Be Strong And Of Good Courage
“Now after the death of Moses the servant of the LORD it came to pass, that the LORD spake unto Joshua the son of Nun, Moses' minister, saying, Moses my servant is dead; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, thou, and all this people, unto the land which I do give to them, even to the children of Israel. Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you, as I said unto Moses. From the wilderness and this Lebanon even unto the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and unto the great sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your coast. There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them. Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest. This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.” (Joshua 1:1-9)
Today’s Morsel: One of the major strength stealers is death. Death just seems to zap people of their strength and encouragement. Death has sent many people into depression, anxiety, fear, and even hopelessness. God knew that Joshua, Moses’ minister, would be despondent because of Moses’ death the same way that others would be because Moses had been their leader for the past 40 years. A loss of Godly leadership can hurt. But God speaks with Joshua and tells him that he has now been chosen to replace Moses, and that it is he who would now lead the people into the promised land. God instructs him what he must do to be strong and of good courage. And that was, to not let His Word depart out of his mouth. In other words, Joshua must read God’s word, study God’s word, speak of God’s word, and obey God’s word, and that this word would keep him encouraged, strong, and bring him good success. God’s promise has not changed. If we want to remain encouraged, strong, and have great success, then we must keep the word of God hidden in our hearts and mediate on it daily. “For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (2 Peter 1:8)
Sing: When my life is burdened with sorrow, and it seems all help is gone, Jesus whispers, “Do not falter; I will leave thee not alone.” Then somehow, amidst my trials, how it is I cannot see; Still, I hear a voice from heaven, gently saying, “Follow me.”
There is sunshine in the shadow; there is sunshine in the rain; there is sunshine in our sorrow, when our hearts are filled with pain. There is sunshine when we’re burdened; there is sunshine when we pray; there is sunshine, heavenly sunshine, blessed sunshine all the way.
No comments:
Post a Comment