How to Be Blessed By God
Courage
Scripture: Joshua 24:13-14
So I gave you a land on which you did not toil and cities you did not build; and you live in them and eat from vineyards and olive groves that you did not plant.’
14 “Now fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your forefathers worshiped beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord.
Our scripture today summarizes the blessed life Joshua and the Israelites were experiencing. They were given the fertile land that had been promised to Moses and their forefathers. Why did they receive this blessing? In a word: Courage! Joshua understood the dangers but believed in the power of God. He led them into the land with a courageous faith. That was the first thing God said to Joshua in chapter one, “be strong and courageous” (Joshua 1:6).
We will never experience a totally blessed life without courage. If fear wins out in the opportunities that God presents to us, we’ll never enjoy the benefits God intended to give us from those opportunities. This life is all about options: options for God or the evil one; options for good decisions or bad decisions; options for new adventures or the comfortable routines. When this life is over, our options will be done. Today, we face options and opportunities. Most opportunities call for courage. The new adventures in life have “unknown” factors involved…that can be scary. But remember, it is often in these new opportunities that we discover and experience the rich blessings of God for our lives!
The big question is: how do I know if God is in the opportunity? I’ll deal with that in more detail tomorrow, but the bottom line answer is this: We will seldom have total assurance. That is where courage must step in…trusting God to lead, guide and provide!
“Father, give me a discerning heart to face each opportunity and find your will in them. I will live courageously today. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.”