SERVICES: SATURDAY 6PM | SUNDAY 9AM & 10:45AM. 

We Livestream at www.FaithFellowshipWeb.com/livestream, through the FFC App, and YouTube.

Strong and Courageous

Words of Faith Final

Strong and Courageous

Words of Faith 8-12-2020

Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy © 2020

Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com

Faith Fellowship Church - Melbourne, FL

To unsubscribe, follow the directions at the end of this devotion.

<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><

 

Joshua 1

    [6] "Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give them. [7] Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. [8] Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. [9] Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go."

 

      Have you ever prepared for a big trip-- a vacation, mission trip, or some sort of great journey?  There are two sorts of preparations that need to take place. One is the physical preparation-- Do I have the right stuff packed, the car gassed up, the tickets, maps, and equipment?  The other is the preparation of the heart.  Am I ready to go?  Am I prepared for what is ahead? These were the very preparations necessary for Joshua and the Israelites.

      The great move into the Promised Land would require a great deal of physical preparation, but most important was the heart's preparation.  This was a journey that would require courage and strength as they had never thought of before.  All the correct “provisions” in the world would not be adequate to the task if the hearts of the people and leaders were not prepared.

      The Lord called Joshua to strength and courage three different times in these verses based on three different foundations.  The Hebrew word for “strong” means to fasten upon, to seize obstinate force.  The word for “courageous” means to be alert physically and mentally, established and fortified, ready to prevail. 

      First, be strong and courageous because of the PROMISE made to the patriarchs (1:6).  Joshua was not standing alone in this endeavor.  He was surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses who had long hoped for this very time. This was a promise not just to Joshua but to all who had preceded him.

       Second, be strong and courageous because of the LAW (1:7-8). The Lord had given the Israelites the unique gift of His Law.  They had the very statutes and ways that reflected God's holiness and defined a right relationship with Him.  Meditating upon this Law and walking in the Lord's ways would bring prosperity and success in the land.

       Third, be strong and courageous because of the PRESENCE of the Lord (1:9).  This was really a command.  “Have I not commanded you?”  There was no need to be terrified or discouraged because the Lord would be with Joshua and the people wherever they went.  The very presence of the Lord God was the source of courage.

        Are you prepared for the journey ahead?  You may have plans, and a calendar and the physical provisions set out, but that is not enough.  How are your heart provisions?  One can have all the right external preparations, but without the heart's preparation, the journey will be futile. We need courage and strength.  Courage and strength come from standing upon the foundation God has given us.  As we walk with the Lord, we can be strong and take courage as well. 

        We stand in God's promises to His people as part of a divine journey amid a great cloud of witnesses.  We are not alone!  We also have the Word of God, showing us how to live and walk with Him.  We can meditate upon His truth and find guidance, peace, strength, and courage there.  We have the very presence of the Lord everywhere we go.  He is with us!  We can be strong and have courage. These are the most important preparations necessary for the journey ahead!

 

         Father God, I rejoice in knowing that You are fulfilling Your plan and promise in this generation.  All creation has looked forward to this time.  I take courage and strength in knowing that Your Word guides, comforts, and strengthens Your people.  I am strong and courageous-- not in myself or my own strength-- but in the knowledge that You are with me.  You are all I need.  I am ready for the journey.  In Jesus’ name.

 

<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><

© Jeffrey D. Hoy 2004, 2020

Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy - Faith Fellowship Church (EFCA)       

2820 Business Center Blvd.

Melbourne, Florida 32940 (321)-259-7200

Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

SUBSCRIPTIONS - To receive the Words of Faith devotion five days a week, send an E-mail message addressed to join-words-of-faith@hub.xc.org. To stop receiving Words of Faith, send an E-mail message addressed to unsubscribe-words-of-faith@hub.xc.org.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -     

The Words of Faith devotion is published five days a week by E-mail excluding Federal holidays. Please feel free to forward this devotion to a friend who might be blessed by this devotion. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is quoted from the New International Version (R) of The Holy Bible. Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Words of Faith (c) 1997, 2010 Jeffrey D. Hoy. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to forward this copyrighted material or use portions of it with appropriate notation of the source for non-profit purposes.