Be Strong And Courageous

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:9

We're in the midst of a huge opportunity in our household... and that is to practice what we preach. And let me tell, you, it's no walk in the park. Yet at the same time... I'll tell you, in our church services and messages right now, there has been a huge deluge of messages of joy. Not your typical, "chin up, all will be well" messages, but messages of experiencing God's Joy, even in the midst of trials. Do you know how difficult that is? It's really hard to look at the problems that just keep piling on top of each other and finding joy. Yesterday I just had to shake my head as we're in the midst of some pretty big stuff, and another snowball added quietly to the pile. Truly, all I could do was laugh about it.

But then, later on, I was laying in bed, not sleeping, because I was thinking about all these trials, and how it was unheard of that they would all be happening at the same time, and I truly could not see an end. I just don't see myself how we're going to crawl out from under these troubles... and then I started praying instead of thinking about our trouble, and I tell you, I almost started giggling right there, because I thought about how it seems like we're in a full out battle, and then I realized that we are, and I got excited. Yes, I got excited, because if the Devil is coming at us with all these guns, we're very clearly on a journey that he really doesn't want us on. And he. Will. Not. Win. Yesterday was such a snowball of bad, just one thing on top of another, and then as I looked back over my day, I saw where the enemy even used my children to try and get to me, and that made me angry and even more determined. They were so crabby and at each other's throats yesterday, and that in turn made me cranky, and it seemed like I had to be at them all day long to get along. So last night, as I'm thinking all these things at once, I prayed for that too, I prayed for God's protection over my children, and prayed that I would see these things for what they are at the time they happen, and not several hours later when I can't do anything about it.

The Lord is with us wherever we go. Wherever we go! Before I drifted off to sleep last night I had such a sense that all will be well, and it will be well in God's timing, and oh, will we have the most wonderful testimony to share! The devil is not going to win and distract us from our course, because we are full of the joy of the Lord!

"Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the LORD : "I will sing to the LORD, for he is highly exalted. The horse and its rider he has hurled into the sea." Exodus 15:1

"Then the trees of the forest will sing, they will sing for joy before the LORD, for he comes to judge the earth." 1 Chronicles 16:33

"Therefore I will praise you among the nations, O LORD; I will sing praises to your name." Psalm 18:49

Even the trees and the fields praise God day and night. I will do the same. I will praise him no matter what we're going through, and I will be filled with the joy of the Lord, for it will sustain me and be my strength.

"The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song." Psalm 28:7