"Only be strong and very courageous; be careful to do according to
all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the
right or to the left, so that you may have success wherever you go. 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
success.” Joshua 1:7-8
We have all seen it far too
often. The person who attempts to
perform the works of God in their own power will find themself consumed with
spiritual pride, but the man who does the work of God in the power of God will
glorify God. The beginning of courage is
the deep understanding that we are doing God's work.
Anyone stepping out to accomplish a
great work for God needs to prayerfully and carefully determine that this is
His will. Fear may often be the result
of not truly discerning whether or not we are doing God's will. Fear, in this instance, may be of God and not
of our weakness. Next, we must remember
that to do the right thing in the wrong way is to do the wrong thing. Therefore, our next principle of courage…
- The Courage of the Christian
increases as he accomplishes God's work in God's way. (see verses 7-8)
To KNOW the will of God is man's highest knowledge. Discovering God's method
requires meditation, prayer and time with God.
But just to know what God wants done is not enough. God reveals Himself and brings glory to
Himself in the WAY that He does things. Satan
loves to confuse our message by infiltrating our method. It is just as important to know God's method
as it is God's purpose. God's message
will never change, but God's method is as changeable as time and men. To hold to methods as sacred is to lose our
relevance to the world that we are speaking.
Many churches have lost their relevance because they have been unwilling
to change their method. While they
understand the message, it remains clouded to the world around them. God's method will never contradict His Word.
So, He commands us to meditate upon it.
It is always relevant. Proper
meditation is:
- Upon
the Word of God, not the writings of men.
- Performed
day and night, not spasmodically.
- Receiving
God's blessing requires obedience.
To DO the will of God is man's greatest task. We may test the value of our meditation by the
obedience that results. God's Word will
bear fruit. Prosperity and victory are
the results of TOTAL OBEDIENCE. "be careful to do according to all the law" says that God's will is not a cafeteria line.
The courage of the Christian
increases as he finds confidence in God's method as much as God's message. Pray for your church leadership. This is the hardest task for the staff of any
church, to discern the method of attack that will create confidence in the
people. Many a church today has been
stilled because they refuse to be courageous in their method.
Scripture to Claim:
They answered Joshua, saying, "All
that you have commanded us we will do, and wherever you send us we will go. Just
as we obeyed Moses in all things, so we will obey you; only may the LORD your
God be with you as He was with Moses.”
Joshua 1:16-17
