This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the LORD your God is with you wherever you go. (Joshua 1:9)
Joshua is one of my favorite guys in the Old Testament. His resume includes being one of the faithful spies that returned from scouting the Promised Land with a good report, succeeding Moses in leading the Israelites into that land as well as leading the Israelite army in battle. He saw the Red Sea parted, the Egyptian army destroyed, saw the first draft of the Ten Commandments, watched the Jordan River be divided and the walls of Jericho fall. He was Moses’ right hand man and God’s “go to guy.” He had seen and been through so much that he was fearless, right? I don’t think so.
On several occasions, God told Joshua to “fear not, neither be dismayed” when Joshua was about to lead the people into something. I have to believe God, in His omniscience, knew that Joshua was afraid of the unknown, not sure how things were going to turn out, and evidently a little discouraged about what he was dealing with. Why else would God tell him not to be afraid or discouraged?
It encourages me to know that one of the bravest men in biblical history felt afraid and discouraged occasionally. We need to understand that having faith requires courage, and that being courageous does not mean that we never feel afraid. Having faith or courage means standing up to our fears and moving forward in spite of them. Read the following quotes:
“Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear - not absence of fear. Except a creature be part coward it is not a compliment to say it is brave.” Mark Twain
“Courage is fear holding on a minute longer.” George Smith Patton
“Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes courage is the little voice at the end of the day that says I'll try again tomorrow.” Mary Anne Radmacher
“Courage is being afraid but going on anyhow.” Dan Rather
“It is easy to be brave from a safe distance.” Aesop
“Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that something else is more important than fear.” Ambrose Redmoon
“You can discover what your enemy fears most by observing the means he uses to frighten you.” Eric Hoffer
“You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself. ‘I lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.’” Eleanor Roosevelt
“Nothing in life is to be feared. It is only to be understood.” Marie Curie
“Courage is doing what you're afraid to do. There can be no courage unless you're scared.” Edward Vernon Rickenbacker
“Courage is contagious. When a brave man takes a stand, the spines of others are stiffened.” Billy Graham
You are not the only person who deals with fears and anxieties. The bible is full of people that God used to do amazing things in spite of their fears, anxieties, discouragement and mistakes. I want to encourage you to identify the things you are fearful and anxious about, stop avoiding or running from them, and take a stand against them. Don’t let insecurities, doubts or fears about the future rule your life and rob you of your joy. Don’t ask God to take the fears away, instead ask Him to strengthen you to face those fears until God gives you victory, just like He did with Joshua.
Author Resource:-
Bible teacher at Sherman Full Gospel Church
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