August 29: Courage to Carry On

-

 Her Strength and Grace

Key Text: Joshua 1:9

Sharon Campbell-Danvers 
Kings Seventh-day Adventist Church

"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."

Have you ever felt timid when faced with life changing decisions? Think about some of the changes you have had to go through recently. What were your first thoughts? Often our initial responses are filled with doubt, fear, or hesitation. These emotions can make us question our ability to move forward.

For me, I know that I tend to be overly conscious when it comes to changes. I like comfort. Anything that takes me out of my comfort zone often creates deep feelings and emotions. Many times, I wrestle with God and agonize with Him to show me His plans and His ways. One of the ways I cope is by writing my needs and thoughts on prayer cards and placing them on the prayer wall. Keeping these petitions before me reminds me to keep them before God.

In Joshua 1:9, God does not make a suggestion. He issues a command. Be strong. Be courageous. Do not be afraid. Do not be dismayed. He is essentially reminding us that trust is not optional. He has already commanded us to lean on Him completely. Yet too often, we choose worry instead of worship and fear instead of faith.

What a powerful shift it would be if we trusted God fully. Others would see our faith and know that our God is greater than any situation. He is bigger than our problems. He is larger than our circumstances. He is stronger than any emergency.

The verse closes with a promise. For the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest. Wherever life takes you, God’s presence goes with you. He will go before you. He will prepare the way. Just as He guided Israel with a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night, He will be with you. You will be okay. Trust Him.

Prayer
Lord, thank You for reminding me that You have commanded me to be strong and courageous. Forgive me for the times when I allowed fear and doubt to overtake my heart. Help me to trust You completely and to rest in Your presence wherever I go. Strengthen my faith and let my life be a testimony that You are greater than every challenge I face. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

January 11: Help! I Am A Worrier.

-
Image
Help! I Am A Worrier. Author : Sharon Campbell-Danvers, Shepherdess, Educator Theme : Contentment in Christ. Finding peace and joy in God regardless of circumstances Peace of mind is a valuable commodity that cannot have a price tag placed on it. If worrying was a product, I would be rich.  Peace of mind is precious and closely aligned with our mental health and well-being. Truth be told, so many things seek to distract us from what is truly important and what gives us true peace. This is a struggle for me. I need a piece of peace! A big slice. Whopper version, supersized. Women are confronted with many issues that impact their peace of mind. The woman with the issue of blood was in a deep place for twelve years (Mark 5:25-34). Mary and Martha watched their brother die and wept (John 11:1-44). The woman at the well was searching for deeper meaning in her life without even knowing it until she came in contact with Jesus (John 4:1-26). Hannah was troubled at home and could find no ...
Read more

January 3: Trust the Plan

-
Image
Trust the Plan Theme : Trusting God's timing and purpose in your life. Author : Dr. Terry-Ann Robinson, Kings Seventh-day Adventist Church   For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11   I must admit I don't like waiting or uncertainty. I am one of those people who make a list for everything, and then I have a list to keep track of my list. I work very strictly with time, and I mentally take quite a few "chill pills" to control my emotions when things don't go according to plan. I have gotten better over the years, but my "chill pills" are still needed. For some time now, I have been asking God to show me His plan for my life. I want a glimpse of the plan. Instead of showing me the details of His plan, God responds with Jeremiah 29:11, saying He knows the plan.   But Lord, I want to know the plan too.   Why can't you just tell me the ...
Read more

March 16 Anxious but Anchored

-
Image
Carol Nyack Shepherdess Cayman Islands Conference of SDA Theme: Trusting God when anxiety creeps in . It was a cool February evening, and I was reaching the end of my rope in more ways than one. I was partially laid up with a broken ankle, having just shattered my beautiful flowerpot. At the same time, vacuuming, and then, minutes later, discovered that my unlocked car had been ransacked during the night. I glanced at my husband resting on the sofa. He remained unbothered by my recounting of events. I then contacted our older son. While on the phone, my husband calmly said, "Ask him to come take me to the hospital." There was no complaint of pain, no urgency in his voice—just a quiet request. At this point, I knew prayer was more important than questioning.  Our son arrived, and just as my husband turned to kiss me and leave, I grabbed him to pray. On the way to the hospital, things took a drastic do...
Read more