The Point of No ReturnSample

Be Strong and Courageous!

The life of Joshua was truly remarkable and a great example of someone who followed God’s calling past the point of no return. In Joshua 1:5, God makes this promise to him:

No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you.

This promise was the source of Joshua’s strength and courage as he took Moses’ position in the Old Testament. Before he ever marched toward the Jordan River, God encouraged Joshua with those powerful words. What an incredible promise!

The exciting news is that the very same promise God made to Joshua applies to you today! If you’re in the middle of God’s will for your life, doing what He has asked you to do regardless of any opposition or situation, no human being or earthly circumstance is big enough to stop you from fulfilling your assignment!

Consider the prayer Jesus prayed for us in John 17, that we would be one with the Father as Jesus is one with Him (see John 17:11). Because our spiritual inheritance under the New Covenant includes the measure of God’s presence and the promises given to Jesus when He walked this earth, we can claim any promise God made to Moses and Joshua under the Old Covenant as well! And according to Joshua 1:3, God will remove any obstacle from your path, even if it means parting the Red Sea or the Jordan River to get the job done! With God on your side, you can be certain of your victory!

Notice what God said to Joshua, “I will not leave you nor forsake you.” Knowing you have the power of Heaven on your side and God will never leave you, you can cast off every hindrance and take the necessary steps toward fulfilling God’s plans and purposes for your life!

As you devote yourself to faith and obedience to God, you will reach the point of no return time and time again. Each time you forge through new crossroads and step out in faith to fulfill your next God-given assignment, you will sense something working deep inside you. There will be a new deposit of strength and courage within you to take on the unknown and develop a greater expectation for God to help you do what is impossible to man alone.

When your life on earth has reached its end, you can look back and confidently say, “I followed Jesus through every point of no return! I have finished my course and kept the faith (see 2 Timothy 4:7)!” What a day of rejoicing that will be!

Study Questions:

1. How does knowing the promises of the Bible apply to you today affect your confidence as you follow Jesus past the point of no return?
2. What promises from the Bible will you claim as you work toward fulfilling your God-given calling?
3. As of right now, can you look back on your life and confidently say you followed Jesus through every point of no return? If the answer is “no,” what can you do to change this in the future?