Joshua 1:9 (KJV)
“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.”
In the last days there is going to be alot of opportunities to be fearful when the Lord calls us to go and do His bidding. However, He also tells us that we are not alone and that He is with us wherever we go, in particular when He calls us.
When we are doing the work of the Lord, no matter where it is, we can count on His Word. We have confidence and trust that wherever He sends us, He will be with us. So many people are afraid that the Lord is going to call them to Africa, India or other parts of the world that seem so scary to them, but when we are doing His will He will protect us. There is a reason that He commands us to be strong and of good courage and to BE NOT AFRAID and that reason is because He knows that our fleshly nature is to be fearful. Jesus is our example of being strong and very courageous. He went to the cross and endured torture for us. He prayed to the Father the night before His torture began to prepare Himself for what was to come. He could have said ‘No’, but His focus was on doing the Fathers will and not His own. The Lord knows the beginning from the end and He knows where He is sending you and He already knows the end result. When we trust in Him we need not fear because He is with us!
When we get out of our flesh and allow our spirit to be in command we will be able to say we are well able to do all that the Lord has commanded us to do. Joshua and Caleb were not fearful when they said we are well able to take the land. When others saw themselves as grasshoppers they saw themselves as strong and courageous. We have to identify with Christ and realize that we can do all thing through Christ who strengthens us and put fear behind us.
Being called into the mission field can be both terrifying and exhilarating. The terrifying part is the unknown – not knowing what to expect when you go. The exhilarating part is the excitement of taking the gospel message to the nations, teaching the Word, encouraging people and most important of all – doing the Fathers will!
By: Deborah Johnston, Associate Minister
