Be Strong and Courageous

 God was very specific in His commands to Joshua when he took over from Moses as the leader of the Israelites. He told him to be strong and courageous. He knew it was going to take a strong and courageous leader to overcome the enemies of Canaan, conquer the land, and get the people settled there. The great thing is that when God commands something, He is always there to provide us with what we need to obey His command. That is what He did for Joshua. He reminded Joshua of what He had said. (Joshua 1:9) Then, He commanded Him to not be afraid or discouraged, because He would be with him wherever he went. I would say that is a great reason to have so much strength and courage that He would never be afraid or discouraged. What would you say?

Being a Christian is not easy. We are constantly in a battle against the world, the flesh, and the devil. It is a spiritual battle which we can't win by ourselves. However, we have the same assurance that Joshua had. God is with us wherever we go. When we become a Christian the Holy Spirit comes to reside in us and to give us God's power and direction for our life. He never leaves us. All we have to do is to call on the Lord, and He will give us what we need to not be afraid or discouraged. In fact, the Bible tells us that God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind. (II Timothy 1:7) Also, we have something that Joshua did not have. We have been given the whole armor of God, so we can stand against Satan and His forces without backing up or giving in. (Ephesians 6:10-18) Therefore, as believers, we have no reason to be afraid or discouraged. We must be strong and courageous because of our Great and Powerful God who goes with us wherever we go and gives us His armor to ensure our victory in His timing and His way.

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Tomorrow, I intend to read Joshua 2-4.