Some Encouragement

I spent my time in the bible this morning flicking through a number of different passages as a way of doing something different and seeking encouragement from God's word. I always find there are specific events or verses which stick out and encourage me or have some good challenges. Here are some of the ones I read through.

Joshua 1:7-9

“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. 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. 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.”

 We need to be Strong and Courageous in obeying God, even if it means doing hard things and doing things which may cause other people to not like us.
Why can we be courageous? Why don't we need to be afraid or discouraged?

• Because we know that in Jesus there is full forgiveness and that we have eternal life in heaven with him to look forward to. Since we don't have to fear death, we on't have to fear people or what they will do to us. Yet this is one of the things I struggle with most: Fear of man.
• We also have God with us, he will never leave or forsake us and he is in control. We don't have to fear because God is with us and he reigns over all creation.

A point of application for me is that I don't really know what I'll be doing next year, but if I do it for God and seek to live for him in whatever I do then he will be with me, he will guide me and he will use me, so I don't need to be afraid.

1 Samuel 3:18b

“He is the Lord; let him do what is good in his eyes.”

For some context, Samuel has just been told by God that God will fulfil his promises to Eli about his wrath towards his household. Eli's sons had sinned and Eli hadn't challenged them on it or tried to stop them, and as a result God punishes Eli and his sons.

When Eli hears from Samuel that God is going to do what he said he would he doesn't complain or argue. He submits to God.

• We so often complain and grumble when things happen which we don't like (I know I do), but in reality if we trust that God is who he is and that he is good, then we shouldn't complain. We should repent for our sins and trust him to do what is good.
• That means trusting God instead of stressing out about what's going on in life.

Aside from those two sections I also read Psalm 12, 13 and 18 - all of which were very encouraging/challenging.

God is good, he is faithful and he is who he is. Trust him and don't stress out, "cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you" (1 Peter 5:7) and obey him!

God Bless.
Nat.