Be Strong
Meg
“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you” (Deuteronomy 31:6).
We all have moments of doubt. I was reminded of a friend of mine as I read these verses today. This friend has started doubting the presence of God in her life. She doesn’t feel him moving in the midst of her troubles. She feels very alone. But he’s there. He promises in these verses above that he will never leave us, even during the darkest, scariest times. I know from dark moments in my life that God is always ready to pick us up and carry us through the good and bad times. He’s never let me down, even when other people in this world have. He’s always been there.
In addition the verse above calls us to be strong and courageous. The Hebrew word for strong, chazaq, means to prevail, be firm, and persevere. The Hebrew word for "courageous" 'amats, is very similar in it’s meaning. 'Amats means to be strong, brave and bold. In essence, God is not calling us to live fearful lives, but lives in which we trust in him, and take giant leaps of faith. In the military world we and our spouses certainly face some scary things. There are certainly lonely times, violent times, and times when it’s hard to see the hand of God at work. I, myself, am grasping a hold of this verse and its words about God's faithfulness for whatever tomorrow may bring.
How might God be asking you to be courageous today? Do you need him to carry you through a dark time?
We all have moments of doubt. I was reminded of a friend of mine as I read these verses today. This friend has started doubting the presence of God in her life. She doesn’t feel him moving in the midst of her troubles. She feels very alone. But he’s there. He promises in these verses above that he will never leave us, even during the darkest, scariest times. I know from dark moments in my life that God is always ready to pick us up and carry us through the good and bad times. He’s never let me down, even when other people in this world have. He’s always been there.
In addition the verse above calls us to be strong and courageous. The Hebrew word for strong, chazaq, means to prevail, be firm, and persevere. The Hebrew word for "courageous" 'amats, is very similar in it’s meaning. 'Amats means to be strong, brave and bold. In essence, God is not calling us to live fearful lives, but lives in which we trust in him, and take giant leaps of faith. In the military world we and our spouses certainly face some scary things. There are certainly lonely times, violent times, and times when it’s hard to see the hand of God at work. I, myself, am grasping a hold of this verse and its words about God's faithfulness for whatever tomorrow may bring.
How might God be asking you to be courageous today? Do you need him to carry you through a dark time?