DAY 1 | Strength and Courage

Strength---synonymous to physical power, an intrinsic property that is very necessary if you’re gonna engage in a fight. If you don’t have the strength, you’ve got everything to lose. In the gym, there’s a section allotted for core training, equipments for cardio exercises and a section for strengthening. Known also as resistance training, these routines uses weights and other specialized equipments to put muscles to strain and resistance for them to build up. Muscles are necessary to support the skeletal built of the body which enables us to stand, sit, run and walk. Strength is necessary in living every day. When we don’t feel well, chances are, we don’t have enough strength to do our daily routine. We tend to lie down, sleep, and take a rest which actually leads to a very unproductive day, only because we lack the strength. 

Three times in just the first chapter of the Book of Joshua did God say, “Be Strong and Courageous!” After Moses passed the baton to Joshua as their leader, it was as if Moses was being unfair since a very large responsibility was being passed on to Joshua. Before they were about to enter the Promised Land, there were a lot of challenges in store for them: the cities they were about to go to were armed, the Jordan River was another issue and the pack of the Israelites who grew up going places were uncontrollable. But hey, leaders need to be replaced by new ones. New leaders are the lifeblood of any organization. They’ve got newer and fresher alternatives in dealing with circumstances and they’ve got better energy levels to perform. Yes, Joshua had some earth-sized troubles on his shoulders.

And it was at this moment when God reiterated the words “Be Strong and Courageous!” to Joshua making the latter feel assured that everything’s gonna be ok, he just  needed to do his part. It’s comforting to know that God is on their side. Yes, challenges were present but God oversees them all. Isn’t it amazing to realize that God is actually for us? And he is mighty to save and victory is on his hands. All we got to do is just to do our part “Be Strong and Courageous!” We all need courage to battle every day’s turn of events and it is really amazing to know that God is backing us up. With God, we can never go wrong.

⁵ No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. ⁶ Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their ancestors to give them.

 ⁷ “Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. ⁸ Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. ⁹ Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.” 

 ~ Joshua 1:5-9

I think the reason why God emphasized the statement “Be Strong and Courageous” is because as humans, we tend to go with the easy way, and it is easier to back down [get discouraged] than to move forward to claim our Promised Land. God is reminding us in this season of prayer and fasting not to back down on anything. If it is God’s will for us to conquer our Promised Land, we gotta do our part, and that is to “Be Strong and Courageous!” because challenges will be very present. The enemy will be trying so hard to steal the victory from us. But hey, God said: “Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.” ---you know what to do.

If Joshua had the privilege of hearing God’s orders audibly, which am rather envious, we also have the privilege of discerning God’s orders through his word. There’s actually a bonus: success is inevitable if we keep God’s word. “Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth….meditate on it day and night… so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.” 

Amazing. It’s actually like taking a final exam where the questions were given months before the day of the exam.

Numbers 13:26---14:9

Two different point of views can be seen in this chapter: the “Grasshopper” mentality and the “Can Do” attitude. The spies were discouraged to know that the cities were actually armed and fortified with the residents described as giants [the Nepihilims]. They were as if “grasshoppers” compared to them. Grasshoppers are weak, light, silent creatures. they use their ability to blend with colors just to hide from their enemies. they don't know how to fight. It’s obvious that these 10 spies already lost the battle in their own minds without having started yet. In their minds, they won’t be able to conquer the Promised Land because of these big men and armed cities [challenges]. Joshua and Caleb on the other hand saw the challenge as an opportunity to trust God, since God said that He will back them up. I love Caleb’s statement in the NKJV: “Let us go up at once and take possession, for we are well able to overcome it.” I’d like to highlight his sense of urgency: “Let us go up at once!” Joshua got his marching orders from God and there’s actually no reason to delay. They’ve been strolling around for 40 years, it’s high time to get settled. He has Caleb, they got their fighting armies. Too often we delay our advancement because of fear. Fear is crippling. Fear causes delay and discouragement---which leads to failure [not being able to claim our Promised Land]. In everything, “We Are” the limiting factor. we have the decision to move forward and to back down.

The difference between the spies and the tag team, Joshua and Caleb, is that they weren’t focused on the size of their problem, they were focused on the size of their God. Yes, big problem to even enter the fortified cities but they got God’s promise to be with them wherever they go. Isn’t that amazing to hear those words from God? I envy Joshua because he had the privilege of hearing God’s orders audibly. 

Acts 4:1-31

Not everyone is endowed with boldness to move forward and claim their own Promised Land and to even share God’s word. Many, I included, need boldness to share God’s goodness to everyone. May we all be strong and courageous and may we be granted boldness, by the Holy Spirit, as we share God’s goodness and as we battle our way to our Promised Land.