Victim to Victor Part 6 - Next Steps Part 2

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We've talked about the need to cross over—to stop standing still and start moving forward. But howdo we actually make that transition from victim to victor? In this episode, we unpack five concrete steps from Joshua 3–5 that show us the way.

1. Keep your eyes on God. Joshua told the people to focus on the Ark of the Covenant—the visible symbol of God's presence. Today, we have the Spirit living in our hearts. In every transition—marriage, parenting, career, cancer, empty nest—God says, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding" (Proverbs 3:5-6). Don't look at the giants. Look at the Guide.

2. Prepare your heart. "Sanctify yourselves," Joshua commanded. Not because holiness is earned, but because transition demands renewed consecration. We are a chosen people, a royal priesthood (1 Peter 2:9). In times of change, we need to become even more conscious of God's presence and set ourselves apart for His purposes.

3. Move out! The priests had to step into the overflowing Jordan before the waters stopped. Not after. God often waits for our first step. Don't be the person who always prepares but never pulls the trigger. There comes a moment to commit, to risk, to get your feet wet. "He who began a good work in you will complete it" (Philippians 1:6).

4. Make a testimony. God commanded Israel to take twelve stones from the riverbed as a memorial for future generations. Why? Because we have poor memories. Those times when God provided at the last minute? Cherish them. Pass them on. Your testimony isn't just for you—it strengthens others facing their own Jordan.

5. Surrender. Before Joshua could face Jericho, he met the Commander of the Lord's army. Joshua asked, "Are you for us or for our enemies?" The answer? "Neither. I've come to take over." The question isn't whether God is on your side—it's whether you're on His. Joshua fell on his face and worshiped. That's surrender. And that's where victory begins.

We close with the rest of Lisa's story. Her next step was forgiveness—years before that phone call ever came. When the moment arrived, she was ready.

What is your Jordan? The full surrender that must precede taking hold of God's promise? Focus your eyes. Consecrate your life. Move out. Remember. Surrender. The path from victimhood to victory is simply the next step.

Key Scriptures: Joshua 3:1-5, 4:1-7, 5:13-15; Proverbs 3:5-6; Philippians 1:6; 1 Peter 2:9; Isaiah 43:2-3 (The Message)

Transcript

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Hi everyone, Pastor Don Smith here. Welcome to the Talk About It podcast, where we take relevant topics with a biblical point of view and we talk about it. You know you want to, so do I. Let's talk about it. Well, welcome back, everyone. Pastor Don here, talk about it. This is season nine, episode six. I'm glad that you are back this week. That's what we do around here every week. We get back on the podcast and we take a relevant topic with a biblical perspective and we talk about it, and that is why you keep coming back. Thank you so much. You returned this week, and I wanted you to know how much I love you, how much I appreciate you. Thank you so much for all of your support in each and every way. Sharing the podcast, uh supporting it monthly, uh, you know, just being an encouragement by sending me a text or an email. It is, it is so good. This has really been a subject that uh has blessed a lot of us, and I really appreciate uh your kind words as far as hey, this particular point is really helping me. Thank you so much uh for that. And I'm I'm working on it. Listen, I'm praying for all of you because I want to make sure that what we're doing is relevant. And so I pray for each and every one of our listeners uh that tune in each and every week. Every Tuesday, we drop a podcast that God would do something amazing in their lives. Now, with this particular season, victim to victor has been an incredible process so far. And today is no different. I told you last week that I was going to give you five things that took place in this transition from victim to victor in this particular area of the book of Joshua. Now, if you haven't listened to last week's episode, I want you to go back and I want you to um listen to it. I want you to rehash it. Even maybe even now, you're thinking, man, I just should refresh my memory a little bit on that. And uh that might be something I think that is really good for you to do because as we're gonna move forward here, we're gonna play off last week. Uh good. So if you need to, just push pause. If you're a brand new listener this week, just push pause, go back, catch up with us. We're gonna be here waiting for you. I promise you, we're not going anywhere. And it's just gonna be a great conversation today. I'm just gonna pick it right back up from where we left off last week. And that was just an incredible way to end that episode and to begin this one. Five things that took place in this transition, and you're gonna need them. Uh, the first one I want you to do is I want you to keep your eyes on God. Now, how do I do that, Pastor Donald? I'm glad you asked, and right at the beginning of the podcast, here you go. You're asking great questions, right? What you got to do is focus on his presence and be ready to follow his leading. That's how that's how we keep our eyes on God. Uh sometimes in this world full of distractions, when everything can you know get in front of us and draw our attention away, what we have to do is focus on God's presence and be ready to follow his leading. And you know what? Be certain, okay, about a couple of things. God is leading. What I want you to do is center on where God by his spirit is leading you, okay? So we're focusing. We're centering on where God, by his spirit, is leading us. Now, Joshua focused the attention of the Israelites on the Ark of the Covenant here in uh Joshua chapter 3, verse 1. They're about to cross the Jordan and all the things that are happening there. And and and the ark was the visible symbol of the presence of God among the people of Israel. And customarily it was set on the holy, in the holiest of holies, in the center of the uh tabernacle of worship. We know that. And only the high priest of Israel went into that room uh to present the sacrifice before the Lord each and every time. And so what he says to them is really, really interesting. Focus on the presence of the Lord, he told the people, for he is the one who will lead us into Canaan. Think about that. Okay. Now, as we prepare for transitions in our own life, okay, what we've got to do is we we've got to center on the presence of the Lord and be ready to follow. Remember, I told you last week that there's no way, there's no way to go to a new place and remain where you are. Okay, you have to leave. Overcoming the victimhood complex means you have to leave where you are to go to a new place. Somebody say, Amen. Come on. You know that's true. See, no longer do we look today in our day to a visible symbol of God's presence among us. Why? Because we have his spirit in our heart. And God has a plan, a way for you to make it through that difficulty that has been frustrating you. Let me just, let me just get personal if I can for a minute, because some thoughts have been running through my mind as I think about this, all right? Let me just talk to a wife for a minute. God knows the way to reach that husband that seems to be resistant to Christ. Come on, wife. Let me just talk to that teenager for a minute. He knows how uncertain you feel about the future and wants to lead you into the to the right college to go to or the right marriage partner or the right career to start. How about that person who's dealing with sickness? He knows the way for you to cope with that sickness, that cancer, that disease, even using it, I believe, to create an intimacy with him that you couldn't have had before. How about dads? Let me I just think about dads right now in this moment. Uh he's got a plan, dad, for the second half of your life as you desire maybe to do something more significant than just make money. How about mom? While we're in that category. Mom, he's got a plan for your marriage as you prepare for the challenging aspects of becoming parents or mom, even as you move into a time of empty nesting. God's got a plan. And what I think he says to us, he says to us all, Proverbs chapter 3, verses 5 and 6, trust in the Lord with all thine heart, lean not with thine own understanding, and all your ways, acknowledge him, and he will make your path straight. Isn't that incredible? So the first thing I want you to do is keep your eyes on God. The second thing I want you to do, it's uh it's Joshua chapter 3, verse 5. Listen to this. Then Joshua told the people, Purify yourself, for tomorrow the Lord will do great wonders among you. In the morning Joshua said to the priest, Lift up the ark of the covenant and lead the people across the river. And so they started out and went ahead of the people. And the Lord said, told Joshua, Today I'll begin to make you a great leader in the eyes of all of the Israelites. They will know that I'm with you just as I was with Moses. Now watch this. Sanctify yourselves. Now it's a Hebrew word, okay? And it means to just be set apart. I I preached about it at our church this past Sunday morning. And so they had to do this in order for God to do miracles among them. They had to set themselves apart in order for God to do miracles. They had to consecrate themselves. That means uh to set aside for special use. It doesn't mean to hide. And so they had to get in their hearts ready, they had to get in their minds, get ready. So they had to get ready by renewing their understanding of their unique place as the people of God. Now the Bible describes us as a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God. That's 1 Peter chapter 2. Okay? And it it is clear that a holiness is not earned. It's the work of God in us. That's what holiness is. And yet, we're always called to make choices to be God's own. We're always called to make choices to live in awareness of his presence. We're always called to make choices to avoid unworthy actions that would diminish his reputation or offend him in our lives. And it's in these times of transition that we need to become even more conscious of God's presence. Even holy people can renew their consecration. So you got to prepare your hearts. That's number two. First, you got to keep your eyes on God. And number two, you got to prepare your hearts. Okay, the third thing, I told you I was gonna give you five things, all right? The third thing is you got to move out. Everybody say move out. See, the next the next day, okay, stepping out has arrived. Okay, the day for stepping out has arrived. All right, the priests step forward and they shoulder the ark, and uh I can hear those sacred shofars sounding, announcing it's time to move out. Next step. Remember, we're talking about it, next step. And there's an awareness of this procession that needs to happen. This awesome procession begins. And I don't know how you read your Bible, but I can just hear the shuffle of millions of feet, the bleeding of sheep and goats, and I can almost taste the dust as it rises up in the air. And down the center avenue of the camp towards the water's edge, here come the priest marching, and the river's overflowing its banks. It's it's it was impossible to cross it. It is this impossible barrier for millions of people to cross. And so what would happen? Can you feel the anxiety and the urgency building up in this moment? Try to imagine what it must have been like to have been the priest at the front of the group carrying the ark. You're walking towards the river, there's no bridge. You're walking towards the river, there's no way across. But it wasn't until their feet touched the water's edge that the Lord stopped the flow. You ever meet one of those people who are always preparing but never pulling the trigger? Oh, if you play golf, we call it the yips, uh, but maybe you don't play golf. But let me just put it this way: okay, you ever meet those people who seem to always be preparing but never pulling the trigger? Come on, talk about it. Think about it for a minute. What's that like? They're the person who's always working on another degree while they're still working at Walmart. The guy who's who proposed to his fiancee five years ago but still hasn't set a date to get married. Don't get me started on that. There's the Christian who talks about doing ministry but never steps up and actually does it. Talk about it. I want you to, I want you to get this. The transition from victimhood to victor demands a moment when all the preparation leads to putting it on the line and moving out. Are we really risking if we're following God's presence and living a life of consecration? Absolutely we are. Israel had all the promise written down and stored in their memory, but they still had to possess the land. There would be battles, there would be difficulties. There would be their Jerichos, but there always comes a moment to commit to the process, to step out and to risk it all. If we're gonna move from where we are to where we wanna be, there's always gonna be a moment of commitment to the process. There's always gonna be a moment of stepping out. There's always gonna be a moment that you got to risk it all. And it's those moments that we discover who God is in the depth of his love for us. And sometimes, even more exciting is the opportunity to find out who we really are. It may take, it may take some moments to of approaching desperation, moments when it's time to get our feet wet. But if we are living in the promises, we can step ahead knowing that God will make a way. So talk about it. I want to urge you to make the kind, that kind of commitment to the things of God. Be so committed to the things of God in your life. You want to move from the victimhood complex to victory, to being a victory. You got to be so committed to the things of God that there's no retreat. You see, as we move out of victimhood to live into victory, the new place of God's provision, let's be done with human efforts and human solutions. Let's proclaim our total dependence on the Heavenly Father and our readiness to do what he directs. Let's take sight of the promises and complete the crossing. The source of our true confidence is summarized in a wonderful passage, Philippians 1.6. He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ. Even Isaiah, even the prophet, he says in Isaiah 43, I think it's verse 2, when you're in over your head, I'll be there with you. When you're in rough waters, you're not gonna go down. When you're between a rock and a hard place, it won't be a dead end. Because I'm God, your personal God, the holy of Israel, your savior. I paid a huge price for you. That's that's out of the message paraphrase, but I love it. It was so good. So number three, okay, what we've got to do is we've got to move out. Number four, make a testimony of what God's done. Oh, I need to read it. It's uh Joshua chapter four, verse one. When all the people had crossed the Jordan, the Lord said to Joshua, Choose now twelve men, one from each tribe. Tell them, take twelve stones from the very place where the priests are standing in the middle of the Jordan, carry them out and pile them up at a place where you will camp. So Joshua called together twelve men whom he had chosen, one from each of the tribes of Israel, and he told them, Go into the middle of the Jordan in front of the ark of the Lord your God. Each of you must pick up one stone, carry it out on your shoulders, twelve stones in all, one for each of the tribes of Israel. Wow. Okay. Interesting. These stones were to be a sign to future generations. Can I help you out, talk about it? These stones were to be a sign to future generations. Are you with me? It reminds us of the power of God. It's a sign to future generations. It reminds us that we have a poor memory. Do not take lightly the experiences you have had in God through your life. Those times of provision when God provided for you at the last minute, I want you to cherish them. I want you to hold on to them, pass them on to your children. Let others know what God has done and how God has been good to you. These memorial stones would also tell others what God had done. I think it's verse six. Oh my, this is so good. Watch what happens here as he says to them, in this particular passage, okay? He had told them, Go into the middle of the Jordan in front of the ark. Each of you must pick up a stone, come out of his shoulders, twelve and all, one on each one. We will use these stones to build a memorial. In the future, your children will ask you, What do these stones mean? Then you will tell them. They remind us that the Jordan River stopped flowing when the Ark of the Lord of Covenant went across. These stones will stand as a memorial among the people of Israel forever. We can't keep it a secret as to what God has done for us. Talk about it. We need to establish memorials of these special times of God's provision, not so that we can live in the past, but so that the miracles of yesterday can strengthen the foundations for the faith we need to face challenges in the present day. Memories can help us to have confidence in what God can do. Memories of God's continuing provision in our lives every day strengthen us and other Christians. And I say to us all, take time to make memorials. Make a testimony of what God has done. This is how we overcome victimhood. And there's one final step that Joshua had to make once he had crossed the Jordan before he could fight his first battle. And that number five is surrender. Oh boy. Pastor Don, I thought you were talking about victory. Why are you talking about surrender? Chapter 5, verse 13. When Joshua was near the town of Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a sword, and Joshua went up to him and demanded, Are you friend or foe? Verse 14. Neither one. He replied, I'm the commander of the Lord's army. At this Joshua fell on his face to the ground in reverence. I am at your command, Joshua said. What do you want your servant to do? Wow. The commander of the Lord's army replied, Take off your sandals, for the place where you're standing is holy. And Joshua did as he was told. Joshua had a giant called Jericho, and he had to face it. But first, he had to win the war in his own heart, and every victim has to do that as well. There were two things that had to happen for Joshua to win that war before the battle began. Verse 13. The phrase looked up, it conveys this element of surprise, okay? And so wisely Joshua doesn't draw his sword, uh, you know, thinking this guy's looking for a fight, or he would have, you know, he would have been, that would not have been good. But he was thinking in his mind, well, if this guy's looking for a fight, he would have already intact. So instead he asked the man, Are you friend or foe? And verse third, Joshua went to him and said, Are you are you for us or our adversaries? Now, I don't want you to miss his response. Verse 14. So he said, No, but the commander of the army of the Lord. His response was not what Joshua was expecting. He said, Neither. Wow. Listen to me talk about it. If you've listened to this podcast for any other phrase, any other statement today, this is the one I want you to receive. When God walks onto the scene, he does not come to take sides, he comes to take over. Oh my, I said it. I said it. We're not to ask if God's on our side. All we need to do is be determined whether we're on God's side. See, the the appropriate question is, are we on the Lord's side or are we against the Lord? See, today it's important that we face, we we face this and understand because we we've got all these battles, physically, emotionally, spiritually, and we need to make sure that we're on the Lord's side in all of our battles. When the messenger identified himself, Joshua falls on his face and worshiped. And he said, What does my Lord say to his servant? And the commander said, Take off your sandals. See, this is Christ. This is Jesus appearing as a man 1400 years before he ever appears in Bethlehem as a baby. Oh, it's so good. Wow. There he is. In shock and amazement and awe, Joshua flung himself face down before the Lord. You know what this demonstrates to me? You and I are never alone. I'm not told what the message is that he shared with Joshua after this, but I can I can deduce, I can think about the details of how it must have been about how the war of conquest was going to be waged. But the greatest significance of this meeting for me with the commander in chief of the Lord's army is that Israel wasn't gonna be face facing this battle alone. Let me ask you a question today, talk about it. I mean, you've got this deep. You are nine seasons and six episodes deep. You've got this deep. Let me ask you this question. Have you identified what makes you a victim? That thing that stands between you and victory? That thing that stands between you and the fulfillment of God's will for your life? You see, each of us comes to our own Jordan at some time in our lives. The Jordan represents the full surrender that must proceed from who we are. The Jordan represents a turning point in our life. It's it's at our Jordan we die to our own plans and ambitions. Here we make a choice to face the enemies of our soul and take what God has promised to us. Talk about it. Have you made that choice? Will you risk moving into the promise that God is calling you to possess? Talk about it. Talk about it. Have you made that choice? You're gonna risk moving into the promises that God's calling you to possess? See, God has offered us all we need today. Are we complacent? God called you to be something great. Somebody say amen. He's predestined you to reach for your dreams. And as you prepare for your crossings, your transitions, I want you to take a lesson from Joshua, okay? Focus your eyes, center on where God by the Spirit is leading you. Consecrate your life, renew your commitment to Him, listening carefully for Him. Number three, walk with your feet and move out. Don't go halfway towards the challenge and give in the temptation and quit. No, look to the problem. Take courage from the word and join with others in the pilgrimage. Number four, remember, celebrate the former victories. Build your faith in God who's at work in your life today, right now in this moment. Oh my goodness. And the last one, surrender. What I mean by that is submit your plans, your purposes, and your agendas to the Lord who's gone before you into the battle he's called you into. Oh my goodness, talk about it. Let's cross the rivers and possess the promised land of God. Come on, let's do it. We can move from victim to victor. The path of victimhood to victory is the next step. Wow, what a great way to finish this segment in our episodes. We got some more coming. I promise you, you're not gonna want to miss next week. It's gonna be epic, okay? We're gonna talk about uh how we continue to overcome the victimhood complex. Until then, I want you to know something. I love you. But as much as I love you, Jesus loves you more. I'll see you next week.