“Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go” (Joshua 1:7).

What a fantastic promise! Success wherever you go! Yes. I want that. Don’t you?

How do we make this a reality in our lives? God tells us. “Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave to you. Do not turn to the left or to the right. Then, you will be successful wherever you go.”

The key is God’s word and obeying God’s word.

Here’s what happens when we stand in God’s word – We become strong and courageous no matter what life may throw our way.

Notice God did not tell Joshua to feel strong and courageous. God told Joshua to be strong and courageous. Feeling has to do with emotions. Being has to do with God’s truth and God’s reality.

The reason why so many Christians falter in their journey is because we have this backwards. We feel our way to the truth. That’s backwards. When we let our feelings lead the way we will be totally spineless. Feelings have no boundaries and no morals. I may have warm fuzzy feelings for my wife and children. And then, what the heck, I might have ill feelings for my wife and children. Feelings are terrible guides. Feelings are fickle. Feelings have no conviction, no morals, no boundaries.

Don’t let feelings talk you out of what God promises through his word.

That’s what it means to stand in God’s word. You don’t allow anything other than the promises of God to lead you…particularly your feelings.

Got it? Stand on God’s promises, not your feelings.

“So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them” (Genesis 1:27).

Have you ever wondered why God created us in his image? What does that even mean?

Back in the 80’s I traveled to Syria when Hafez al-Assad was the dictator of the country. After landing at the airport at Damascus, we all went to the baggage area to wait for our bags. At the entry point of all the bags there was a portrait of Hafez al-Assad. I didn’t think anything of it.

Then after getting my bag, I went to get on the hotel bus to take me to the hotel. As I entered the bus, right on the top of bus driver was a portrait…of Hafez al-Assad…you couldn’t miss it as you entered the bus. I thought, “What a strange place to put the portrait of their leader.”

We got to the hotel and right behind all the check in agents was a huge portrait. Guess who? Yup. Hafez al-Assad.

I got on the elevator to get to my room. On the elevator was a portrait. Yup. Assad.

I got to my room and thought to myself, I better not see a picture of Assad in my room! I opened the door and a portrait greeted me. Yup. Assad.

His portrait was everywhere! You couldn’t escape it.

You know what his portrait was saying to every single person who was in Syria? His portrait was declaring, “This is my country. My rules. My kingdom.” Your American passport and your American ways will get you nowhere in this country.

You know God created us in his image? Every time people see Christians they are supposed to say, “Ahhhh….this is God’s country. God’s rules. God’s kingdom.”

Everywhere we go, everywhere we are, we are to be a constant reminder to the people around us who’s kingdom they are living in and who’s rules we are to follow.

Get it?

“So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.”