40 Prayers for Perilous Times – Day 8
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. Joshua 1:9 NIV
Be strong and Courageous
I remember, Lord.
Moses was dead and You encouraged Joshua to lead the Israelites into the Promised Land. After 40 years of wandering, it was time for the Israelites to cross the Jordan River.
The land was theirs—but they would have to take possession of it. It wouldn’t be easy.
“Be strong and courageous.”
He must have been on edge, Joshua, standing in the long shadow of a such a reputable predecessor as Moses.
When the scouts, decades ago, saw giants in the land, the Israelites quickly lost their faith, though they knew Your will and they knew Your promise, Lord.
The promise You whispered to their ancestors who believed without seeing. And they had You, Lord, with them.
The Israelites had a choice to make: Believe in Your Word and trust in Your promise—or back away in doubt.
But the giants were intimidating and they were afraid, so they choose to live in their circumstances rather than cross into Your promise. With the promise just over the horizon, they turned back.
40 years passed and Joshua faced the giants once again.
“Be strong and courageous.”
It wasn’t a suggestion, but a commandment. Joshua chose to believe. He believed in the promise, and he had You with him.
Joshua took possession of the land. It wasn’t easy.
Today, Lord, I need to trust You more than ever before—because there are giants in our land, too. And I have a choice to make.
If “Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen,” why is so much easier to believe in the things I see rather than trust Your promises?
I want to see them, and I want to touch. Yet You require faith.
So do I trust You, even when the situation looks impossible?
I can hear Your words—the words You whispered to Joshua centuries ago as You encouraged him to take the land.
Yes, I have a choice, Lord. To trust you—or to turn back.
Give me the strength to make the correct choice! Shield my eyes from the giants that surround me. Lift my head so that I may only see You!
“Do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go.”
Lead me, Lord, to walk a straight path, the one you have prepared for me. Keep me from temptation, and deliver me from every evil.
Lord, help me not lose heart despite the giants I see.
“Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”
Let Your joy, Lord, be my strength. Help me to know Your perfect love all the more in times of chaos and trouble. In Your Love, there is no fear.
“For the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”
I want to reach Your “Promised Land” for my life! I want to go in and take possession of it!
Be with me, Lord, and lead me to the place You have prepared for me. Drive out the giants in the land!
Thank you for the rich inheritance of promises, Lord, that you extend to me through Christ Jesus.
And always, Lord, to bring You glory. Your faithfulness abounds.
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