“Have I not commanded
you? Be strong and courageous. Don not
be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you
wherever you go.” –Joshua 1:9
God said it to Moses, Moses said it to Joshua, and Joshua
proclaimed it to the people just before they crossed the Jordan river into the Promised
Land. These words are said all through the bible. God breathed these words before great battles
and He proclaimed them before great trial.
King David even encourages his son with these words-
“Be strong and courageous,
and do the work. Do not be afraid or
discouraged, for the LORD God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you until all
the work for the service of the temple of the LORD is finished.”
Often times we think the whole “strong and courageous”
business is just for the times of great battle, triumph, or trial. I’m starting to think a little differently now
though, as we live and work and wait in this country of Uganda. Sure, there
have been many times of battles and trials when we had to be STRONG and COURAGEOUS, trusting in the LORD to fight
for us- and win. But what about those
days when there are no great wars to be waged- just a basket full of laundry, a
few Band-Aids on minor scrapes, and a grocery list? What about those moments of the ordinary and mundane?
These men and women of the bible had a lot of waiting and
working to do. In between the parted Red
Sea, the Promised Land, and the finished temple there was a lot of waiting,
strength, and courage. God never stopped
reminding them to be strong and courageous.
God always knows what we need and when we need it. He knows that we need to be strong and
courageous in the heat of the battle just as much as the other days. If we flake out on the days of cooking,
traffic jams, Band-Aids, emails, and laundry can we ever make it to the other
days?
I’m reminded today to be strong and courageous, not to be
afraid or discouraged, but to believe without a doubt that God is powerful and
strong in every moment of every season; in the waiting and working the promises are still there. Be strong and courageous.
“Who despises the day of small things?” –Zechariah 4:10
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