Devotionals, Author at Daily Thoughts about God

“Be strong and very courageous.” Joshua 1:7

Our God’s tender love for His servants makes Him concerned for our inward feelings. He desires us to be courageous.

Some consider it a trivial matter for a believer’s mind to be confused, swirling with doubts and fears, but God doesn’t think so. Our Master doesn’t want us to be fearful. Instead, he wants us to be without worry, doubt, and cowardice. Our Master doesn’t think as lightly about our unbelief as we do.

When we are in despair, we are suffering from a terrible illness which should be carried at once to the beloved Physician. Doubtfulness and discouragement is a disease, which can become an epidemic, spreading among the Lord’s flock. One downcast believer can influence twenty others, for better or worse.

Christians ought to have a courageous spirit so we will glorify the Lord by enduring trials in a heroic manner. If we are fearful and fainthearted, it will dishonour his God. Our Lord doesn’t want to see us sad. It was a law of Ahasuerus (a biblical king sometimes referred to as Xerxes) that no one could come into the king’s court in clothes of mourning. However this is not the law of the King of kings, because we can come to Him. He will accept us just as we are, and then urge us to take off the chains of grumbling and put on the garment of praise, because there are many reasons to rejoice.

Also, unless your courage is kept up, Satan will see an opportunity to pounce. Let your spirit be joyful in God your Savior. The joy of the Lord will be your strength, and no fiend of hell will advance against you. Labour is light to a person who has a cheerful spirit, and success will come from cheerfulness. Anyone who rejoices in God, believing with all their heart, is guaranteed success because they are doing exactly what God has called them to do. If you sow in hope you will reap in joy. Therefore, dear friend, “Be strong and very courageous.”

Question: Where do you turn when you’re feeling fearful and weak?

by Charles H Spurgeon
Updated to modern English by Darren Hewer, 2009.
Used by Permission

Imagine you wake up in the morning, and it’s a beautiful day. You praise God as you head out into the world, but the day turns out to be nothing like you expected. People are turning on you, anger and pain surrounds you; even loved ones seem to be against you. The noise of the world becomes almost too loud to bear; your past comes to bear down against you.

Or worse yet, what if by the end of the day you found yourself unjustly put in jail: sitting on a cold slab of concrete, with the smell of urine and body odor filling the cell and the person next to you shaking violently as they withdraw from drugs. Would there still be a place in your heart for prayer? Would you want to sing praises? Paul and Silas knew this circumstance; in fact, theirs was even worse. They were beaten within inches of their lives. Yet their hearts were not broken. Their hearts were filled with Him, our Lord, our God; out of their mouths came the joy of His Spirit, in song and in prayer.

How could gazing at Jesus in prayer and praise transform your worst days?

God, thank You that You never change. You are always faithful. If today turns out to be wonderful, I can praise You. If it turns out to be difficult, I can rise above the circumstance through prayer and praise. Help me turn to You at the worst and best of times. Amen.

If you’re having a rough day today, just open your mouth and tell God one thing you love about him. Then try it again and again and again, until His joy fills you and you see Him as bigger than your circumstances.

By Rev. Daniel Forster
Used by Permission