Strong

Be Strong And Courageous

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“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 1:7-9 NIV

It is so easy to get caught up in uncertainty…we want to take control and try to force our desired outcomes.  Many of us spend years trying to grasp that which is beyond our control and get anxious and worry when things don’t go the way we want.  In the Old Testament Moses and Joshua are excellent examples of trusting God with uncertainty, being obedient to Him and trusting His way even though we have doubts.  At the end of Deuteronomy and the beginning of the book of Joshua, Moses dies and Joshua is being promoted to fill his shoes.  Just like Moses was apprehensive to lead the people out of Egypt, Joshua is uncertain he should be the one to lead after Moses.  In both situations God reassures them to “be strong and courageous because the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9) We would do well to listen to these words when we are uncertain and have doubts about situations and events in our own lives.

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“The Lord is my light and my salvation—
    whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life—
    of whom shall I be afraid?“

Psalm 27:1-2 NIV

(This photo was taken in Spetember of 2022 in Bighorn National Forest in Wyoming)

Wherever You Go

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“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.”

Joshua 1:7-8

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“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 1:9

(This photo was taken in June of 2013 near Pike’s Peak in southern Colorado)

Courage

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A life if faith is not easy and we were never promised it would be…in fact the bible is clear that we all will face troubles in this world.  Everyone is facing a battle of some kind and it takes courage to stand in faith and live with God at the center of your life.  God knows our difficulties and struggles and Jesus lived as a man on earth for over 30 years and knows all too well the ways of the fallen world.  Turn towards Jesus Christ, trust in Him to guide your life and stand firm on the foundation of your faith.  Amen.

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“Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong.  Do everything in love.”

1 Corinthians 16:13-14

(This photo was taken in August of 2016 in Glacier National Park in Montana)

Be Strong And Courageous

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Meet with God daily.  Pick a time and quiet place for you to be with God.  He is our Creator…His Son is our Savior and He gives us the Holy Spirit as a guide for the darkness of this world.  God is with you and He loves you and wants good things for you and your life…be strong and courageous…turn towards God, trust Him and live.  Amen.

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“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 1:9

(This photo was taken in October of 2013 in a neighborhood near Plymouth, Minnesota)

Strength

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All that we need is provided by God.  It is easy to give up and believe that something is never going to change or get better and frankly the majority of people do exactly that…the strength to keep working for good comes from God.  Reading God’s Word and spending time with Him in prayer renews your spirit and your mind.  When we believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and we see what He has done, we know that God is working for our good in all things…do not give up…whatever it is, whoever it is…don’t give up…bring it to the Cross of Christ.  Amen.

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“I can do all this through him who gives me strength.”

Philippians 4:13

(This photo was taken in July of 2016 in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming)

Through Him…

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All things are possible.  When we can’t find the way forward or we don’t know what to do…we will find our way through Him.  There is absolutely nothing in this world greater or more powerful than God’s love.  Believe it…trust it.  Our hope is not found in what we can see…life in this world can be dark and seem hopeless…our hope is found in Christ and through Him we are saved.  Amen.

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“No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.”

Romans 8:37

(This photo was taken in August of 2016 in Arches National Park in Utah)

 

Our Hope Is Found

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In Christ alone.  We are saved by His sacrifice, His mercy and His grace.  Give thanks to God for all that is good.  We can search high and low and all over this world for peace but our source of strength and hope and true peace will be found in Christ Alone.  Look for where God is at work in your life today.  Amen.

In Christ Alone by Brian Littrell

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“Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me.”

John 14:6

(This photo was taken in June of 2016 at a lake near Plymouth, Minnesota)

Be Strong

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There is nothing greater, nothing stonger, nothing that can separate us from the love of God.  You were created by God the Father, you have been saved by Jesus Christ, His Son our Lord and you are guided by the Holy Spirit.  No matter what the world throws at you today…stand firm in faith.  Amen.

Our God by Chris Tomlin

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“Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous, be strong.  Do everything in love.”

1 Corinthians 16:13-14

(This photo was taken in July of 2016 while traveling on Beartooth Pass in Montana)

Faith Makes You Stronger

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We will have troubles in this world and the troubles will feel relentless.  Hold on to your faith and pray.  I am sharing lyrics and musical talents of Mandisa this morning, as she is an artist who has had battles just like everyone else and it has led to her sharing her musical talent with the world to remind us that God has us and with Him nothing is impossible.  May strength and courage flow through our hearts and minds today.  Amen.

Stronger by Mandisa

Overcomer by Mandisa

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“Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong.  Do everything in love.”

1 Corinthians 16:13-14

(This photo was taken in June of 2015 while traveling through South Dakota)