POINT #3 – CONFRONTATION = DRIVING OUT
Read Joshua 14:11-13 ERV – “I am still as strong today as I was in the day that Moses sent me; my strength now is as my strength was then, for war and for going and coming. So now give me this hill country of which the Lord spoke on that day, for you heard on that day how the Anakim were there, with great fortified cities. It may be that the Lord will be with me, and I shall drive them out just as the Lord said.’ Then Joshua blessed him, and he gave Hebron to Caleb the son of Jephunneh for an inheritance.”
Caleb is telling Joshua that even though it is 45 years later, and he is now 85 years old, that he is just as strong today at 85 years old, as he was 45 years ago when Moses sent him to spy out the promised land. He is telling Joshua that even today, he is still strong enough for war. Caleb knows that if God is with him, he will be able to DRIVE OUT the people living there and will be able to possess the land. He tells Joshua, he will DRIVE OUT the people, just as the Lord said. Joshua then blesses Caleb and tells him to go ahead, drive the people out and take possession of the land. Caleb was willing to CONFRONT the people living there and DRIVE them OUT so he could have the land for him and his children, forever. What does the word CONFRONT mean? (Allow your child to answer: to face a challenge, to face an opposition or an enemy)
Sometimes we need to CONFRONT someone or something to feel better or to get freedom. Maybe you have a friend or sibling that is doing something or saying something over and over that hurts your feelings. If you confront them, tell them about it, and talk through it with them, you could stop getting your feelings hurt. They may not have known they were hurting your feelings. Sometimes we need to CONFRONT a wrong way of thinking that we have in our heart and mind. Maybe we think a person doesn’t like us because they never talk to us. When we CONFRONT them about it, maybe we find out that they are just really shy and nervous about talking to new people.
There are other things inside of us that we can and should CONFRONT as well: fear, anger, doubt, feelings of loneliness, feeling that we aren’t good enough and no one likes us. These are just to name a few. When we realize we don’t want to feel this way anymore, we have to be brave and CONFRONT those things and/or people. We have to DRIVE OUT the wrong thoughts and feelings, and take possession of good thoughts and feelings for our heart and mind. That’s not always an easy thing to do. If we don’t confront those things, we can’t drive them out. Even though it can be very hard to CONFRONT someone or something, we can remember God and have faith that He promises to be with us. Just like he promised to be with Caleb. Caleb was confident and knew that he could take the land and defeat the enemies possessing the land, even at 85 years old. Why? Because he knew God with WITH him, and God told him that He would give the land to him to possess. If we choose to not confront people, things, or thoughts that cause us to feel bad, sad, mad or upset…we will have to live with those thoughts that keep coming in our heart and mind. Some of the Israelites did not drive out the people living in the land they were given, and God told them, because you didn’t drive them out, you will have to live with them forever, and they do to this day.
The enemy will put up a fight and try to resist us when we confront bad things, thoughts and feelings. He doesn’t want us to be free, feel good, and have the promises of God. We have to stand up to the enemy, confront him, and tell him that he can’t have what God has promised us! If we ask God, He will show us those thoughts and feelings that need to be removed and driven out of our heart, our mind and our life. We just have to partner with Him to do it.
Discussion Questions
- Have you ever had to confront someone or something? (maybe a fear, something that made you mad, someone that upset you or hurt your feelings?)
- What happened after you confronted that person or that thing?
- Is there something or someone you think you need to confront right now? Who/what? Why?
Scripture Memory Verse
“We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments.” – 2 Corinthians 10:4 NLT
Prayer
Holy Spirit, we ask you to show us right now, thoughts, people or things that we need to confront. Show us thoughts and feelings that we have in our heart that are not good and not from You. Show us people that we might need to confront and be open and honest with about how we are feeling. Holy Spirit, we want you to shine your light into every area of darkness that needs to be confronted with your light. We want to be brave and strong and confront the enemy with you right by our side. We want to confront the enemy so we can drive out the thoughts and things that don’t belong to us. We want to possess your promises, King Jesus. We pray all of this in your might name, amen.
Worship Song
“Undefeated”