LEARNING DAILY

Joshua 1:5-9, No one will be able to stand against you as long as you live. For I will be with you as I was with Moses. I will not fail you or abandon you.  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. This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go."

I know! I seldom have this many verses for the blog. It was necessary to look at all these verses with the emphasis on those underlined. Pastor Ed Newton spoke on the necessity to “be strong and courageous” as we walk the narrow way so internal and external giants will not keep you  from fulfilling God’s purpose for your life. Let me explain.

Forty years before this Moses was leading the Hebrews out of Egypt. Spies including Joshua were sent out to scout the Promised land. They returned with the report of giants in the land and they were afraid to enter the Promised Land. Only Joshua and Caleb believed they should trust God to give them the Land. Now, Moses is no longer the leader and Joshua has been given the leadership role, by God, to lead the people into the Promised Land take it as God has directed. But a lot has happened in 40 years – a lot has changed. Joshua hesitates. Perhaps there have been some internal discouragements, some internal feelings of inadequacies that have occurred in him. Giants! Now perhaps he is facing some external fears or defeats that now cause him to fear going into the Promised Land. Giants!

Don’t be critical of Joshua; all Believers have had to face giants, both internal and external, in their life. Pastor used a familiar phrase when describing the options. “We can take flight, or freeze because of fear, or fight.” He continued, “Fear and/or discouragement causes you to believe the opposition is bigger than God.” Forty years ago, Joshua was all in about going into the Promised land. Now he is not so sure. But God reminded him, “No one will be able to stand against you as long as you live. For I will be with you as I was with Moses. I will not fail you or abandon you. “Giants make us remember the disappointments and forget those positive moments. They are our worst enemies” (EN). God reinforced He would be with Joshua; He gave him positive directions: “Be strong and 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.”

Pastor used the rest of the verses from Joshua to reinforce the idea of reading/studying/ meditating on God’s Word. “It keeps Believers from going right (fear) and going left (discouragement). The more of the Word a Believer gets into their mind and heart, the more the Word becomes a part of their life; the Word in me carries me” (EN).  Pastor’s example was the devil’s temptation of Jesus after He was baptized. Jesus used the Word of God against the devil, and “the Word became a spiritual sword” (EN).

Those giants you face, that hold you back from doing God’s plan for your life are not bigger than God. Like Joshua, God promises to be with you, to never leave or forsake you. He will go with you wherever you go! Just as the Lord was Joshua’s strength, He will be your strength. “Be strong and courageous.” The Lord your God is your strength and removes all discouragements, all disappointments, and all fear when you activate the Word of God in you!