Brave
Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or the left, that you may have good success where you go. Joshua 1:7 ESV
We often think of being strong and courageous when faced with some physical challenge. When someone threatens us, we wonder if we have what it takes. We think, “I need bravery!” Joshua was about to enter the Promised Land and take on fortified cities. He took over leadership from perhaps one of the greatest leaders of all time in Moses. He had a people looking to him and the Lord commanded him THREE times to be strong and courageous. Later in Joshua 1, the people also encourage Joshua to be strong and courageous.
If we look carefully at the passage, the strength and courage is needed in reference to first obeying the commandments God had given Moses. I guess I do not really consider that it takes strength and courage to obey God. This implies that we must be thoughtful, and that obeying is hard. We must develop an inner strength to meet the challenges of inner rebellion before we can answer the call.
We must not assume that God requires perfection in the human sense for us to be useful for Kingdom work. If we do that, then we can excuse ourselves from ever serving God. God requires obedience; a heart inclined towards Him. It takes great strength to overcome the inner and outer temptations of rebellion. However, when we incline our heart towards God, it seems there is nothing He cannot do through us.
Have ever thought that it takes bravery to obey God? In what ways is bravery needed? What does bravery mean to the person following Christ?
We often think of being strong and courageous when faced with some physical challenge. When someone threatens us, we wonder if we have what it takes. We think, “I need bravery!” Joshua was about to enter the Promised Land and take on fortified cities. He took over leadership from perhaps one of the greatest leaders of all time in Moses. He had a people looking to him and the Lord commanded him THREE times to be strong and courageous. Later in Joshua 1, the people also encourage Joshua to be strong and courageous.
If we look carefully at the passage, the strength and courage is needed in reference to first obeying the commandments God had given Moses. I guess I do not really consider that it takes strength and courage to obey God. This implies that we must be thoughtful, and that obeying is hard. We must develop an inner strength to meet the challenges of inner rebellion before we can answer the call.
We must not assume that God requires perfection in the human sense for us to be useful for Kingdom work. If we do that, then we can excuse ourselves from ever serving God. God requires obedience; a heart inclined towards Him. It takes great strength to overcome the inner and outer temptations of rebellion. However, when we incline our heart towards God, it seems there is nothing He cannot do through us.
Have ever thought that it takes bravery to obey God? In what ways is bravery needed? What does bravery mean to the person following Christ?
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