Only BE Strong & VERY Courageous

Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper withersoever thou goest. - bJoshua 1:7 KJV

After the death of Moses, God spoke to Joshua and told him, to arise and to lead the children of Israel into the land He promised them. Moses was dead and therefore Joshua had no one but God to look to. He had to solely rely on God. God gave Joshua a promise, ‘There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee’ - Joshua 1:5.

God told Joshua, ‘Only be thou strong and very courageous’. In essence God said, Do not fear! Do not be intimidated! Do not back down! Take courage! I will be with you! There was one thing God required of Joshua. God said, ‘observe to do according to all the law which Moses my servant commanded thee; turn not from it to the right hand or to the left. It was important for Joshau to obey ALL the laws of God. Not only some of the laws but all of the laws. This was very critical for Joshua to do, so the battles can be won. God continued and said, ‘turn not from it to the right hand or to the left’. Do not deviate! Do not go any other way but my way! Do not try some other method! Follow my commands, my instructions!

Why was it important for Joshua to obey God’s laws? So that he would prosper wherever he goes. How many of us wants to prosper wherever we go? There is an order, there is a way that we must follow and it is God’s way. Many of us have set out to do things. Have we seek the face of God for His will? Have we seek Him for wisdom and guidance? Have we asked Him to show us the way? Maybe we did. Are we doing things according to what He said? Have we turn to the right or left and have been doing things the world’s way?

God repeated the same words in Joshua 1:8-9, This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.

Take heed to the word of God! God is speaking!

God Is For Us

“If God is for us, who can be against us?” - Romans 8:31b ESV

As a child, I was blessed to be raised by a mother and father who modeled sacrificial love in countless ways. And though many examples of this love could be given, with Romans 8:31 on my mind today, I think of the simple yet profound truth that they were always for me. Though there were the typical moments of disagreement, disappointment and conflict that define any child/parent relationship, never once did I doubt that my parents wanted good for me. I knew they were for me and on my side, and this knowledge shaped and formed me in countless ways.

No matter what your childhood looked like, there is a truth that unites every single child of God: He is for you. The Lord is on your side and loves you more than you even know how to love yourself. At its best, the love of earthly parents is meant to point us to this eternal truth, serving as a taste of the love that God has for His children.

How does it change your view of God if you accept the fundamental truth that His disposition toward you is one of Love, that He is for you and loves to be on your side! God isn’t on your side out of duty or obligation. He is on your side because He delights in His creation and longs to live in union with us. Yes, sin and death alienate us from His Love, but He never stops loving us, even when we run in the other direction. Like the Father who attentively looks for the return of the Prodigal Son, the Lord longs for us to return to Him and live in the light of His Love.

Your life will be filled with plenty of obstacles and challenges. This is a simple fact of life. Yet we do not face these trials alone. God is with us and for us; therefore, we can face whatever comes our way with our heads held high and our hearts steadfastly set on His great Love.

The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me? (Psalm 118:6 ESV) Meditate today on the truth that God is for you and loves you with an unshakable Love

Let’s Pray:

Father, hold our hearts steadfast in the Truth that you Love us and are for us, we ask this in Yeshua’s Name. Amen.

Promise Keeping GOD

“The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some consider slowness, Rather, He is being patient toward you not wanting anyone to perish, but for all to come to repentance”- 2 Peter 3:9.

We are often absorbed in the immediacy of the moment and constrained by the limits of our perspective, while God is steadily unfolding His plans and purposes for the good of mankind—plans conceived in the eternal councils of heaven before creation itself was spoken into existence. God is not slow in fulfilling His promises, and any delay perceived by human understanding can never nullify the perfection or certainty of His unfolding plan. God is not slow; He is simply not on our timetable (Psalm 90:4). Yeshua is waiting for people to repent and turn to Him. We must not sit and wait for Yeshua to return but we should realize that time is short and we have important work to do . Be ready to meet Yeshua anytime, even today, yet plan your course of service as though he may not return for many years.

Each passing day stands as a testimony to God’s patient, long-suffering grace toward the children of men. May we guard our hearts against the temptation to mistake His patience for inaction and instead rejoice in the depth of His mercy extended to each of us.

May we rest in the unshakable assurance that our times are securely held in His hands. And in His appointed moment, in His perfect way, we will enter His eternal presence where faith will give way to sight, and hope will be fulfilled in everlasting joy.

So turn you from your sin (Romans 2:4). God’s wrath, holy and just, must one day be poured out on all sin. Yet in His great mercy, that judgment has been delayed. God has patiently restrained His hand, not because sin is overlooked, but because His heart longs for repentance. It is not His will that any should perish, but that all should come to faith in Yeshua.

The continued delay of judgment reveals the riches of God’s kindness, tolerance, and patience. Each passing day is a gift of Grace, a fresh opportunity for a broken and rebellious world to turn back to Him. Jew and Gentiles alike are being convicted of sin, called to repentance, and invited to receive salvation through faith in Yeshua.

It is only because of God’s compassion and mercy that sinners can be saved. By Grace alone are we transferred from the kingdom of darkness into the Kingdom of His beloved Son. And it is by that same unfailing faithfulness and incomparable kindness that believers continue to grow deepening in Grace and in the knowledge of Yeshua as we abide in Him and He lives in us.

Every day of delay is not weakness, but Mercy. Every moment is an invitation to return to the God who saves.

Even though God has the right to show His anger and His power, He is very patient with those on whom His anger falls (Romans 9:22).