“The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”
In water, I am highly skilled in what I call “drownability”. Once my head goes underwater, I panic. My children, who all swim like fish, reprimand me, “Mom, just calmly move your arms and legs to stay afloat." I try to do this and, slowly but surely, sink.
Fear does this to us. When we are faced with a looming problem to which we have no solution, or when we are faced with the unknown, we panic and sink. In the story, Joshua was tasked by Moses to lead the Israelites into the Promised Land and divide the land according to their inheritance. But first he needed to defeat those who were occupying the land, and then face the formidable task of dividing it among the Israelites who have proven themselves to be rebellious and contentious. Not an easy task for sure! I can already imagine Joshua slowly sinking.
It’s easy to tell someone “do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” But Moses prefaced his encouragement with these powerful words:
“The Lord Himself [in all His power and majesty]
goes before you [He is preparing the way!]
and will be with you [He will guide you and protect you!]
But wait! There’s more! He adds —
“He will never leave you nor forsake you.” [He’s got your back and even when you fail, He will be there for you.]
Lord, I feel like I’m sinking as panic sets in. Please forgive me for forgetting, not only how great and mighty You are, but also forgetting how much You love me. Today, I claim the promise that Moses gave to Joshua — that You, Mighty Father in heaven, go before me and are with me; You will always have my back and never leave me alone. Because of Your great love for me, I don’t have to be afraid or discouraged.
Image credits: brandonsteiner.com
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