BE STRONG AND OF GOOD COURAGE
A Devotional
by claribel santiago
Joshua 1:9 I command you - be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.

As I meditate on this verse, when I read it the first thing that stands out is that God is commanding me to “be courageous!” Does He know me or what? Courageous is not something I am by nature. Too many things can happen, too many horrible outcomes. It seems the longer I live the less courageous I become.

When I read these words I feel as if my heavenly Father is standing in front of me telling me to be strong, knowing that my fragile heart fails when I look at the immensity of a problem or the odds of success.

God is not moved
He does not say be strong if it is easy, He commands it. Expects it. Demands it. He knows that unless He "forces" me to be strong, I will cower under the weight of problems that I deem as too big for God to fix.

The Lord is good
He doesn’t just command me to be strong, he tells me to stay encouraged. Don’t be disappointed or disillusioned at what you see. It may look bad, but believe me it will not be in hindsight, for He uses it all for His glory and purpose.

Be encouraged
Not only does God require that I remain encouraged, anyone can offer empty words. But He promises that He is my bodyguard, with me at every step. Watching me, caring for me, making sure that He sees the details and works them out. He lets me know that as my heavenly dad, he will not abandon me. Notice He doesn’t say He is with me only if I am strong and courageous, or if I make good choices, He is with me wherever I go. What a blessing and comfort those words.

Thank you God because you are always with me, even when
I think I am alone...

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Questions for personal study:

Have you ever confronted situations of immense fear,
what did you do?

Have you ever looked back at a difficult time in your life and seen God work? What was the outcome? What was your response in the situation?

What have you learned from those past experiences that would help you in the future? How would you react differently?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Have questions? Need prayer? Need encouragement? Need to know your not alone? Drop me a line I want to pray for you and encourage you. (Please read below for encouragement and questions for personal study) Bible verses are taken from the New King James Versions.

Top