February 29 - Joshua 1:9

February 29
Joshua 1:9

Josh 1:9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.

Joshua was taking the children of Israel into battle to conquer over Canaan, and we can be certain that they were afraid – especially when it came time to fight against the giants in the land. God then gave this commandment to not be afraid. It went beyond a suggestion – God gave them a command to not be afraid with the promise that the Lord their God was with them every step of the way. He told them to be strong – be courageous, and be not afraid – and never give up. You can be certain that Joshua kept repeating those words over and over as they went from battle to battle.

If God gave Joshua and the children of Israel this command to be strong and courageous in the midst of their battles, with the promise that He would be with them continuously wherever they went, we can be certain that God is giving us that same command with the same promise.

None of us are facing battle after battle filled with giants, fearing for our life, even though some challenges in life seems that fearful. God wants us to be totally leaning on Him for our protection, even in the midst of whatever battle that we face.

WHAT IF - in the next fearful thing you face, God reminds you of this scripture, saying:

“I am commanding you to not be afraid my child. Be strong, be courageous and never give up. I am here, I am with you, I am guiding you, I am protecting you. I won’t leave you nor forsake you. Trust me!”

Would you then be more willing to enter into that battle that you know you must face?

That happens when the more you apply God’s Word to your life, the more you realize God IS there with you and you have no need to be afraid. So again, whatever situation you find yourself in, go to God’s Word, find a promise, and keep repeating it until it gets down into your heart. Once that promise finally gets down into your heart, you have gone from doubt to hope to belief. Sometimes that path from the head to the heart is a long path, but as you keep repeating God’s promises into your life, those promises keep getting deeper until it finally reaches your heart. And that is right where God wants you to live – having a heart belief so then you can receive that promise of God.