| “Then Joshua said to them, “Do not be afraid, nor be dismayed; be strong and of good courage, for thus the LORD will do to all your enemies against whom you fight.” – Joshua 10:25 |
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| FIGHTING the good fight BY FAITH, NOT FEAR! Joshua calls God’s people to live lives of faith rather than to live in fear. Yes, there is an enemy and there are enemies and yes, there are battles to fight. Rather than letting fear paralyze us we fight by faith, trusting, and obeying God. We are not to be weak but strong. We are not to be cowardly but courageous. We are not to be full of fear but full of faith! We are not to be fearful but faithful. I find it helpful to occasionally read over some of the verses about fighting and how we are to fight the good fight. For instance: Exodus 14:14 “The LORD will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.” Deuteronomy 1:30 ‘The LORD your God, who goes before you, He will fight for you, according to all He did for you in Egypt before your eyes, Deuteronomy 20:4 ‘For the LORD your God is He who goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.’ Nehemiah 4:14 And I looked, and arose and said to the nobles, to the leaders, and to the rest of the people, “Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, great and awesome, and fight for your brethren, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your houses.” Nehemiah 4:20 “Wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet, rally to us there. Our God will fight for us.” Psalms 35:1 O LORD, with those who strive with me; Fight against those who fight against me. 1 Timothy 6:12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. 2 Timothy 4:7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 2 Chronicles 20:15 And he said, “Listen, all you of Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and you, King Jehoshaphat! Thus says the LORD to you: ‘Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s. Proverbs 21:31 The horse is prepared for the day of battle, But deliverance is of the LORD. Just as Joshua was to fight by faith without fear so too are we. Here are a few more verses to be reminded to BE STRONG and COURAGEOUS, FULL OF FAITH! Deuteronomy 31:6 “Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the LORD your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.” Joshua 1:9 “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 8:1 “Now the LORD said to Joshua: “Do not be afraid, nor be dismayed; take all the people of war with you, and arise, go up to Ai. See, I have given into your hand the king of Ai, his people, his city, and his land.” I trust these verses encourage you to fight the good fight by faith. Remember from Psalm 56:3 that “Whenever you are afraid, that you will trust in God. Psalms 56:11 In God I have put my trust; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me? So today, obey and do what He has called you to do, trusting that where He guides, He provides. Let today be a day of “by faith” as opposed to a day of “I was afraid!” Verse to DATE the Word on October 25 (10/25) is Joshua 10:25. It says, “Then Joshua said to them, “Do not be afraid, nor be dismayed; be strong and of good courage, for thus the LORD will do to all your enemies against whom you fight.” Continue Strong knowing He goes before You! And remember to DATE THE WORD! |