God’s Loudspeaker
Have you ever carried your coat when it wasn’t raining, because you knew it would rain later? God did something like that with Joshua in the Old Testament. He knew Joshua was going to face fear and doubt, so He told him to be strong and courageous before the fears and doubts came. And He didn’t just tell Joshua once. If you read the first chapter of the book of Joshua, you’ll see that God kept saying it. He knew that Joshua would need to be ‘strong and of a good courage’ (v.6), so He kept repeating it, knowing that the adventures and battles Joshua would face might steal his courage and fill him with fear. Joshua was likely to forget God’s encouragement from v. 5: “…’as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee'”.
The first chapter of Joshua reads like a conversation between God and Joshua’s doubts. In v. 9 God asks Joshua: “‘Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage'”. God then promises to be with Joshua, using different words to repeat His vow from v. 5: “‘…be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee withersoever thou goest'”. That’s just a fancy way of saying He won’t leave Joshua alone. It’s amazing to see God preparing Joshua through words before He ever sends him out to fight. God knows the battles we will face, and He knows how to prepare us for them. Psalm 139 tells us that He knows us: our thoughts; our words before we speak them; our days before we are even born. Jeremiah 1:5 says that God knew us before He even made us in our mother’s womb.
Whatever situations you face this week and this year, remember God has gone ahead of you to bless you. He knows the path you take. He has promised to never leave you nor forsake you. He tells you to be strong and courageous. He will give you His strength. He will repeat His words of encouragement to you as you read His Word (the Bible) every day (Joshua 1:8).
Author
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