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Facing Battles


Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9)

          I have some friends, and some friends of friends, who need this word right now. Truth told, I need this word right now, and at least every other second of every day, even when life isn’t especially hard. But I have some friends, and friends of friends, for whom life is hard right now.
          Joshua had been anointed as leader of the Israelites. They had mourned Moses and it was time to cross the Jordan and begin to take the Promised Land. The people had told him to be strong and courageous. Now God has commanded him to be strong and courageous. He had five Canaanite nations to destroy but more importantly, he had to build Israel at the same time. Israel, the nation that built an idol and an altar at the foot of Mt. Sinai while God was in the cloud at the top of Mt. Sinai talking to Moses. Israel who rebelled at the slightest provocation. Admittedly, the current Israelite army hadn’t grown up in Egypt, they couldn’t look back with nostalgia. Nostalgia for slavery? Well, the devil you know is less frightening than the devil you don’t.
          Joshua had led Israel in war, and in victory before. He already had the promise of God that they would dwell in the land, but he’d seen those closest to Moses: Aaron and Miriam, turn on him. More than once. So even with that promise, Joshua was at least tempted to be afraid. He had good reasons to be afraid. So do my friends and friends of friends. They are facing challenges in which even those closest may disappoint, fail, turn away, or even attack. They are facing battles, facing pain. They may have no illusions, but it may be even worse than they have imagined. Have I painted a dark enough picture of what they could face? It may seem darker yet to them as they face the battle. 
          But it is in these dark hours when God says, “Be strong and courageous.” This is when He says, “The Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” It is as they stare across the river of time that separates them from battle after battle that God says, “Do not be terrified. Do not be discouraged.” Why? Because God is able.

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