“Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or discouraged for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”– Joshua 1:9
Moving into a new phase, adventure, can often be felt with fears of apprehension, the unknown can often leave us feeling trepidation, not knowing or over analyzing with the “what if’s” anxieties seem to come on and the mind is divided and at times we find It hard to breath. Change, some changes are not easy. Joshua had taken over from Moses and God was about to use him mightily in the lives of others. He would encounter conflicts, enemies, foes who would seek to destroy him and the people and he needed comfort, strength, indeed he needed to hear from God. He needed re assurance. God provided a word for his heart to latch onto and hold in difficult times when temptation to fear and discouragement would seek to emotionally and spiritually paralyze and stop him.
Note- fear and discouragement are two “weapons” the evil one uses to seek to tempt us to stop going forward and doing God’s will for us.
Note also– that in the will of God, when you seek to follow and honor and make much of Him, you will encounter conflict in the will of God. Nehemiah knew such. He wrote, “they tried to make us fearful in order to discourage us so the work might stop,”-Nehemiah 6:9. Fear and discouragement are both aimed at the mind to effect the emotions and cause panic, a disturbing of our faith and to get us disheartened where our problems are bigger than God and we quit.
David prayed the same verse for his son, for he too knew fear and discouragement would be two of his enemies he must face and deal with in his mind.
How can you and I do so today? The answer is in the verse, “Be strong… be courageous… the LORD is with you wherever you go.”
The LORD who is God – {Gen 2:4-5]
The LORD who is our Provider {Gen 22}
The LORD who is self existent, in need of nothing or no one outside of Himself – {Ex 3:13-15}
The LORD who keeps his promises – {Deut 7:9}
The LORD who is Unchanging – {Malachi 3:6}
The LORD who is Sovereign King {Isaiah 45}
1. –THE PROMISE OF HIS COMMITMENT TO YOU;
The LORD – this One is with you, “wherever you go.” He made the promise to the disciples as he sent them out to seek and share the Gospel and make disciples, “…I will be with you until this end of the age”- He made the promise to those who were wobbling in their faith and suffering “I will never leave nor forsake you”- Hebrews 13:5.
THE ATTACK ON YOUR MIND;
TEMPTATION- TO FEAR AND DISCOURAGEMENT, are the two prong attack the enemy uses to attack our minds with a thought! If we CHOOSE to embrace them and do not meet the attack with the shield of faith by using God’s Word and choosing in His power to resist these attacks and be strong, be courageous which s need to do his Will and assurance for you that THE LORD GOD, MAKER OF HEAVEN AND earth si present-right now- wit you wherever you are, WE WILL FALL INTO TE TRAP AGAIN OF CHOOSING TO yield TO “FEAR AND DISCOURAGEMENT.”
PUTTING OFF OLD HABITS AND THINKING GOD’S WAY;
1. – Realize the BATTLE has been won at the cross and resurrection of the Lord Jesus. “Whom the Son sets free is FREE indeed.”- John 8;31-32
“It was for FREEDOM that Christ set you FREE NEVER AGAIN to be yoked to a bond of slavery”- Galatians 5:1
2. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO CHOOSE TO YIELD TO FEAR OR DISCOURAGEMENT.
On the cross Jesus defeated sin and broke its power over us. At times we are like the ex soldier who had a cruel Sargent while in the services. One day he is walking past a store when the Sargent comes our barking orders at him to pick up his groceries and put them in the vehicle. The ex soldier does what he is told, he responded to him as though he was still under his control. He was not. Later he realized and when the sargent barked again at him to do something the ex service man replied,”I do not have to obey you I am no longer under your command.” He was a civilian and no longer bound to the authority of the sargent. He had initially responded out of HABIT. You and I come to the Lord and need to renew our mind and we often respond out of hold habits and fall into the same trap of yielding to fear and discouragement when they are not part of the new life we have “In Christ.”
3. YOU ARE NOT ON YOUR OWN.
God is with you, for you, The battle for your mind is real, the attack to undermine your faith in the LORD. Choose to apply His Word and go forward KNOWING THE LORD IS WITH YOU. Fear and Discouragement have No right over you. You are “free” from their tyranny, “In Christ.” You have the power to resist by choosing instead to see yourself as He sees you and use the resources He has given you. In His temptation in Matthew 4 He said, “it is written… it is written…it is written.” He used the Word of God which is sharper than a two edged sword when dealing with the temptation of the evil one which was to tempt Him to choose to SIN against God.
4. YOU CAN LIVE IN CONFIDENCE IN GOD.
Temptation comes in various modes, Joshua knew his was to be “fear and discouragement.” Seeking to terrify him as the word “fear” here means, and to dishearten him. He was to lead a people and if he succumbed it would affect others, as if you or I succumb it affects others. Rise up and walk in faith and obedience with the assurance you have the POWER “In Christ” to be strong, to be courageous to do God’s Will and know you are never alone. God, the LORD is with you wherever you go! Temptations of various kinds will come but you are more than a conqueror through Christ! “No temptation has overtaken you BUT such as is COMMON to man…”You are not the only one to ever have encountered the temptation you are presently facing according to this verse. We read on, “GOD IS FAITHFUL…”Here lies a wonderful pearl for you to hang on to. God is reliable and in the temptation which is not unique to you He is present and He promises,…” who will not allow you to be tempted BEYOND WHAT YOU ARE ABLE….” Here he is speaking in the context of the passage that He is faithful to enable you so that you need not SIN AGAINST HIM in your time of temptation!
“… and with THE temptation He provides THE Way of escape.” Note the word “THE”– Specific temptations, in Joshua’s case it was “fear and discouragement” as were the same evil weapons used against Nehemiah. But notice again the word “THE” God provides the specific way out for you. so you need not sin in times of temptation. He is with you to deliver you! “Let the Word of Christ dwell in yu richly.”
THINK ON HIM
THINK ON HIS WORD
TRUST HIM
YOU ARE NOT UNDER THE AUTHORITY OF the evil one to obey his demands
