Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Be Strong and Courageous Part III


"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go."  Joshua 1:9
“Be strong and courageous”

To the man who says that he cannot, or will not serve because he is afraid, God speaks this word. Courage is a commandment of God, not a desire.  Here we find the third principle of courage…
  • The Courage of the Christian is directly related to his vision of the person of God. 
Do we believe that God will allow fear to be used as a reason for our failure to witness to others or perform His work?  No, it is only an excuse!  While we may feel that courage is the product of character or natural inclination in an individual, God recognizes that courage is the product of faith.  God commands us to be courageous because He commands us to have FAITH in HIM.

Our fear is the product of an inadequate vision of God and nothing less.  How far can you trust God in the circumstances and the mission of your life?  The same God that can heal the body and give you a job can lead you to evangelism and missions.  This leads to the next principle of courage…

  • The Courage of the Christian gives vision and confidence to others.  Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people, saying, "Pass through the midst of the camp and command the people, saying, 'Prepare provisions for yourselves, for within three days you are to cross this Jordan, to go in to possess the land which the LORD your God is giving you, to possess it.'" (Joshua 1:10-11)
The vision of God's desire and direction is voiced to others.  One coward in leadership can destroy a whole army of people.  As he rationalizes his inactivity, he comforts the souls of hundreds of others who are fearful and faithless.   One man who is willing to claim God's vision and discern God's direction can lead others to great victory.  All Joshua said was, "God said He can do it."  He never said that they or he could.

This commitment to God is then displayed in the confidence of the leaders.  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. "Anyone who rebels against your command and does not obey your words in all that you command him, shall be put to death; only be strong and courageous."  Joshua 1:16-18

The people sensed that Joshua was in God's hand and that their ability to prosper was directly connected to his leadership and their "followship".  God has never done a work without calling a man to leadership and His people to "followship".  They were openly committed to the man, the plan and God.  They were also quick to ask of Joshua one thing... "Joshua stay close to God like Moses did."  It is a fair request to any of God’s leaders.

We need Holy Boldness today as never before.  There is a world that confronts us on every hand to destroy our faith and thus our confidence.  There is a sense of urgency that cannot be denied to accomplish the task that God has given. 

Have we allowed Satan to overcome us and weaken our faith by stealing our vision of God's ability and causing us to focus on our own?  Have we failed to respond to God's leadership and thus become insecure and critical instead of confident and supportive? 

Scripture to Claim:
"For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love and of a sound mind."
II Timothy 1:7

Devotional Archive