“This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.””
Joshua 1:9 NLT
Who doesn’t love this verse! It is used so much! We can find it on coffee cups, shirts, pictures. I love it!
Let’s think for a minute how do we do that? How do we stand strong and courageously, not afraid, not discouraged, believing for victory?
This is what the Lord told Joshua as he lead the Israelites into their promise. This is how they would see victory.
“Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do.” Joshua 1:8 NLT
How? When we study The Word. When we meditate on it day and night, when we obey it. Then we can stand courageous knowing He is with us wherever we go. Then we can no longer be afraid.
If we aren’t living by His word, we can’t stand courageously un-afraid. If we claim His promises, we must also do what His Word says. Verse eight says only then we will succeed and prosper. Verse 9 can’t be lived out until verse 8 and the ones before that are understood. We must take His Word in full context and live it out or we will not see victory.
“My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being priest for Me; Because you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children.” Hosea 4:6 NKJV
People, lives are destroyed because a lack of knowledge. A lack of knowledge of His Word. His Word teaches us who God is, His ways and how we are to respond and live our lives. I’m afraid so many times the Bible isn’t taken into its full context.
I think we as a church, as a nation, as households have got to get back to the Gospel, the full gospel. We’ve watered it down for too long and too many lives have been destroyed because they didn’t know or understand it. His Word is a lifeline for us. It’s living and breathing. It’s the medicine we need for our souls. It will do what it’s meant to do but we must take it in fully.
Praying we get back to The Inspired Word! The Living Word! The Breathing Word! The Word of God in it’s fullness. I believe we will see revival when we do!
