Strength and Courage

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.”
Joshua 1:9

On the eve of what could rightly be called an invasion of the promise land God talked to the new leader of the Hebrew people. God gives Joshua his orders, commanding him to be strong and courageous, not to be afraid or discouraged. Promising Joshua that he was not going into the unknown alone “for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go”.

As I write this my mom is preparing for surgery to remove a large portion of one of her kidneys. A friend is contemplating a different kind of surgery and several friends are dealing with either ailing spouses or parents. These kinds of things can zap our strength and fill us with fear if we let them.

Imagine Joshua’s situation – the newly appointed leader of a bunch of less than faithful or cooperative people, standing on the banks of the Jordan River with divine orders to cross over and take the land, by force. That is certainly something that might cause the best of leaders to hesitate and yet God repeatedly tells Joshua to be strong and courageous for I will be with you.

We do not have to face anything alone even if we seem to be all by ourselves. God is there beside us… encouraging us to stand tall, to use the gifts He’s given us, commanding us to rely on Him when we feel our strength and courage waning in the battle.

Each day we wake to a world of unknowns but we do not enter the fray alone – God will be with us wherever the day takes us. So be strong and courageous and we like Joshua will gain the victory because the God of the universe is right there with us.

A prayer
Father – Today and throughout the week be our strength when we grow weary and weak. Be our courage when fear threatens to overtake us. Because of Your great love for us we can know that we are not alone and can find peace in You even in the midst of the battle. May Your Holy Spirit be our constant companion. In the name of Jesus we pray, Amen.