WATCHWORD:
Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you, he will never leave you nor forsake you. Deuteronomy 31:6
Meditation:
Abide with Me
Moses was a great man; one of the greatest to ever walk this earth. But Moses was not irreplaceable. God being with them, Israel was in good hands, with or without Moses. God’s word, through Moses to Joshua, was: Be strong and of good courage. That was spoken nearly 3300 years ago, but it applies now, to our nation and to us, as individual believers in Christ. It is time that we take courage in the Lord and not fear nor be dismayed. God has not abandoned us.
I think too often when we hear that phrase ‘be strong and of good courage’ we may think of action heroes coming to the rescue, saving us from really bad things, at the very last moment. But it is God saying to us to abide in his word and not lose faith, He will walk with us through this present Jordan.
A commentary on Verse-A-Day observes: ‘It is striking how often the truth of scripture points to the quality of our relationship with Jesus’. Think about that, and the truth that our lives are so fraught with trouble without Jesus in the midst of it.
As believers in Jesus Christ we need to allow ourselves to be led by the Holy Spirit then to reach out with courage and compassion to others who are suffering. We cannot do this on our own, that’s the reality of our frailty. But we can do it with Jesus who will give us the strength. We are never alone when we speak the truth in love.
When we reach out to others, when we have a heart for them, that feeling of being cared for and supported, builds them up. And we know, from our own experience, that the feeling of being cared for can help sustain us when we’re facing these challenges. The awareness of God’s presence and support can bring hope to encourage our spirit.
In Psalm 46 we read: ‘God is our refuge and strength, an ever present help in trouble…Be still and know that I am God… I will be exalted in the earth. The Almighty is with us’. When we remind ourselves of God’s promises and His presence with us it can be a means to renew our hearts and give us the courage and confidence to go through difficult and sometimes boring days. Remember Jesus words, ‘be of good cheer for I have overcome.’ Amen.
Prayer That St. Teresa Prayed Each Day:
Dear Jesus, help me to spread Thy fragrance everywhere I go. Flood my soul with Thy spirit and love. Penetrate and possess my whole being so utterly that all my life may only be a radiance of Thine. Shine through me and be so in me that every so I come in contact with may feel Thy presence in my soul. Let them look up and see no longer me but only Jesus. Stay with me and then I shall begin to shine as You shine, and so to be a light to others. (May it so be with us.) Amen.
