Tag: strong and courageous
Day 4–Called to Strength and Courage!
Scripture reading for January 29: Joshua 1:1-3, 8 “After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua the son of nun, Moses’ assistant, “Moses My servant is dead. Now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, into the land that I am giving to them, to the people of Israel. Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you, just as I promised Moses.” . . .Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.””
The Lord’s call and instructions to Joshua is a great word for all faith responders! We are called by God to arise and go into whatever situation or trouble we are facing. The Jordan River was the boundary of the land promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob that belonged to them. Joshua, Moses’ assistant had walked for forty years with them through the wilderness as a consequence of the unbelief of the older generation of Israelites. As Moses lead God’s people out of Egypt through the miracle of the parting of the Red Sea, so Joshua was to face the flooding Jordan river as the first obstacle to lead God’s people through to inherit their land.
It is interesting to note that God promised Joshua that every place that the sole of his foot would tread, God would give to him. Joshua must do the walking out of God’s commands in trusting faith, no matter what the obstacle or enemy facing him. God promised His presence as they walked. In that presence of the Lord God was their strength, courage, and deliverance! How easy it would be to become frightened or deeply insecure when impossible situations confronted them. God knew their tendencies and with His Word and Presence would give them grace to overcome and possess their inheritance!
This is exactly what God calls us to do as first responders. As we walk into danger or trouble, we rely on God’s Word and presence with us through the Helper, the Holy Spirit. We choose to trust and obey and reject fear and dismay.
Prayer: Father God, thank You for Your Word that brings faith and courage to face life’s trouble. Fill me with the Holy Spirit and guide me to respond as You to those who are in need. Amen.
Inheriting the Kingdom!
Scripture reading for March 20th: Joshua 12-14, Luke 13
Key Scriptures: Luke 13:18-19 “He said therefore, “What is the kingdom of God like? And to what shall I compare it? It is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his garden, and it grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air made their nests in it.”
Jesus illustrated the nature of God’s kingdom to His disciples. He used the common mustard seed to illustrate how powerful something appearing so small in the natural really was. When this small seed was placed in the garden, it grew and became a great tree that could provide shelter and nesting for the birds. Caleb’s faith build his inheritance after 45 years of patience!
Joshua 14:10-12 “And now, behold, the Lord has kept me alive, just as He said, these forty-five years since the time that the Lord spoke this word to Moses, while Israel walked in the wilderness. And now, behold, I am this day eighty five years old. I am still as strong today as I was in the day that Moses sent me, my strength is now what my strength was then. So now, give me that hill country of which the Lord spoke on that day. . .”
Prayer: Lord, thank You for these examples of men of faith that believed and stood on Your Word. May I be strong and courageous all my days. Amen.
Strength and Courage!
Scripture reading for March 15th: Joshua 1-4, Luke 10
Key Scriptures: Luke 10: 1-3 “After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them on ahead of Him, two by two, into every town and place where He Himself was about to go. And He said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest. Go your way; behold, I am sending you out as lambs in the midst of wolves.”
Jesus gathered the larger group of His disciples and sent them out two by two. He prefaced His mission with a command for them to pray to “The Lord of the Harvest” for laborers. After they prayed, He commanded them to answer their prayer by going! Prayer has a way of motivating the prayer and opening them to Hear Jesus and obey.
Joshua 1:8-9 “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make you way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
Prayer: Lord, thank You for your encouragement and strength. Help me to go forth today to walk with You and possess the land of promise. Amen.
Connecting with courage!
Scripture Reading for March 3rd: Joshua 1-5
Walking with God is not for wimps! God leads His people in paths of righteousness and truth. He is a mighty warrior and a conqueror! His reputation for war is known far and wide! He often employs some very unconventional battle strategy (Joshua 6:2-5) and uses only those willing to follow His leadership.
“Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give them. Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:6-9)
Possessing your inheritance requires strength! The ground you cover will have both mountains and valleys. You must have strength of mind to keep your thoughts focused on God’s promises. You must possess strength of character and soul to keep from falling for the temptations of the enemy and the flesh that would trip you up.
Courage is the ability to face tough situations with confidence. Courage is not the absence of fear but the ability to face fear with truth and keep moving toward the goal. Confidence must not to be in your own strength, mind or ability, but comes from a relationship with God. Joshua was told not to let God’s Law and Word depart from his mouth or mind. He was guaranteed prosperity and success as he meditated on the Word and was careful to obey. (Romans 10:17) (Hebrews 11:6)
Let Joshua’s call to strength and courage become personal. Jesus Christ is our “Joshua” and has blazed a trail of perfect obedience to God’s Word. His leadership in our lives today will give us the strength and courage to conquer the obstacles in our path! “Be strong and very courageous!”