Courage is defined as the quality of mind or spirit that enables a person to face difficulty, danger, pain, etc., without fear; bravery. (Dictionary.com). In Hebrew the word is Chazak and means courageous, strength both physical and mental. It is paramount for us to understand the importance of courage, because it is needed to obey God, stand in the face of adversity, and to have faith.

Some of us have been forced into a place where we must be courageous. This was the case for Joshua son of Nun. God spoke specifically to Joshua during a time in which it was not so easy to be courageous. Moses was dead and Joshua had been given a new authoritative role from God himself to take the people across Jordan to the land the Lord had given them. God spoke true and powerful promises to Joshua before he set out to do these great things. I believe God spoke such powerful truths to Joshua because he would need these very words to carry out His purpose. He had to have courage or “be very courageous”. There were many battles Joshua had to face, there were many situations he had to set in order and he could not do this from a place of fear or cowardness.

Joshua son of Nun had to rely on the Lord for direction and insight in every area even on when to fight. He had to establish order in His household, in his people. See God had entrusted the people of Israel to Joshua,so when he said “as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:15) he wasn’t just referring to his spouse and children, he was referring to everyone whom God had given Him. It takes courage to lead a people and to give the people the free will to determine if they wanted to be a part of Joshua’s Household.

Today, we face a dilemma in choosing, who to vote for, where to live, if black lives matter (which they do), if masks are needed but the most important yet is who we will serve. It is time to draw the line in the sand and establish who is our God. God gives us the choice to choose Him. But you and I truly need courage to do this because some will not like what this means to serve God, and this choice will divide even the closest of friends and family.

Yeshua is the Christ, the son of the living God and the only way to confirm that you chose God is through choosing to make Yeshua your Lord and savior. There is no other way and there is no other truth.

What does “as for me and my household” look like to you? Where is your courage lacking in establishing this truth. Pray and ask the Lord. Keep in mind you cannot decide for anyone but you must choose to decide and stand firm in your decision. Your decision to serve the Lord will be opposed by some but He will cause you to be courageous and victorious “for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go” Joshua 1:9

~Shalom,

SpeakISay