“Be strong and courageous…”
Joshua 1:9
Have you ever had a time in your life, when you felt so afraid, so fearful that you lost sight of all hope? Are you there now? God knows that there will be times when we will feel afraid to move forward or do something that is totally out of out of our comfort zone. He knows that sometimes fear will try to paralyze us from doing that very thing that we know we should do. Yet, in spite of our fear, God encourages you and me by saying, “Be strong and courageous!”
We may have heard this many times before but have we received this word and have we taken it to heart? Joshua 1:9 also tells us, “Do not be terrified: do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”
When we are discouraged, we are lacking courage and when we are lacking courage, we are most likely lacking strength. The Lord is telling us to be courageous, as well as strong. Strong in Him because He is our strength when things get tough. He will fight the battles that we are not strong enough to fight. He is a very present help in time of need. He wants us to trust Him.
SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT
I’ve learned through many of life’s lessons that being courageous doesn’t mean that I wouldn’t feel afraid. Instead, it means to press through the fear when we are feeling afraid, believing God at His Word. In fact, sometimes anxiety will rise, our mind starts considering all of the “what if’s.” However, that’s when the Lord reminds us to, “Be strong and courageous, my child, I am with you.” It’s time to take our eyes off of the circumstances and trust in God. Trust Him beyond our fears and let His Word be final authority in our lives. Remember Psalm 112:7 (TPT), “They will not live in fear or dread of what may come, for their hearts are firm, ever secure in their faith.” (Pastor Pattie Eselu)
TODAY’S DECLARATION
“Heavenly Father, I declare that I will trust in You and Your Word today. I will not receive the spirit of fear and let it overtake me. I will stand firm and secure in Your Word. For You have promised to be with me wherever I go.”
TODAY’S BIBLE READING
Our Bible Reading Plan gives 25 daily readings per month. There is no scheduled reading for today. You can use this time to catch up on any readings you may have missed, or read through previous passages again.
