BE STRONG!!!

A devotional according to multiple sources is some form of publication used in a variety of platforms that provides an opportunity to meditate on a particular verse in the Bible along with a time of prayer. It allows the person reading the devotional to take a "time-out" during their day to reflect on the Word of God, to fix their eyes on the Author and Finisher of our faith, to seek improvement in certain areas of their life, and to draw inspiration on whatever it is they may be going through. Furthermore, a devotion believe it or not is a spiritual act of worship and today's devotion comes out of one of the most familiar passages in the Bible... 

Joshua 1:9, "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go."

Now, to provide a little context regarding this particular verse, Moses had just died and Joshua was the next man in line responsible for leading the Israelites into the promised land. Let's just say Joshua had his work cut out for him having to lead a whole nation of at least two million people into a land that was already possessed by other nations. Yet, the Lord knew the challenges that stood before Joshua and the Lord knew that Joshua had some pretty big shoes to fill. After all, Joshua is succeeding a man who literally had one-on-one encounters with the Lord God Himself on Mount Sinai... Hence, the Lord encouraged Joshua three times in the span of three verses to "be strong and courageous." Which means to prevail, to be firm, to press on, to be secure, and to grow strong despite the challenges, despite the unknown, and despite what he saw ahead of him. Furthermore, the Lord also commanded Joshua to not be afraid and to not be dismayed because the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob, the God of Moses, and the same God that raised the Lord Jesus Christ from the dead "will be with you wherever you go."

So, no matter what you are going through, no matter how dark your situations may appear, and no matter how thick the mud gets in your life, the Word of God reminds us today, do not be afraid, do not be terrified, do not be dismayed, and do not be broken, why..? Because the Lord your God is with you, and if God be for you... Who can be against you, right??? Paul says in Romans 8:37 that "we are more than conquerors through him who loved us." And because of what God has done for us, we can "be strong and courageous!" So, whenever you are experiencing a moment of weakness in your life, remember the Lord your God defeated every possible scenario you could ever face in your life by nailing it to the cross, and by defeating it with his own resurrection! There's nothing that you are going through that God cannot relate to! Jesus defeated betrayal, anguish, Satan, temptation, sin, fear, hatred, evil, crucifixion, and Jesus defeated the one thing that has held humanity captive since the time of Adam and Eve, which is death. The tomb is empty!! Jesus did all of this so you can walk in victory, so you can walk in power, so you can walk in strength, and so you can walk courageously! Be strong and courageous thus said the Lord because "I AM that I AM" is with you now and forevermore! 

All you have to remember moving forward today is to be careful to obey the Word of God, to not turn away from it, to meditate on it day and night, and to do everything written in it according to verse 7-8, and God will uphold his end of the bargain by coming through on his promises, by providing all of your needs, by sustaining you throughout your times of trouble, and by reminding you to "BE STRONG" no matter what you face in life; for God is with us! Just as God was with Abraham, just as God was with Moses, and just as God was with Joshua, likewise God will also be with you!

Let us pray:

Dear Heavenly Father,

We thank you for this day that you have made. We thank you for your Word that you preserved for thousands of years so that your children can still have access to it today. And we thank you that you remind us of your word to be strong and courageous; to not be afraid and to not be dismayed because you are with us; for you never leave us nor forsake us, and that you are with us wherever we go in life. We thank you God that you remain faithful even when we are faithless at times in our life. And we thank you that you sent your one and only Son down into the world as a physical reminder that you are indeed with us! So be with us on this day. Grant us your peace that surpasses all understanding. Forgive us of any sin that we may have committed against you. And give us the courage to face our daily battles, in the name of Jesus Christ we pray,

Amen!