"Be Strong and Courageous"

Be Strong and Courageous

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the
LORD your God is with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9)
When Joshua took over Moses’s role in the desert, God commanded Joshua to be strong and courageous. He promised him that He would be with him wherever he would go. Be strong and courageous is stated thirteen times in the Old Testament in the New American Standard Bible. If God tells
us something thirteen times, you know it must be important and something that He wants us to know. Be strong and courageous!
If this was true in the Old Testament to be stated thirteen times, how much more would this be true in the New Testament after what Christ did for us? God’s grace is poured out in greater abundance on us in the New Testament than in the Old Testament. We also have God’s promise in the New Testament that He will never leave us nor forsake us (Matthew 28:20, Hebrews 13:5). Granted, when God told this to the inhabitants of the Old Testament, He was speaking about them being bold and courageous in their physical battles of war. Today are we at war? I’m not speaking about mortal combat; I’m talking
about spiritual warfare. Christianity is under attack from all sides. Look at all of the liberal movements in place today with abortion, same sex marriage, sex changes in children, defiance against our government – all antichristian. Then there are the drug wars trying to overtake our culture. All of this puts tremendous pressure on all of us but especially the easily impressionable younger generation. It causes extreme confusion and temptation at every turn. Yes, there are many opportunities to turn away from God, but we
have God’s promise that no matter what we face He will never leave us, He will always be with us and will never forsake us. Through these troubled times we must be bold and remain strong and courageous. We must believe that God is with us and that the Holy Spirit will guide us and give us strength. You are a light to the world, and you will continue to shine as long as you stay strong and courageous!
Prayer: Father God, continue to remind me that You are forever with me wherever I may go and whatever I may do. When You spoke to Your people in the Old Testament to be strong and courageous, You were not only speaking to them, but to all Your people in all ages of time and all places. There are times when I do not feel strong or courageous. Instead, I sometimes feel weak and fearful. When those times come upon me, by the power of Your Holy Spirit, remind me of Your Word, be strong and courageous! When I am weak in my flesh, I am strong in You. Thank You for giving me strength and
delivering me from fear. In Jesus’s name, I pray. Amen.