Fear or Faith

When someone keeps telling you to “be strong and courageous,” you might suspect you are up against something big.  And the Israelites were.

They are about to enter the land that had been promised them 600 years before and they had a giant-sized task awaiting them.  Literally!  Forty years earlier ten spies had come back and told the Israelites that the inhabitants of the land were so big they felt like they were the size of a grasshopper in comparison.  Fear took them captive and it was that fear that kept them from fighting the epic battle that God wanted them to fight and because of it, that entire generation lost out on God’s incredible blessing for their lives.

Fear always has the tendency to debilitate us. What we need to overcome fear is courage.  Because courage is not the absence of fear, it is doing what we were called to do in spite of the fear.

The Israelites wandered in the desert for 40 years until the faithless generation was replaced with a faith filled one.  After 40 years their children were ready to take the land.  They were physically no taller than their parents had been.  The enemies in the land were no smaller than before.  But the Israelites’ faith muscles had grown and they were tired of a wilderness experience and knew there had to be more. So they were ready to face their fears and their enemies and march into unknown territory to claim what God had promised.

The two spies, upon returning back to camp, reported that the land was theirs for the taking. Joshua, the faith filled leader, rallied the people together to prepare them for the battles ahead. God, tells Joshua, three times in the first nine verses of the first chapter of Joshua: “Be strong and courageous.”  He also reminds him “the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

My guess is you have a few giants in your life.  I know I have some.  We have also fought some battles and lost because we allowed fear to rule the day instead of faith. We have had some uphill battles that appeared insurmountable.  We have faced some tasks that demanded more than we thought we could give. We have faced times of discouragement and wondered if we had the strength to carry on.

Maybe you have one too many things on your “to do” list than you have the time or energy to do. Unemployment is staring you down.  Depression has a grip on you.  Bills have raided your bank account and left it empty.  An illness hovers in your life like a threatening storm.  You’d rather just run and wander.

But, would you listen to the words of the Lord as he brings encouragement to you today. Here is what he is saying: “Be strong and courageous! I will be with you wherever you go!” We have a Joshua that will lead the way.  The New Testament equivalent of the name “Joshua” is “Jesus.”  And he has promised to be with you always (Matthew 28:20). 

Jesus knows how to lead you through battles.  He had a few of his own while he was on this earth.  Enemies attacking him with accusations (Mark 3:22).  No home and no bed (Luke 9:58).  Crowds and expectations pressing in on him (Luke 8:45).  The religious establishment eventually insuring he was sentenced to a brutal death. (Mark 15:14).

Yet he took on the most barbaric giant there is, death, and lived to tell about it.  He can help you do the same.  You need only be strong and courageous in your faith.