What is the one thing you want, more than any other thing?

Is it to be happy? Maybe you seek a life of ‘wow’ experiences. Maybe you seek a life of joy?

Maybe you are a Christ-follower and you know the answer to any such question should be Jesus!

But what does your heart really want?

Are you really seeking Him? Just Him.

Or has your life become a treadmill of events and to-do lists that once glorified Him, but nowadays those things feel heavy.

I flipped my Bible to Joshua 5 this morning and read about Josh, who was the captain of God’s people, a long time ago. He’s the guy that led the Lord’s people into their promised land.

He takes God’s people – the Israelites – on a long walk through the river Jordan. God holds back the waters for Him.

It is a mega miracle.

And when we read Joshua 5 we see that because God performed this miracle, Joshua’s armies were absolutely terrified. It says:

Their hearts melted [in despair] and there was no [fighting] spirit in them any longer because of the Israelites [and what God had done for them].

Joshua 5:1. AMP.

Joshua did what God asked Him to and His enemies simply gave up. The promised land was his for the taking.

But victory didn’t look like charging straight in. Victory looked like consecration first.

Consecration means: making something sacred.

Joshua lived in a time before Jesus. So God asked Him to circumcise the Israelite men.

Once this mass circumcision had taken place, God said this:

“This day I have rolled away the reproach (derision, ridicule) of Egypt from you.”

Joshua 5: 9, AMP.

God rolls away their history. Completely takes away their shame.

Here’s what the Oxford languages dictionary says about shame:

“A painful feeling of humiliation or distress caused by the consciousness of wrong or foolish behaviour.”

These Israelites carried shame in bundles. Their parents had wandered aimlessly in the wilderness for years and years. They complained about God and worshipped other Gods. They lived recklessly and sinfully.

Yet God begins again. Wipes the past away. Gives them a fresh start.

And only God could have done that for them.

Only God.

In His kindness and His mercy, He does what only He can do for this new generation of believers.

As people living after Jesus’ death and resurrection, every single one of us is offered this eradication of shame.

Every single one of us is offered a new start. A chance to begin again.

No matter our history, we are invited to let Jesus roll away our reproach. Roll away our ridicule. Roll away our mockery.

Only He can do it. And He does not hold back. He has never ever given up on us.

• Regardless of our complete unbelief.
• Regardless of our past. Our family history. Our muck-ups.
• Regardless of our resentment, our hatred of that person or our desire to be right and come out on top.
• Regardless of our busyness. Our chaos, our greed and our desire for more instant gratification.

Jesus offers each and every one of us a new life in Him.

And we simply get a chance to say: “Yes, Lord”.

A couple of weeks ago, I was feeling really overwhelmed.

I took out a large sheet of paper and a bundle of post-it notes.

I wrote down one responsibility on each post-it note. One thing that took my heart, my time, my devotion, on each yellow sticky-note.

Things like: My calling as a wife and a mum. My friendships. My volunteer roles. My preaching. My writing. Playgroups I help with or attend. People I want to connect with.

I just kept writing post its, until I felt… Free!

I stuck each post it to my large sheet of paper.

And I said to God: “I only want to pick up what you tell me to.”

I picked up five.

Five out of about thirty.

Since that moment, I have amended a few commitments. Sought help and advice.

It’s been awkward, clunky and not at all straight-forward.

Why am I telling you this?

I needed to repent. I needed to put God first again. I needed to lay down that which has become more important to me than Him.

I don’t want to be someone who says that Jesus rules my life, without actually letting Him rule my life.

I don’t want to fill my heart with stuff that does not truly satisfy.

I want Him to make this heart of mine sacred.

I need Him to once again roll away my shame and take my approval-seeking; my people-above-God actions need to become evident. I need to deal with it. Say sorry. Change some things. Start again.

When God rolls away the reproach of the Israelites in Joshua 5, something incredible happens:

And the manna ceased on the day after they had eaten some of the produce of the land, so that the Israelites no longer had manna, but they ate some of the produce of the land of Canaan during that year.

Joshua 5: 12, AMP.

God’s people had been eating manna from heaven for 40 years.

Manna literally means: “What is it!”

It was a substance that was supposed to keep God’s people fed on their journey to the promised land. It was never supposed to be a long-lasting provision. They were supposed to enjoy and delight in a land of milk and honey. They were supposed to move on.

Under Josh’s lead, God’s people were finally able to enjoy grain and food from their promised land.

• What if you are running on an expired provision?
• What if God has something incredible for you, something He promised years ago?
• What if you can’t access it because you are not letting Him roll away your reproach?

Maybe it is time to lay everything down. Maybe it is time to allow God to do what only He can do for you.

I can assure you that in His kindness and mercy, He will turn your life around.

He will take away your shame and renew your strength.

Please, let Him.

Please, take your place in your promised land. Delighting in a new beginning that is as sweet as honey and as fresh as a just-risen loaf.

You can – right now – get on your knees and say “Yes Lord” – whether for the first time ever, or the first time in a while.

I believe with all my heart He will bless you in that decision.

I believe that you will find that which truly satisfies.

Let me know in the comments if you are claiming your fresh and sweet start, today.