"Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go." (Joshua 1:9)
The Bible has so many stories of God working in the lives of ordinary beings. We can learn from these people and their relationship with the Lord. Joshua, for instance, was someone appointed leader of the Israelites after Moses died. Early on, God reassured Joshua that he will be with him: "Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go." (Joshua 1:9) Sometimes, we do receive these encouragements from the Lord, but later doubt whether He is with us. When I read further in Joshua, I see how Joshua could have been potentially discouraged, but then read about how much God delivered. A nearby city that the Israelites had a peace treaty with was going to be attacked by the Amorites. The city, Gibeon, called upon Joshua for help. Joshua went with his soldiers to help, but even if he did join with Gibeon, it would have been their two territories against five kings that had joined forces. I would imagine this to be potentially fear-invoking. The Lord reassured Joshua, saying, “Do not be afraid of them; I have given them into your hand. Not one of them will be able to withstand you.” (Joshua 10:8) Where is the application at this point? Sometimes, we receive these reassurances, or are told to “not worry”, to “trust in the Lord,” and yet we can’t help ourselves. We worry. We are afraid. From our human eyes, this feat seems impossible to accomplish. The point is that yes, this is an impossible thing from all human standards, but we have a relationship with a God and Heavenly Father who is able to do impossible things. The Amorites were defeated. When Joshua and his army arrived, the Lord threw the Amorites into confusion, and then when the Amorites fled, the Lord brought down hail. These are supernatural events beyond anything a human could control. More people died from the hail than by the sword. After it was all done, Joshua returned home with his army. Why worry? When it all seems so impossible from human standards, we must remember we have a God and Heavenly Father who reigns even over the impossible. And He does it in a way to show us that He is the Lord and ruler of all. --Jen, Guest Writer |
Today's Verse
“Behold you are beautiful my love, behold, you are beautiful; your eyes are doves” Song of Solomon 1:15 ESV Quotations"A word spoken by you when your conscience is clear and your heart full of God's Spirit is worth ten thousand words spoken in unbelief and sin." Archives
January 2023
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