Be Strong and Courageous
“Be strong and courageous, for you are the one who will lead these people to possess all the land I swore to their ancestors I would give them. Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the instructions Moses gave you. Do not deviate from them, turning either to the right or to the left. Then you will be successful in everything you do. Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do. This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:6-9 (NLT)
Last month, I found myself leaning on these empowering words spoken over Joshua as I stood to speak at my mentor’s funeral. “Be strong and courageous. I am with you” spoke the Lord to my heart. I know that I’m not alone. Recently, many of us have seen our mentors, heroes, parents, and leaders graduate to Heaven. Our grief has been mixed with the pain of what was lost and the fear of who we must now become. Just as Joshua had to step into Moses shoes, so we too must take our places in this new era. God is with us!
Joshua’s transition into power is a great and encouraging testimony. In it, we find a divine strategy for success given to all believers. In His words to Joshua, we discover that even when we feel intimidated, God is available to comfort, strengthen and protect us as we fulfill our God given assignments. Our good Father is so good that He even prepares us in advance. We’ve had seasons of waiting and now the time has come.
It’s perfectly normal to feel intimidated by your new assignment as long as you are not led by those feelings. The just lives by faith, courageously. The fear is simply an invitation to use your spiritual weapons. So, on today, let’s all rise from our old condition (and positions) and step into the new place. Old things have indeed passed away and as we carefully yield our lives and ways to the Lord, obey His leading, and meditate on His word daily; we will bless the Lord, make our ancestors proud, and succeed in all that we do.
Kennisha Moffett