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

Be strong. Be courageous. Do not be afraid. Do not be discouraged.

Hmmm.

These are all commands. God commands Joshua to be strong and courageous, not to be afraid and discouraged.

Hmmm.

How does one do that? When one is feeling weak, cowardly, afraid, and discouraged how are you supposed to not feel these things?

It’s kind of like saying to someone who just stepped on a piece of lego with their bare feet and saying, “Don’t feel pain.”

How? How is someone not supposed to feel what they are feeling?

That’s a great question. It’s just the wrong question.

God is not telling Joshua to feel this thing or that thing. This text has nothing to do with feelings.

God said, “BE strong. BE courageous. Do not BE afraid. Do not BE discouraged.”

This is about being. No matter the circumstance, you can choose strength, courage. You can choose not to be afraid and discouraged. These are choices.

These aren’t choices that are made in a vacuum. These are choices made with the understanding that we are never alone because the LORD our God is with us wherever we go. You see, the source of strength and courage is not in us. It is in the LORD our God. God is our strength and courage.

How does this work? It has to do with your eyes. What are you looking at? If you focus on the problem, the discouragement, the struggle, that’s what you see. If you focus on God, that’s who you see.

What are you looking at?

God said, “BE strong. BE courageous. Do not BE afraid. Do not BE discouraged.”

“They went to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Sit here while I pray.’ He took Peter, James and John along with him, and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled. ‘My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death,’ he said to them. ‘Stay here and keep watch’……Returning the third time, he said to them, ‘Are you still sleeping and resting? Enough! The hour has come. Look, the Son of Man is delivered into the hands of sinners. Rise! Let us go! Here comes my betrayer!'” (Mark 14:32, 41-42).

By the time Jesus went to Gethsemane Jesus already knew that he had come to Jerusalem to die on the cross. Jesus knew this was God’s plan from the beginning. Jesus knew that he would be the atoning sacrifice for sins.

Yet, we still see Jesus struggling at Gethsemane as Golgotha, the crucifixion, and bearing the sin of the world bore heavy on his heart and shoulders.

Jesus even prayed, “Abba, Father…everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will” (Mark 14:36).

Jesus pleaded with God to see if there was any other way besides the cross.

We don’t know what else Jesus said in prayer. All we know is that he was there most of the evening praying with God. By the time we come to the end of this pericope, Jesus has set his mind, heart, and determination on the cross.

Have you ever wondered what he and God must have talked about that night? What made Jesus so steely determined to go through with the cross?

Certainly it was because this was the will of God.

But, why was it the will of God? Because this was the only way for sinners to become children of God.

So picture this: Jesus looking at the cross…then looking at you…declaring “You’re totally worth it!”

You are God’s beloved. Jesus could not imagine eternity without you.

There are many for whom Jesus died who have no clue what Jesus did for them. That’s a travesty!!! That’s our mission. That’s what the church exists for – to make disciples and grow disciples who share the love of Jesus with all people.

Let’s keep the main thing the main thing. Make new disciples and grow faithful disciples who share the love of Jesu with all people.

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” (Jeremiah 29:11).

The first time I went to Disneyland was when I was a little boy. We lived in Cupertino, CA., in the bay area. My mom and dad told us we were going to Disneyland and I couldn’t wait. I wanted to go to Disneyland right now!!!

What I did not count on was an eight hour drive to get to Los Angeles. I wanted Disneyland. What was this drive through nothingness? This wasn’t Disneyland!!! This wasn’t fun!!! This wasn’t what I was promised!!!

The verse of the day is one of the most hopeful and comforting promises in all of scripture.

God has a plan. God’s plan is good. God’s plan is best.

Who wouldn’t want that?

God declares he has a plan and it is good. That’s a fact.

Notice, God never asks us to fully understand his plans. He merely asks us to trust his plan – to trust that his plan is for the best.

You see, there are times when life won’t feel hopeful and peaceful. There will be times when life is hard and painful. And in those times we are going to wonder, “Hey God…what about that plan to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future thing? What happened to that?”

And it is precisely in those hard times, the painful times, that we will have to continue to trust and stay obedient. What we don’t realize is that growth, maturity, security, health, peace are often the result of having worked through the difficulties, not the avoidance and the absence of hardship.

If we want health we have to diet and exercise.

If we want knowledge and wisdom we have to invest in study and learning.

If we want peace and security we have to go to war against all that destroys and threatens peace and security.

God’s promises for growth, health, well-being is the result of having worked through the difficulties.

Stay the course. God never asks that we fully understand and comprehend his plans. God merely asks that we trust his plans.

Trust and obey. There really is no better way.