Mensa Otabil - Strength and Courage
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Joshua Chapter 1:6 Be strong and of good courage, for to this people you shall divide as an inheritance the land which He swore to their fathers to give them. Joshua needed assurance. God told him no man, no situation, shall be able to stand against you all the days of your life. That seemed like a blank check for victory, but then the next statement tells you that even after he had heard that no man could stand against him, Joshua was a bit unsure of himself.
So God comes back and tells him to be strong and be courageous. In other words, yes, I’ve told you you’re going to overcome. I told you wherever the soles of your feet shall tread is your portion, but you have to be strong. This requires something more for you to see these things happen in your life, and the word strong means to grow and be mature, to grow and be tough.
So it’s calling Joshua to rise from the inside. Because you see, no matter how much God promises you, no matter what He tells you, if you don’t rise on the inside to do what God wants you to do, His word will not become effective in our lives. Joshua had to mature. He had to rise; he had to step up within himself mentally to the occasion. And then God says, «Be courageous.» Courage is not the absence of fear; courage is boldness in the presence of fear. Everybody fears; everybody has some fear. We live our lives not because we are fearless; we live our lives because we are courageous. Courageous means I’m afraid, I’m scared; I don’t know whether it will work or not, but I’m going to step out anyway. I don’t know whether I will win this, but I’m going to do what God tells me to do anyway.
If we’re going to do great things for God, we need strength and we need courage. We need to be mature about it; we need to rise on the inside, and we need to do it anyway, anyhow because every assignment from God requires strength and courage. If you want to live holy for the Lord, it requires strength and courage. You have to be courageous about it because people will mock you. People will make you feel that what you’re doing is not worth it; they will think that you are in the wrong way. Even when you want to live a righteous life, there will be mockers and scorners. It requires strength and courage.
If you want to follow Jesus, it requires strength and courage. Not everybody wants people to follow Jesus. And if you want to follow your life’s dream and purpose, it requires strength and courage because people may not share your passion. People may not share the desires of your heart, but if you believe that they are divinely imparted and established by God, then you’re going to be strong and you’re going to be courageous. And then God says to Joshua, «To these people you shall divide an inheritance.»
That was his assignment; you’re going to divide an inheritance for the nation of Israel, and you’re going to do it, and you have to be courageous about it. Has God told you to do something that seems far bigger than you? Has God put a desire in your heart that seems way bigger than what you would venture to do? Well, if you really believe God put it there, then He says to you that everywhere the soles of your feet shall tread is your portion. And He says to you, «I am with you,» and then He says to you, in spite of me being with you, «Be courageous and be strong.» And today I urge you, be strong and be courageous because there is an assignment for your life.
Let’s pray together. Say with me, «Heavenly Father, You are my strength and my courage. In You, I am bold. I can do all that You want me to do. In Jesus' name, amen and amen.»