Today’s meditation is based on Joshua 1:6, "Be strong and courageous, because you'll be leading this people to inherit the land that I promised to give their ancestors.” (ISV)
The Almighty God who created the heavens and the earth, spoke these words to Joshua. God spoke these words, ‘be strong and courageous’ to encourage Joshua. These were the circumstances in which the Lord spoke these words to Joshua. Moses who had led the people of Israel for forty long years had passed away, and the leadership had now passed on to Joshua. The task of leading the multitudes of Israelites to the Promised Land overwhelmed Joshua. All of the experiences of the past forty years loomed large before him, and he was filled with fear and anxiety.
The challenges Joshua faced
There were two major challenges that Joshua faced. One was the people themselves who were ungrateful and grumbled about everything who when faced with any difficulty even thought of stoning their leader Moses. Joshua knew that these rebellious people would stop at nothing. The second challenge was that in order to reach the Promised Land they had to cross the River Jordan which was in full spate, and other hurdles like the formidable and unyielding city of Jericho.
Oftentimes, our hearts are filled with fear and apprehension about the future. The past has been unpredictable, and for many they are in a state of utter weakness and hopelessness. Some are worried about their marriage, still others are concerned about their children, for many other it could be their jobs, business, economy or health. God’s promise to all such people is that you should be bold and courageous.
As Joshua stood facing huge challenges the Lord did not teach him strategies for war or special people skills to deal with the people of Israel. God just admonished Joshua to be strong and courageous. Both of these were matters pertaining to the mind.
Our warfare is not carnal
We therefore realize that all of our battles have to first of all be won in our minds. For those who are worried as to how things would be in the future, with anxieties pertaining to your children, their future, etc., let me encourage you from God’s word to be strong and courageous. All of the problems we encounter, for example issues regarding finances or health are all physical challenges related to the flesh. However, we first need to win these battles in our mind.
The word of God says in 2 Corinthians 10:3, “For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh.” (ESV)
To war in the flesh means to have issues in our day to day lives, most of which are with regard to relationships. For instance, when there is a conflict between husband and wife, they will not talk to each other. After a while they will sort it out, and things will become normal. Again there will be another issue, and they will do the exact same thing. Many have resigned themselves to this kind of ups and downs in relationships without trying to set things right. If we have a mindset that the relationship won’t be set in order, that’s how it will continue.
There are many young people who are not wanting to get married because of some bad experiences or from things they have seen. This is a wrong decision, because it is God’s plan that man should not be alone. Your experience or emotions may say the opposite, but remember these are changing, whereas God’s word endures forever. Don’t make decisions based on what you have seen or heard, but rather choose to obey God who knows what is best. This again is a battle of the mind, and when they cannot overcome it they make such wrong decisions.
Some husbands don’t care for their wives, and some are alcoholic. The wives get fed-up and conclude that their husbands will never change or there are others who decide that they will separate from their husbands. Remember that God’s word does not give room for divorce for the word of God is forthright that what God has joined together no man should separate. When such battles rage in our minds, we must allow God to break down the strongholds in our minds.
You may have observed how some people will never stick on to any job. Whenever you meet them you will find that they are in a new job. The reason for this is not that every employer is bad or that the situation is not good for them, but rather the fact is that there is a problem inside of them. They will become wearied about any small issue and lose heart easily. To such the Lord encourages them to be strong, courageous and to stand firm.
To many a parent they are worried about their children. They are so gripped with fear about all that is happening around them that they are anxious that such things would happen to their own children. God’s word to everyone who is in such a predicament is to be courageous. The word of God assures us that our children will be taught of the Lord. Our children may falter in some ways, but God will never leave them. There will come a day when God will bring the needed changes, but until then we have to hold on and stay resolute.
God’s divine power is available
We read in 2 Corinthians 10:4, “For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds.” (ESV)
God gives us His strength to break down all the strongholds in our lives. A stronghold is like a fortress which is safe and protected, and no one can enter into these easily. The strongholds in our lives are formed from past experiences, and these make us believe that some things will happen in a certain way, or make us resign ourselves to certain difficulties we encounter. When we train ourselves to think in a certain way, it becomes impossible for us to fight against these thoughts that battle in our mind.
You might have heard these statements being made. When a husband who was sober comes home drunk, the wife believes that this habit would continue for the next fortnight. There are some who as soon as they get a migraine headache, will immediately declare that this would persist for a week, and that they would have no relief from it. Some parents will speak poorly about their children and affirm that they will amount to nothing. These are all the strongholds which we cannot break with our own strength, but we can surely defeat them with God’s help.
Let me explain this with a few more examples. When a person sees two people known to him speaking to each other, he will assume that those two people are speaking about him. They may be talking about something else, but this person’s mind makes them believe that they are the topic of conversation. This is a stronghold in their mind, the sense of fear, insecurity and suspicion that has taken control of their minds.
I have had another experience with people who are addicted to alcohol. One of the common reasons I heard for drinking is that they have to do hard labor, and that alcohol helps them to manage their tiredness. There are others who say that they live in cold places, and it is normal to have a drink or two. We see that when they have this kind of strongholds in their mind, and when they are unable to overcome it, they will make all sorts of excuses for their addiction.
There was a brother who was struggling with this addiction, and he told me that he had decided to totally give up this habit. About ten days later I met him and he was drunk again. When I asked him he said that he had been to a wedding, and had to drink just for merriment. As I spoke and reminded him that this was affecting his health, he assured me that it would be the last time he drank. Sadly, when I met him a week later he was intoxicated, and this time he told a different reason. So we see that when there are strongholds in the mind, no matter how much they try, they are unable to overcome a habit which has enslaved them and will also find excuses to do so.
No one can overcome a habit by their own effort, but the Lord can help every one of us overcome any and every stronghold that we are struggling with. There are various strongholds in the minds of people. For some it is fear, and they are fearful of everything. There are others who struggle with suspicion because of some things that happened in the past. Suspicion is dangerous as it can break all good and close relationships. For some people they are hesitant to socialize or be in relationship with others. The hurts from the past, the betrayals have made them isolate themselves. They desire to be alone and prefer to live in solitude. Remember that God did not create us to be this way. There are those who carry bitterness and in conversation we can easily identify that they are hurt and angry. Some of the other strongholds are un-forgiveness, timidity and indecisiveness. When one is indecisive, they will be in turmoil even in a bus station as to which bus they should board. These stronghold make a person unstable in every way. Without our knowledge these strongholds remain, and they ruin our future and our relationships. We must prayerfully ask God to help us overcome all of these strongholds in our lives with His strength. We can receive this divine power from God which will help us destroy these strongholds.
That is why Paul says in 2 Corinthians 10:4, “For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds.” (ESV)
In order to receive this divine power we must realize who we are, and also all that God has done for us. When we do so and get into this relationship with the Lord, He will help us overcome all of our strongholds.
Let me share a thought before I explain how we can receive God’s power in our lives. There is in recent times a fear about the pandemic. This has made many people very anxious. As children of God be assured that our times are in God’s hands. God is our fortress, and our life is secure in Him. This does not mean we must be careless, but it certainly means that we should not continue living with constant fear and tension.
How can we receive God’s power and overcome our strongholds?
1. We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ
There are many who have been believers for long years, but are still not sure if God is pleased with them, and if they are at peace with God.
We read in Romans 5:1, “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (ESV)
Anyone who believes in the fact that Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sins, was buried and rose again, that man is at peace with God. We need to remind ourselves that we are at peace with God because we have received His Son Jesus who had paid the atonement for our sins.
Those who are not sure of this truth, will consider every hardship or even a simple illness like a headache as a punishment from God. Will any of us as parents wish for our children to be struck with headache as a punishment? Even when children are rebellious, the parent would still do all they can to relieve him or her of their headache, and not want them to suffer with pain. If we as parents are so loving how much more compassionate and loving is our heavenly Father. God is with us, and we have peace with God so let us boldly declare that all our difficulties will pass on, and we will be safe with God by our side.
2. God loves us beyond measure
We read in Romans 5:8, “but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (ESV)
None of us are worthy to receive God’s love, but it is because of God’s grace that we are loved. While we were still sinners, God sent His Son Jesus to demonstrate His love for us by dying on the cross.
When things don’t happen as expected, and things happen contrary to our expectations, we may be tempted to doubt God. Remember that we have a loving God who is with us always.
We read that when Jesus was here on earth, multitudes followed after Him and He was moved with compassion towards them. Jesus empathized with them because they were like sheep without a shepherd. We can imagine what would happen when a flock of sheep have no shepherd, they will be scattered and become prey to wild animals. Jesus came to be our Good Shepherd who gave His life for His sheep. If you have observed shepherds, they take such good care of their sheep. They keenly watch over them, they travel long distances so that the sheep are well fed and satisfied. If human shepherds can take such care of their animals, how much more will the Lord our Good Shepherd love us and take care of us.
God loves us so much that He said that whoever touches us touches the apple of His eye. Let us not be anxious or confused, but declare openly that we are at peace with God and that God loves us immensely. These declarations will break-down the strongholds, and build our confidence in the Lord. Irrespective of who you are, your family or background, or religious beliefs if you still call on the Lord Jesus He will help you overcome every fear and all the strongholds in your mind.
3. God gives us victory
We read in Romans 5:17, “For the sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one man, Jesus Christ.” (NLT)
Let me explain this verse to you. When Adam disobeyed God’s command, sin came into this world and the consequence of his sin was passed on to all mankind. At the appointed time, God sent His Son Jesus into this world who by His obedience and sinless life, overcame sin and made atonement for the sins of all mankind. Hence, whoever believes in Jesus is led into victory, just as Jesus triumphed over sin and death.
The Lord encourages us to be stout-hearted and courageous because the God has given His power to us, He is at peace with us, and He leads us into victory. For every one who believes in the Lord Jesus we will certainly have victory over sin, death, and every stronghold in our minds.
Rev. F. Andrew Dixon
www.goodnewsfriends.net
Transcribed by: Sis. Esther Collins
