Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, He it is that doth go with thee; He will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. And Moses called unto Joshua, and said unto him in the sight of all Israel, Be strong and of a good courage: for thou must go with this people unto the land which the LORD hath sworn unto their fathers to give them; and thou shalt cause them to inherit it. And the LORD, He it is that doth go before thee; He will be with thee, He will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed. (Deut. 31:6-8)
Joshua would now take the armies of Israel into the Promised Land by the hand of the LORD and God would lead them to victory. Joshua did not need to fear his enemies as long as he feared God because God was his strength and he could take courage that God was on his side and had already given them the land. God would not fail in any of His promises because of His covenant with Abraham. He would not forsake them nor fail in His provision for Israel while Joshua and the nation of Israel were in obedience to God. The LORD, He is God, and He had already given them the land and the victory and would go before Joshua and the Israelites, so they could go in boldly and confidently unto the battle which was before them.
Thanks be to God who has given to Christians the victory through Jesus Christ over sin and the grave. For those who are born again in Christ through repentance of sin and our faith in Him and His finished and perfect work on the Cross of Calvary, we are forgiven by God’s grace, not to continue in sin, but to conquer and have victory through His power and Spirit within. We are delivered from the penalty of sin, for Christ has taken our punishment upon Himself and satisfied the wrath of God. Through our repentance of sin, the Spirit of God conquers and controls us as we submit to Him, and the power of sin over us is diminished as we tear down the strongholds of the mind and cast down every vain imagination and that which opposes God. For those who are saved, we have the promise that God is with us and will never forsake us, both individually and as a people of God, His Church, because of the blood He purchased us with and because of our faith in Him and obedience to His Word. He has secured us unto Himself and conquered death and offers Salvation to whosoever will receive Him by grace through faith unto eternal life and the final victory over the presence of sin.
God has sent those who are His and know Him out into this world to reach the lost that they might be saved from sin. He desires that His people strive to be holy and obedient unto Him that we might minister to those around us who are hurting and in need as He provides. We serve others, equipped with the Word of reconciliation and righteousness, rightly divided and fitly spoken, that they may see Christ in us, the hope of Glory. Our God has commanded us to love one another with an unfeigned love, even as He first loved us, and to disciple one another in the Word of God so that we may all grow in grace and in the Knowledge of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Our Lord has commissioned those who are His with the Gospel of Jesus Christ, to go where He sends us in the power of the Holy Spirit. As we go, we are to proclaim the Good News of forgiveness through repentance and reconciliation with the Father through faith in His Son, that those who believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah of God might have life in His Name.
God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance and the knowledge of the Truth. Jesus loves you and wants to establish a covenant relationship with you that is real and personal. Surrender to Him on His terms and He will give you a brand new life of discipleship and fellowship with Him that is abundant and everlasting. God calls you to faith in Christ and His finished and perfect work on the Cross of Calvary to pay your sIn debt. He has provided the only way of reconciliation with God, forgiveness from God, and Salvation through Jesus Christ, the Son of God who is God the Son, to give you a new life in Christ. Turn away from yourself and your sIn and turn to Him alone for eternal Life, now and always.
In Christ,
Jefferson Sweet