"Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you." Deuteronomy 31:6 NKJV
Moses's time as Israel's leader was ending, but he had a few things to say. First, Israel would cross over into the land of milk and honey, but it wouldn't be easy. They would face opposition from the "them."
Like Israel, we, too, encounter "them" in our lives. What that means differs for each of us; the "them" may be external or internal forces. anyone or anything that seeks to separate us from God. These can be the unseen forces of evil, individuals, groups, systems, and our own stuff–those temptations and inner demons particular to us.
Of course, the good news is God goes with us. We don't have to battle them alone. We can try, but we know how well that usually turns out. We can be fearless and strong because the one true, powerful, and personal God goes before us. He's already done the reconnaissance and knows what it takes to win against them.
Lord our God, thank you for going before us, standing with us, and giving us the courage to stand against "them." Today, we can face our "them" with the confidence that our success is guaranteed. Where the "them" is a person, help us open our hearts to love and forgiveness. Amen.
Blessings,
Pastor Tim
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