05/10/2016 - BE OF GOOD COURAGE

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Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. Joshua 1.9

Many saved ones pray asking for a chance in life and, when the much awaited chance is given, some of them think that the blessing was too big and so they let it go. I have seen this happen many times with many people, who, later on, were hurt with God. This is too absurd to accept it! How can a person blame the Lord, saying that He did not understand that they did not have the capacity to fulfill such task? 

The order that was given to Joshua was for him to be strong and of good courage – another way of saying: “Believe in God”. He could not enter the spiritual battle without the proper preparation, because, without the divine armor he would come out defeated. The garment for combat is acquired by reading the Bible or listening to the Word. Therefore, be alert not to lose any of these garments that you will be given, because God knows what you will face.

After being dressed with dignity, the man of God cannot be amazed or frightened, because the Lord will go with him. The right thing is to do the work with your heart prepared, but, unfortunately, some people go into the ministry without the covering of the beautiful garments. That is why, sometimes when they are battling, even if they are well intended in faith, they are struck by the wicked arrows, and then, lose the battle. Be firm in what you have learned so that you don’t taste defeat. 

Those that are sent by the Lord have the obligation of teaching the Word and not their own considerations. In the battle, many times we are attacked with moral defamation and slander. Now, we don’t have to be offended, but we must allow the heavenly Father to take care of this situation, for only He knows how to do all things well. We can only speak what He tells us to speak and not what we think is right or useful. The Most High´s direction solves not only the problems you are facing at the moment, but also those in the future. 

There are servants of God that cannot stand a greater Trial; then, once he knows about that, the devil increases the pressure over these servants with all their strength. When they see a difficult situation, these Christians feel discouraged and think that the work was not for them. Now, it is exactly because of these strategies of Satan that the Lord exhorts us to not feel discouraged when facing them. It is so shameful when a saved person, called to do the divine work, “throws in the towel”!

We have to prove that we love the Lord by never giving up. There is no reason why we must fear the devil and his lies, if God promised that He would make us not fear in the presence of the great and important people of the Earth. This shows that we must not submit ourselves to any evil threat, but we must carry on until the final victory. Those that believe in the Savior never back down, or say there is no way out. The triumph comes from the Lord to all people. 

Joshua faced several kings of Canaan, but he never receded in his mission. The truth is that he was tested in several ways, and was demoralized with the fall before Ai and felt resentful because of this failure. However, later, he proved to be a true leader when he found out the one to blame for the defeat, and thus, solved the problem. God honors those who honor Him! 

In Christ, with love,

R. R. Soares