. I’ll see you next week for God on the Go.