“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
Joshua 1:9
The story of Joshua’s faith is one of my favorite stories. He must replace Moses as the leader of Israel. That had to be a daunting task. He will lead the nation into war with other nations. They were not exactly an army. He would have to keep these people focused and obedient. Do you hear the word impossible? He had so much to fear.
God’s word to him is to be “strong and courageous.” Did you ever consider that trusting God requires courage? Until recently, I had not. We talk about faith as if it should be natural for the Christian. It is not natural. It is supernatural.
Trusting God requires us to face our fears. Facing our fears takes courage. Trusting God to face our fears takes courage. This relieves so much pressure from us. I saw fear as a sign that I was not trusting God. Instead, it serves as a reminder that it takes courage to trust God.
Trusting God means allowing God to work out the situation. Fear results from not being able to control the outcome. If we had control, we could get the outcome we want (that is what we think). Trusting God means we do not have control. We may get an outcome we do not want. Are we willing to trust God for His best?
This new way of looking at courage has lifted a burden off of me. I felt the pressure of what the world said I should be doing. I felt in my heart what God wanted me to be doing. There is risk. It comforts me that the fear is the natural response, and that practicing courage gives God glory. Needing courage is a good thing.
The next time you are struggling with your fears, ask God for courage to have faith in Him. In Joshua 1:9, God tells Joshua why He can be courageous. God will be him wherever He goes. God will be with us wherever we go. He will be with us as we face our fears.
Take courage, my friends, God is with us!!!
Mary studied Mechanical Engineering as an undergraduate student. While studying she traded semesters working at NASA in Houston, Texas. It was while working at NASA that she felt the tug on her heart that God had another plan for her life. Upon graduation, Mary proceeded to serve as a missionary for the next 11 years of her life; she served in Greece the last two years of her service. Upon returning from Greece, she pursued her Master's degree in Counseling, which led to a job with a major university. It was while working there that God did what God faithfully does, she found herself working as an engineer again as she managed major construction projects for the university. She also pursued her Master's degree in Engineering Management and her Professional Engineering License. Mary now on her ministry and writing. When Mary left missionary service it was her desire to return to fulltime ministry one day. She had her first outline for a book in 1989 (a book she has yet to write). Her first book was published in May, 2014 with the second quickly on its heels in December, 2014. She continues to write and is developing an evangelistic series of books centered around Jesus Christ. Her prayer is that her books will bless others' relationships with our Father God and His word.