Joshua 1:9 – “ Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
This verse was part of my daily devotional yesterday. And I’ve read it many times before. But I never noticed or thought about our part that God spells out.
God is giving Joshua a pep talk and setting him into motion. He has had plenty of time to grieve his mentor Moses, and now it is time to get up, wipe away his tears, gather Israel, and march into God’s promised land. Literally. As Israel’s leader. And he saw first hand how Israel treated Moses.
So God is reassuring him He is in control. He will be with Joshua to guide him and help him. He will take care of Joshua and Israel every day.
Joshua just needs to make the right choices every day.
- Be strong
- Be courageous
- Be not afraid
- Be not dismayed
Because Israel is going to see unbelievable things. They will be bombarded by fear. They will encounter giants. They will be surrounded by obstacles.
But none of it will be more powerful or bigger than their God.
So they have no reason to fear.
They have no reason to succumb to hopelessness.
They should never be discouraged.
They should never wallow in despair.
They need to choose to look at God instead of the giants.
They need to choose to trust God instead of their emotions.
They need to choose to walk with faith instead of being dragged by fear.
They need to choose courage. They need to think strong, stand strong, and speak strong. They need to decide not to lose heart at the intimidating things they will see and hear.
They need to choose faith. They need to have complete confidence that God will see them through. They need to trust that God is taking care of them, protecting them, and placing them.
They need to remember who God is and what He has promised. And just in case anyone forgot, He repeats Himself – “the Lord your God is with you”.
Your God. Not any other people. Specifically you. I am God with you. Always.
So every day remember ….
No matter what you see and how scary it looks, I will be with you with mighty power and signs.
No matter what you feel when faced with obstacles, I will be with you with peace and strength.
No matter how difficult the battle looks, I will be with you with strategy and victory.
And trust Me. Completely. Let go of fear, distress, and terror. Never pick them up. Never drape them over your thoughts and words. Never surrender to their wrong influence. Never follow their misleading direction.
Instead, choose to gird yourself with courage. Choose to strengthen yourself with faith in Me. Choose to focus on Me and what I can do for you. Instead of looking at your limited abilities. Be bold in My name. Be bold in My power. Be bold in My promise.
Remember I am for you.
Remember I am with you.
And choose strength.
Choose courage.
Choose to be fearless.
Choose to be hopeful.
Choose to follow Me.
Every day.
And the journey will be a story worth telling.
Marie Fremin. 6/28 and 7/9/17
Marie's Hope 