Deuteronomy 31:7-8 - Then Moses
summoned Joshua and said to him in the presence of all Israel, “Be strong
and courageous, for you must go with this people into the land that the Lord swore
to their ancestors to give them, and you must divide it among them as
their inheritance. The Lord himself goes
before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”
It was time. Moses
was 120 years old…had lived a very long and purposeful life…and was near to his
time to die….and Joshua had been selected to lead the people over the Jordan.
He gathered all the people together…to let them know that God would be with
Joshua…just as he had been with Moses these 40 years. He told Joshua the most
comforting words in the Bible… “The Lord himself goes before you and
will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”
I found 8 other verses in the Bible that say the same thing…
in both the old and new testaments. The
most convicting of them being Jesus own words right before he ascended to heaven
to prepare it for us to come be him later.
He said in Matthew 28:20 - Teaching them to observe all things
whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the
end of the world. Amen.
What a great reminder
that we are never finished with what God put us here to accomplish until he
calls us home like Moses. He goes before us…and will always be with us...no matter
what he allows life to throw at us during our journey. We are never to be
afraid…never to let discouragement win our emotions…always falling back on the
power Jesus left with us to help us through the harder moments of life.
Father…thank you for the great promise that you are always
with us…no matter what. Forgive me for the times that I have let fear…or
discouragement win out over claiming your power to overcome any temptation. Help
me to claim 2 Timothy 1:7 … using God’s power to
overcome the spirit of fear satan tries to burden me with. Then use his power…his
love…and his perfect mind to keep moving forward in my faith…no matter what. Amen.
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