OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - MONDAY - 28/10/2013 - BE COURAGEOUS! BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

BE COURAGEOUS!

MEMORY VERSE

Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest.

Joshua 1:7

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Joshua 1:5-9

Joshua 1:5 The shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.

                      

Joshua 1:6 Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them.

Joshua 1:7 Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper withersoever thou goest.

Joshua 1:8 This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.

Joshua 1:9 Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.

MESSAGE

To be a good midwife, you must have courage. Courage means refusing to give in to fear even when you are afraid. To birth some babies can be quite a challenge. Contrary to the normal practice of coming out with the head, some babies may want to come out with their legs or hands or even be bridged. It takes courage to handle such deliveries. As a servant of God, there are certain assignments that you will be given that can cause fear. Yet, God wants you to take courage because He will help you. When God told Joshua he was going to succeed Moses, boy, was he struck with fear! How can a messenger become the leader of a nation when there were elders and other leaders there? How would the Israelites see it? What if they decide to rebel against him as they had done to Moses? Moses who was trained in the best university in Egypt and was prepared for the ministry for several years, yet he still failed; how can he succeed with so little level of preparation?

Joshua had many doubts. He had many unanswered questions. The task was frightening. How could he step into the shoes of Moses? His fears were real. God saw them and He began to encourage him. God told him to be strong, bold and to be of good courage. God gave him the recipes for success in the assignment. How do you feel when you are asked to fight giants on your way to the Promised Land? How do you feel when you are faced with the task of raising a church building that will cost N20 million (approx. $130,000) but you do not know where the first N50,000 (approx. $330) will come from? When people bring a very bad or hopeless case, it may cause fear. Yet, God wants you to take courage. Why? You are not alone. He is right with you. He will make available all you need to handle that project. He will give you the recipe for success in that given task. Trust Him. Yes, you can do all things by His power and grace.

KEY POINT

You may not see or know where your well of provision for that divine assignment is, but God knows and He will show you if you ask Him.