TUESDAY BULLETIN VOLUME NUMBER 187, TUESDAY, 4 FEBRUARY 2014 BE STRONG AND COURAGEOUS Joshua 1:7 – “Be strong and very courageous”. In the first chapter of Joshua we find a discussion between God and Joshua. Moses had passed on and Joshua was stepping up to take the responsibility of leading the Israelites to the Promised Land. When you read this chapter you find something very interesting. God tells Joshua three times within the first nine verses to be ‘strong and courageous’. God was emphasizing a point here. In verse five God tells Joshua ‘’I will never leave nor forsake you”. In verse nine He tells him “I will be with you wherever you go”. Even with all those assurances God still emphasized the point that Joshua must be ‘strong and courageous’. What God was doing was to prepare Joshua for what was still to come along his way. God knew that Joshua will be faced with many challenges ahead of this task and he will need to be strong. God knew that Joshua will not make it without courage. I like this KJV Dictionary meaning of courage – bravery; intrepidity; that quality of mind which enables men to encounter danger and difficulties with firmness, or without fear or depression of spirits, valor, boldness; resolution. If one follows this definition one comes to a conclusion that God was saying to Joshua ‘even though I will walk with you right through your journey, I will not remove the challenges on your way’. God being God could have simply said to Joshua ‘I will be with you throughought and you will have no challenges’. But God knew a secret in allowing challenges to come Joshua’s way. God knew that if He allows challenges to come Joshua’s way they will test his faith in Him as they build his character. And indeed when you read the rest of book of Joshua you see what Joshua went through. Friend, this morning God is saying the same words He said to Joshua to you and I – ‘be strong and courageous’. Courage in the midst of our storms means we understand that we are not alone. It comes to us as Christians as a confirmation that God is with us no matter what we face. When we know that God is with us it makes our journey lighter. It makes us stronger. This morning no matter what you are going through, with God on your side you can make it through it. God knows about it. God is aware of what you are going through. If He didn’t want you to go through it, He would not have put you through it. If He knew that it will sink you, He would not have put it in your path. For He says ‘I will never give more than you can handle’. So for the fact that you are facing it, it means you have to go through it and know that God is there with you. Don’t pray for God to remove it, ask Him for strength and courage to go through it. In that way you will be acknowledging His Lordship over your life. You will be confirming your faith in Him. Friend, don’t stress, you are not alone. God is there with you all the time. It might seem dark at times, but know that He is there. If you think about where you come from and where you are now, know with confidence that this too shall come to pass. He will take you through it. Do me one favour – be strong and courageous. God is good all the time and all the time God is good! Simphiwe Mdlalose, 4 February 2014
Posted on: Mon, 03 Feb 2014 06:57:55 +0000
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