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A Favorite Verse


Have 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.” (Joshua 1:9)

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,  and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20)

                Oh! One of my favorite verses. That’s not hard, I have so many. I feel as if I need this one today. It’s close enough to time to head north that I’m feeling the pull of the road, Dad is still Dad, and I’m trying to work on two books. In less than a month, a third may come back into play. It’s also getting to the time when I have to consider sending out a new batch of queries. So much that disturbs my sense of control and equilibrium. 
                Yes, just be strong and courageous and God will be with me. He’ll give me victory, just like He did Joshua. Except, God didn’t promise victory, He promised Himself. And even if He had promised victory, He promised it to Joshua. This beloved promise wasn’t made to me. It’s bad enough to usurp someone else’s promise, but to do so and get the promise wrong… pretty bad.
                However, God is faithful. He has promised not to leave us or forsake us. He ha promised to be with us even unto the end of the age. God has commanded His people time and again to be strong and courageous and to obey everything He has commanded. He does not promise a victory involving our circumstances, but He has promised the victory of His presence, even if it’s the silent presence of a teacher administering a test.

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