CONTENTS
JOSHUA 1 Secret of Courage and Strength
PSALM 91 Protection and Guidance Always
JOSHUA CHAPTER 1
Now after the death of Moses, the servant of the LORD, the
LORD said to Joshua, the son of Nun, the assistant of
Moses:
2 Moses My servant has died; so now arise, pass over this
Jordan, you and this whole nation of Israel, to the land which I
give them.
3 Every place on which the sole of your foot shall tread, I have
given you, as I said to Moses.
4 Your territory will be from the desert and yonder Lebanon as
far as the great river, the river Euphrates, including all the land of
the Hittites, even to the great western sea.
5 None shall hold out before you all the days of your life. As I
was with Moses, I shall be with you. I will never fail you, and I
will not forsake you.
6 Be resolute and strong; for you will enable this people to
inherit the land, which I vowed to their fathers to give them.
7 Only be very resolute and strong, to keep practicing the whole
Law, which Moses My servant commanded you; do not depart
from it to the right or to the left, so that you may prosper
wherever you go.
8 This book of the Law must never depart from your mouth;
you must meditate on it day and night, so that you may keep
living in accord with all that is written in it; for then you will
prosper.
9 Have I not commanded you? Be resolute and strong! Be not
afraid, and be not dismayed; for the LORD your God is with you
wherever you go….
JOSHUA CHAPTER 1
Secret of Courage and Strength
I like the first chapter of the Book of Joshua because it reassures
us that God will always be with us; He will always help us.
The chapter tells about a man who was in a real spot. The great
leader Moses had died and Joshua was made leader of the people.
He must have had qualms about his ability. But he rose above any
self-doubts, for the Lord told him that even as He had been with
Moses, so He would be with him as well.
God reminded Joshua that because of His guidance and support
nobody would successfully oppose him. The Lord made a very
explicit promise: “I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.”
This story reminds us that, when we have a responsibility that
looms large, when we are a bit frightened and overwhelmed, we
must not be discouraged for God will be with us too. He will
never fail us, never leave us.
But that isn’t the whole story. We have to do something too.
First, we have to be strong and courageous. Second, we have to
do everything that God commanded us to do; we must be
obedient. Third, we are not to look to one side or the other, but to
go straight ahead.
If we do these three things, all will go well, for we have the
promise: “The LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”
So, whenever you need to feel support, courage and strength,
read the first chapter of the Book of Joshua.
PSALM 91
He who lives in the secret shelter of the Most High lodges in the
shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will testify of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my
God; in whom I am trusting.”
3 Certainly it is He who rescues you from the hunter’s trap, and
from the fatal pestilence.
4 He will cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you
will find protection; His faithfulness is a shield and armor.
5 You will not fear night’s hidden terrors, nor the arrow that flies
in the daytime,
6 Nor the plague that lurks in darkness; nor the calamity that
spreads havoc at noontime.
7 A thousand may fall right beside you and ten thousand at your
right hand, but it shall not come near you.
8 You will merely see it with your eyes and witness the sinners’
reward.
9 For Thou, O LORD, art my refuge. Since you, too, have
established the Most High as your shelter,
10 No harm shall befall you, nor shall any plague come near your
tent.
11 For He gives His angels orders regarding you, to protect you
wherever you go.
12 They will support you with their hands, lest you strike your foot
against a stone.
13 You will trample on the lion and the adder; you shall tread upon
the lion cub and on the snake.
14 Because he has anchored His love in Me, I will deliver him. I
will place him securely on high, for he has faith in My name.
15 When he calls upon Me, I will answer him; I will be with him in
trouble; I will rescue him, and honor him.
16 I will satisfy him with long life, and show him My salvation.
PSALM 91
Protection and Guidance Always
When my mother died, her Bible lay open on her bed to the
91st Psalm. That great psalm was part of her life. Partly
because it meant so much to her and partly because it is so
profoundly helpful, I have made it part of my life also. The 91st
and the 23rd Psalms are the greatest of all the psalms to me.
The 91st Psalm contains the marvelous message that if you live
“in the secret shelter of the Most High,” you will live “in the
shadow of the Almighty.” This simply means that if your religion
is deep and not merely formal, you will have the protection and
guidance of God, always and in everything. He will be your
refuge, meaning that you will be under God’s loving protection.
He will deliver you from a long series of difficulties, fears and
troubles. No evil will ever befall you.
Though you may have plenty of difficulties, you will be able to
handle all of them, for God will give His angels charge over you.
This is to say that His goodness and love will always surround
you and will protect and guide you on the path of life. God will
not let you lose your way.
Among the many marvelous blessings that come from spending
your whole life in the secret place is the knowledge that when you
call upon Him, He will answer. He will be with you in any trouble
that may come to you. Your life will be long and at its end, you
will enter into eternal salvation.
So write this psalm on your heart. Embed it deeply into your
mind. Live by it. And, no matter how hard your life may be, you
will always be on top of things.
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