Good Morning Everyone,
Our theme for this month: “Keeping first things first”
Our Bible verse for today: “Haven’t I commanded you: be strong and courageous? Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9 (HCSB)
Our thought for today: “Be strong and courageous by trusting God.”
It’s unlikely that any of us are facing a situation as big and difficult as what Joshua was facing. He was going to have to lead the Israelites out of the wilderness and into the Promised Land. But they were going to have to fight for it. And the enemies were big, and well-armed, and in fortified cities. It was a big deal. There was great potential for failure – even death.
As they faced this tremendous challenge it was important for them to get their thinking right first. They had to have the right mindset about it as they approached the situation. So God told Joshua, and by extension the entire nation, to be strong and courageous. “Do not give in to fear or discouragement.” Why? Because “The Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
There it was – the key to right thinking – the Lord their God would be with them. As they marched forward, doing the thing the Lord had told them to do, He would be with them. And that being the case, they had nothing to worry about.
Now, that did not mean it was going to be easy. And it did not mean they would not face hard times and maybe even set-backs. But it did mean that as they walked the path the Lord was pointing them to, and as they did the things He required of them, He would go with them and He would enable them to deal with whatever they encountered.
What did it require on their part? Courage, obedience, and faith in God. On the front end of things they needed to get their thinking about it right. They needed to remember that their God was watching over them, He was guiding them, and He would protect them. Once they had that straight in their heads, then they were ready to move forward.
The same is true for us. This was not an isolated Biblical promise which only pertained to Joshua and the Israelites. This was about you and me too. “Be strong; be courageous; trust God.” It is a Biblical prescription which is repeated numerous times in both the Old and New Testaments. Read Proverbs 3:5-6. Spend a little time meditating on Isaiah 41:10. Hear the words of Jesus in Matthew 28:20 as He sent His followers off into the future, “And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Whatever it is you’re facing in your life, step one of preparing to deal with it is to remember the words God spoke to Joshua but meant for you, “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged. The Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
God Bless,
Pastor Jim
Oak Hill Baptist Church 