Be Strong and Courageous

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

Have you ever read a verse and felt the exact opposite? I love the promise in Joshua 1:9; however, during the months after my separation, I felt weak, scared, and devastated. My world was not what I thought it would be; how could I be strong and courageous during this season? I didn’t know how to move forward, let alone be strong and courageous. 

Then one day, I realized that I was looking at that verse wrong; God wasn’t expecting me to do this by myself. He knew that wasn’t possible. He wanted me to rely on His strength. If I trusted in him no matter what I faced, I could be strong and courageous because, just like the verse said, God will be with me wherever I go. 

So friend, tonight, if you face a broken relationship, a scary diagnosis, a financial struggle, I pray that you turn to God and ask him to give you His strength. He will walk with you through this journey, and when you don’t feel like you can take another step forward, that is when He will pick you up in His loving arms and carry you. 

I will leave you with this advice a friend gave me. God’s word is a promise to us. When you don’t know how to pray for what you need, use His words as prayers back to him. Psalm 18:1-2 would be a perfect prayer in times like this. 

Dear God, 

I love you, O LORD; you are my strength. You are my rock Lord, my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, you alone are my rock, in whom I take refuge. You are my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. Lord, I trust that you will see me through this. Thank you, Lord, for promising to walk with me every step of the way. I will put my trust in you and will continue to seek you through this journey. In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.