Encouraging Words - Pt 4

After the death of Moses the servant of the LORD, the LORD said to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses' assistant, “Moses my servant is dead. Now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, into the land that I am giving to them, to the people of Israel. Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you, just as I promised to Moses. From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun shall be your territory. No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you. Be strong and courageous, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land that I swore to their fathers to give them. (Joshua 1:1-6 ESV). We are called to go into the world. God tells us to be courageous as we face the dangers and the battles of life. The fourth encouraging word is that while we may not always travel in safe territory, we'll never be alone. John Shedd wrote: “A ship in harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for.” I love the little excerpt from one of Adrian Rogers sermons as he relates the following story: “There man who bragged that he had cut off the tail of a man-eating lion with his pocket knife. Asked why he hadn’t cut off the lion’s head, the man replied, ‘Someone had already done that.’” It’s always easy to be courageous after the danger is past. It is when we are about to embark on that unknown journey, facing what appears to be great difficulty that real courage is essential to succeed. When Joshua was facing the task of taking passion of and occupying the land of Canaan, God reminded him that He had already promised it would be theirs. I wonder if we could just remember how sure the promise of God is to safely deliver us to our eternal life how much easier facing the future would become. I remember well last year as I was facing a rather complex surgical procedure my thoughts. In January, 2014, I reported to the hospital where I was scheduled for surgery to remove a cancer that had developed. I was concerned. I guess it was even more concerning that all three of the boys had taken off work and traveled to Nashville to be there for the surgery. At first I thought it wouldn’t be a big deal, but they seemed to think it was! I was anxious. After all, I had never done this before. The surgery went very well and the results were very positive. Six months later, in June, 2014, I faced another major procedure concerning my heart. I was strangely at peace about this procedure. After all, if I got through the first one, how much more difficult could this one be? Even the boys felt that peace. They stayed at home and merely waited for Mary to call them with the news. That surgery went well also. I was reminded of a very important principle through these experiences: Jesus has already been everywhere I might be called on to go; and, he has won the victory on my behalf. I can’t lose. Live or die, I still win. Tomorrow is not a threat. I am never alone in my journey!