No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. (Joshua 1:5)

I am the oldest of four boys, and we are all two years apart. Needless to say, there was always something going on at our house. Things like climbing, jumping, wrestling, and discovering new ways to test our mother’s patience seemed to be just natural parts of our lives. In fact, my mom says that when there was silence, she was concerned. Experience had taught her it was likely we were up to something.

At one point mom shared with a family friend her concerns about how much we seemed to fight with one another. Beside the fact that there was the influence of a lot of testosterone in our home, we all seemed to be willing to stand fast and fight for our opinions. The gentleman mom was talking with laughed knowingly and told her, “That’s just their way of showing how much they love each other.” I guess we really loved each other a lot!

When we hit the streets together, though, most of that competitiveness disappeared. If I had a misunderstanding with anyone in the neighborhood, I knew my brothers would be there. I can recall my confidence rising upon hearing one of my brothers coming up behind me and saying, “I’ve got your back.” I also recall a tense situation that turned humorous when my 3-year-old baby brother decided to step up in my defense. It was so funny that it actually diffused the situation. In his own way he let me know, “I’ve got your back.”

In the Old Testament, Joshua had lived and served in the shadow of Moses for years. Now he was the appointed leader of Israel and I’m sure he felt he was still living in the shadow of Moses. Would the people follow him? Would they listen to him? Would some try to stand up against him like they had Moses? When I read Joshua 1:5, I hear the Lord saying, “No one will be able to mess with you. I will always be with you just like I was with Moses. Don’t worry, I’ve got your back.”

As I read through Scripture time and again I hear the Lord say in one way or another, “I’ve got your back.” What a promise to know that no matter what we are facing the Lord is there with us. He has promised to never leave or forsake us.

One way God has our backs is When God moves through others to meet our needs, He’s got our back. In his book, The Power of Who, Bob Beaudine calls these people our WHO. The reality is we are all conduits God uses to pour His goodness through us into others. As Bob says, We all have a WHO and we can all be a WHO to someone else.  It might be a word of encouragement, a prompting to lift a need up in prayer or just being there in times of distress. When I see those around me responding like this, I am grateful for God always being with us as each of us serves in his or her own unique way.

Practically speaking, this means we can join God in “having the backs” of our WHO by loving them, encouraging them, faithfully coming alongside them, and praying for them. God uses such things to “cover” us. He’s got our back through each other.

As I consider the people I serve each week, whether through my profession of coaching or simply being a friend, I’m reminded that I now have many brothers and sisters, many WHO. So do you. Do you have their back? Are you allowing them to have your back? May we, in practical ways, assure one another that we’re right there with God saying, “I’ve got your back!” I am grateful that God has given me the direction and encouragement which led to Mr. & Mrs. Wright.  Through our company we have the honor and the privilege of standing behind our brothers and sisters with a bold “I’ve Got Your Back!”

Father God, thank You for always being with us in every situation. May we sense Your prompting to reach out to our brothers and sisters and be a channel of Your love and support. Thank You for always having our back! Amen.

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