Be Strong and Good Courage

 Joshua 1:9
Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee wherever you go.

Joshua was given a great responsibility. He was asked to fill some pretty big shoes. Moses, a man chosen by God to bring Israel out of Egypt just died, and mourning of his death has come to an end. But, God was not done bringing a full deliverance to Israel. Joshua, a warrior, no stranger to battle was now in charge. His marching orders were to conquer the land before him. For such a time as this, Joshua was God’s vessel, the man He would work through to accomplish His will. Like Joshua, God has a work for each one of us to fill, it may seem difficult and impossible, but He has not left us to do it alone. He encourages us to be strong, don’t be discouraged, and fear what others may do or say. If God has spoken to your heart, He has promised to be with you. Obey the voice of God, step out in faith and believe that “He is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us. (Eph 3;20). Be strong and of good courage, we serve a mighty God who will not leave us or forsake us.

He Is Able To Deliver

 Daniel: 3: 17,18
Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us....But if not, be it known unto you, O king, that we will not serve your gods.
God does not always answer our prayers the way we hope He would. Jesus said, Ask and you will receive. What we receive is often not the answer we would expect. The 3 Hebrew children no doubt asked God to deliver them from the hands of their enemy, but they also realized that God may have other plans for them. The attitude of prayers should always be, “Not my will. But your will be done”. God is able to bring deliverance. The 3 Hebrew children did not escape being thrown into the furnace, but God still brought deliverance. He kept the flames from destroying them, and then sent a Comforter to stand by them. We don’t know how things will always work out, but we can trust God that He is able to help us through any situations, and in the end, He will get the glory. Even if God does not answer the prayer of healing, He is still able to bring healing to the heart, and give us peace.

Don't Worry- Trust God

Matt. 6:34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

Paul says this in another way, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything give thanks” Don’t think about what will happen tomorrow, God has it covered. There are enough problem that we face today to worry about what might happen tomorrow. Worry is triggered by the unknown. The unseen possibilities that can cause us to have sleepless nights. The haunting question, “What if”? The reality is such circumstances and situations may come to us, but even so, Jesus says, to trust Him to take care of such things. Seek Him, and in Him there is security in knowing that nothing will happen that His grace will be sufficient to help us through. “And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things…” It is human nature to worry, but He is able to give us a peace that passes human nature to rest in Him.