“Be Strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; don’t turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Keep this book of the law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded you? Be Strong and be courageous. Don’t be afraid; don’t be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:7-9 (NIV)
Meditation;
One of my friends, a former jet fighter pilot explained me that planes need a 56-kilometer-per-hour wind to take off on such a short runway. To reach this steady breeze, the captain turns his ship into the wind. “Shouldn’t the wind come from the plane’s back?” I asked. The pilot answered, “No. The jets must fly into the wind. That’s the only way to achieve lift.”
God called Joshua to lead His people into the “winds” that awaited them in the Promised Land. Joshua required two things. Internally, he needed to “Be Strong and Very Courageous”; and externally, he needed challenges. This included the daily task of leading thousands of Israelites, facing walled cities, demoralizing defeats, and continual battles.
The wind that blew in Joshua’s face would lift his life as long as his thrust came from God’s instructions. God said he must “be careful to obey all the Law…does not turn from it to the right or to the left…meditate on it then you will be prosperous and successful.”
Are you resolved to follow God’s ways, no matter what?
Then look for challenges. Fly boldly into the wind and see your spirit soar.
Why challenges are necessary for a successful life?
How might God use a present problem to lift you?
Prayer:
Father, life is hard, and it often hurts. May my problems, challenges, and struggles lift me closer to You. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen!
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