No fear....

I love reading through the stories of Joshua. I am always amazed at his courage and how he led the Isrealites into battle. This time through though... God has been showing me things. Before every battle, God told Joshua, "Do not be afraid!" He encouraged him to be "strong and courageous" just as many times. I began to realize that even though we're not told this... there must have been a little bit of fear in Joshua's heart. He didn't go by the courage God had given him in the last battle... each time He needed to hear those words again, "Do not be afraid of them... be strong and courageous."

Yesterday's portion of scripture really spoke to my heart. It's found in Joshua 11:4-8. A multitude of kings had banded together with all of their fighting men in the hope that they would conquer and put an end to Joshua and the Isrealites.

"All these kings came out to fight. Their combined armies formed a vast horde. And with all their horses and chariots, they covered the landscape like the sand on the seashore. The kings joined forces and established their camp around the water near Merom to fight against Israel. Then the LORD said to Joshua, "Do not be afraid of them. By this time tomorrow I will hand all of them over to Israel as dead men.... So Joshua and all his fighting men traveled to the water near Merom and attacked suddenly. And the LORD gave them victory over their enemies."

There are times when I walk into a new place for the first time and suddenly I feel overwhelmed. For example, when I walked into Wal-Mart when they were switching everything around and redoing the whole store... I was overwhelmed. Nothing was where it used to be and there were all these new colors and things were on the shelves differently even... it almost seemed too much at one time for my senses! Silly I know but yet... it happens sometimes. Or when I walk into a room full of people I don't know... there is this moment of panic that happens inside me. Or... when I suddenly have a multitude of assignments and papers to write and I don't know how to get it all done...

What stood out to me about this passage first was that there were a whole bunch of kings that had joined forces... their armies, horses and chariots covered the landscape like the sand on the seashore... that's a LOT! I think if it were me... I would feel a little scared and not so courageous! There would be a moment of panic as I would see all those men, horses and chariots! But the LORD said to Joshua, "Do not be afraid of them." He assured Joshua once again that they would win. So Joshua went to the heart of the operation... where all the kings had camped and set up their headquarters... and attacked suddenly! And the LORD gave them victory over their enemies!

When I was meditating on this passage this morning during my walk. The Lord compared it to school for me. I have a lot of work due next week and this has been a very busy week. There have been several times where I have felt and even said out loud, "I don't know how I will do it when I have a full-time school schedule again!" I only have two classes this quarter and I have felt overwhelmed again... many times through this school journey I have felt overwhelmed... a little panic mode sets in. But the LORD says, "Do not be afraid!! Be strong and courageous for I AM with you!" and I believe... the LORD will give me victory!

I have a hard time finishing things sometimes. There are books that I have started but not finished. There is a shower door I have started cleaning but not finished because it required more scrubbing than what I had time for one morning. School though... I really believe that God wants me to finish this journey He has started in me and I believe... He will give me victory! So He reminds me every so often... Do not be afraid, be strong and courageous for I AM with you!