Be Strong and Courageous

Scripture: Joshua 1:7-9

⁷“Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. ⁸Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. ⁹Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

Scripture Commentary:

It takes a lot to admit when we are wrong. Pride makes us defensive. We blame others like Adam blamed Eve in the Garden of Eden for his eating the forbidden fruit. God tells us to be strong and courageous.

Meditate on God’s Word continuously.

God told Joshua to meditate on his word day and night so he would make the right decisions. In other words, we are to read and think about God’s word several times during our day. This way we can conduct ourselves according to God’s word.

We often know when we are wrong about something, but we don’t want to admit it to ourselves, to others and ultimately to God. The Holy Spirit will bring this to our attention and encourage us to say to ourselves, to God and others, “I am wrong.”

God told Joshua, if you meditate on my word and are careful to obey it, you will be successful wherever you go.

So, look yourself in the mirror and practice saying, “I was wrong, God forgive me.” God tells us to be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord our God will be with us wherever we go.

Read the Entire Chapter of the Scripture Referenced:

Joshua 1

Read Other Commentary From the Book of Joshua:

Serve Only the Lord Your God

And the Walls of Jericho Came Down

Scripture Commentary by Minister Elton Richardson.

The Lord Is God

Scripture: Psalm 100: 3

Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his^[^a^]; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

Scripture Commentary: The Lord is master of our destiny.

We need a daily reminder that the Lord is God and not we ourselves. How quick we are to pat ourselves on the back, as if we arrived at this very point in our little lives all on our own. Social media promotes self-help and looking out for one’s self, when in reality God created all of humanity and has a plan for each of us.

We think we are the masters of our destiny; our success is based on our sweat equity when in reality the Lord God is the creator and sustainer of all living things. God created the air that we breathe, the synchronized beating of our heart and movement of our lungs when we are awake and asleep.

The Lord is faithful and dependable.

This psalm is an invitation to enter into the presence of God with a joyful heart and spirit. God is faithful to all of humanity and to all generations with His love, compassion and empathy. The Lord seeks to be in relationship with all of us through His son Jesus Christ. In return He simply asks that we serve Him with gladness.

God is dependable, His word is true for yesterday, today and tomorrow. Go to God in prayer. Ask Him to teach you His ways, to reveal to you His glory in your life. As you walk with God, you will find yourself with an unexplainable joy inside and a smile on your face because you know that the Lord God loves you and that His lovingkindness is everlasting.

Amen.

Read the Entire Chapter of the Scripture Referenced:

Psalm 100

Read Other Commentary From the Book of Psalms:

Make A Joyful Noise to the Lord

Nothing Can Stand Against God

(Commentary from Minister Elton Richardson)

Accept Jesus and Be Born Again

Scripture: John 3: 1-3

Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. ²He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.” ³Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.

Scripture Commentary: Discover what it means to be born again.

Free at last! Being born again happens when you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. At that time the sinful life you had been living is washed away. The old you is gone; you’ve been given a new self. God gives each of us this gift when we accept Him. Thank God almighty, I am free at last.

We are born sinners but we do not have to live this way.

When Jesus told Nicodemus that he needed to become born again, Nicodemus was thinking of the physical body. Jesus, however, was talking about the Holy Spirit that has been given to each of us. Have you talked to your Holy Spirit lately? If not, call on it now. No matter who you are or what you’ve been doing with God, He is ready to forgive and forget your past transgressions and give you His almighty love.

God gives you multiple chances to accept Him.

He knows we are weak, but He is strong. Are you ready to be born again? Are you ready to be washed in the spiritual blood of Jesus Christ? Be free at last! Thank God almighty, free at last!

Read the Entire Chapter of the Scripture Referenced:

John 3

Read Other Commentary From the Book of John:

Jesus, the Light of the World

Jesus Is the Living Water