116. Don't be afraid or discouraged

Moses has finished with his last and final speech. I can imagine it must have been an emotional moment for him. He has led the Israelites for forty years and even though he was still as strong as ever, God forbid him to go on with them into the land promised to them all, due to his disobedience. So now Moses hands over the leadership to his faithful assistant, Joshua, to lead the people into their heritage. Now as I thought about it I realised that Joshua must have been scared. Moses was a wonderful leader, someone to look up to, a true beacon to them all and now he, Joshua, need to take over. Moses has always been there, and now he will have to go forward on his own. He has big shoes to fill. And Moses knew that Joshua was scared and uncertain and therefore he encouraged him in front of all the people:

"Be strong and courageous! For you will lead these people into the land that the Lord swore to give their ancestors. You are the one who will deliver it to them as their inheritance. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord is the One who goes before you. He will be with you; He will neither fail you nor forsake you." Deuteronomy 31:7, 8

Joshua received encouragement through knowing that God will be with him. It was a big task lying ahead of him, but God will be with him and will lead him. God will bring about the victory and Joshua will be the vessel.

And if God tells you to do something today, know that He will be with you too. Jesus promised that He will with His last words before ascending to heaven:

"Be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Matthew 28:20

Big tasks might be lying ahead for some of you. God might be expecting big things from you at this moment. You have prayed about it and you simply know that God is leading you in a certain direction. Then I want to encourage you today. He will be with you. He will lead you and He will guide you. At the end of the day it was God who gave them the Promised Land, it was not the might of Joshua as a leader that brought them victory, no it was God, and he was just the willing vessel. Remember that when the Jericho walls in front of you might look insurmountable. God is not expecting you to bring about the victory, He will do that, you just need to be willing to be used.

Jesus is right beside you, urging you on. Don't be afraid and don't be discouraged. Also don't try and be someone else when assuming the position. Just like God never told Joshua to be just like Moses, He doesn't expect you to be someone you are not. Just be yourself, God knows you inside and out and will use you just the way that you are. All that He expects is obedience. The rest can be left up to Him.

Thank you Father for choosing us in the role You want us to play. Please give us the courage to stand strong and help us in being obedient to You down to the tee. We want to make You proud. In Jesus' Name. Amen

1 comment for “116. Don't be afraid or discouraged”

  1. Gravatar of Anja WakefordAnja Wakeford
    Posted Saturday, 07 February 2015 at 1:17:57 AM

    Hello Ilze
    This message is straight from God this morning to me and that because you were obedient at the right time.
    It just made me realise again that that is the basic thing God ask of us, to be obedient.
    I am beginning a new season in my life that I know is from God and your message gave me the courage this morning to finally commit and to know that God will be in control of this season all the way, guiding me.
    Thank you for being obedient to God's timing.
    Love Anja

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