Strength & Courage

Transcript

Good morning and greetings in Jesus’ name. Welcome to this amazing new day.

I hope you are continually being strengthened and encouraged every time the word comes to you, the voice of the Lord is spoken into your spirit. You have no idea of the potential that a tiny word of God has, when it is intimate with your spirit. The word and the spirit of God within you, when it comes together, it can bring life.

This morning we will read Joshua 1:9, this is an instruction, in fact not an instruction but a command God is giving to Joshua. “Have I not commanded you Joshua? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.”

Like I told you this is not instruction, advice or a counsel. The difference between an instruction and a commandment is that disobedience to an instruction can cost you a season of your life, but disobedience to a command can cost you your very life, your relationship with God, losing eternity, heaven or even losing your physical life here on earth.

Instructions are given for particular assignments, tasks or particular missions. On the other hand commandments becomes like a general rule or a principal by which we live.

What I have seen Christians pray, ask and desire is that God would make them courageous, strong and bold but here God is telling Joshua to strengthen himself, to encourage himself, stay strong and courageous. There is a strength and courage that comes from God, but if you are living a life of discouragement and a life devoid of strength, then the courage that God gives, will not attach itself to you, then the strength God gives you will not be beneficial to you.

If you and I are not going to use the anointing that God has given us for battles or for certain assignments or victories that we need to achieve, then we need to strengthen or encourage ourselves even when we don’t have courage.

Then God goes on to tell him “do not be afraid” No exceptions, reasons, no enemies, struggles or challenges; there can be absolutely nothing that is a reason to live in fear. You can’t be afraid Joshua, I want you to confess this to yourself today “fear is not my portion or response. Fear is not going to be my go-to when the enemy is trying to attack me, when the enemy is trying to kill, steal and destroy my life. I hope you are receiving this as a personal commandment to you.

The Lord says “have I not commanded you be strong and courageous, do not be afraid” and he goes on to say “do not be discouraged”. There are two things that God does not want us to give into. One is, he does not want us to give into fear and the second is equally important and dangerous, he says “you cannot be discouraged”.

As much as I don’t want you to be afraid, don’t be discouraged Joshua. Can you speak this to yourself? When something does not go as you would like, when you are disappointed, frustrated, can you speak this to yourself? You cannot be discouraged, because the Lord has commanded you to be strong and courageous; Then the Lord gives us the reason why we cannot be discouraged or afraid, the reason is ,“For the Lord your God is with you, wherever you go” It doesn’t matter if that place has a lot of enemies, whether they celebrate you or not or whether they have all of the provisions or not, it doesn’t matter how you see your circumstances.

The only thing that matters is that God will be with you wherever you go. Today, the Lord your God is coming with you to office, the supermarket, he is coming to your in-laws’ house, he is coming with you to play cricket; no matter where you go, his presence is assured and he is saying, “I am going to come with you.”; Because I am coming with you, you cannot be discouraged, you cannot be afraid” This is a commandment from God, instead of focusing on the enemy and focusing on the challenges and threats resounding in your ear, focus of the presence of the Lord in your ear. The lord says “the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go”.

Lets pray. Father, we thank you for this word, and for this commandment. We know it is not a suggestion but a commandment that we be strong and courageous, and I impart that strength and courage into every one of your dear children aligned to this word right now and I declare today fear will be defeated and every discouragement evaporate right now as the presence of the Lord begins to manifest over your children. Lord, release the grace to walk in consistent strength and courage. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.