January 3, 2021
Morning Service

This is not how we imagined we would begin this new year of 2021, we all wanted this to be over and to return to some form of what the old normal once was.  Our journey through the Covid 19 virus is not over yet, and here we find ourselves again meeting virtually rather than in person.  I will be the first to admit that this is very frustrating to have to continue to change how we do things.  I liked the “old normal” and did not ask for something “new.”  I was very excited with the path that we were on before the pandemic, but the Lord is the One driving and may His will be done, not mine. The message today is titled “Be strong and of good courage” and that is the encouragement I believe we all need at this time.  It is very easy to fall into a season of depression falling the busyness of the holidays on a normal year, but with what we are going through this year each of us must be especially on guard to not allow this to happen to us.  Uncertainty often brings fear and we certainly are living in a time of uncertainty.  Where is this pandemic leading us to?  Will we ever return the way things once were?  Where is our country headed?  We even find ourselves asking God “What are you up to?”  In our study of the birth of Christ the message of “Fear not” was a central theme.  Fear is not of God as Paul told Timothy:

 2Tim 1:7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

            Fear paralyzes you to inactivity, concern moves you to action.  Do all that we can, and through the “power of love and a sound mind” trust God for the rest; be strong and of good courage. There are many examples of this attitude being put into action throughout the scriptures and one is found in the Book of Joshua chapter 10.  Five kings had combined forces to stand against the Israelites.  God spoke to Joshua and reassured him:

 

 Jos 10:8 And the LORD said to Joshua, "Do not fear them, for I have delivered them into your hand; not a man of them shall stand before you."

            In verse 10 it says “the Lord routed them before Israel.”  The people placed their faith in God’s Word and acted upon it with strength and courage.  God was faithful to His Word and the victory so complete that Joshua prayed that the sun would not set until all was completed and it did not.  It stood still in sky until their enemy was totally destroyed.  The victory that day was the Lord’s doing as it was written “for the Lord fought for Israel!”  (verse 14).  It was after this victory, not before, that Joshua encouraged the children of Israel with this charge:

 

Jos 10:25 Then Joshua said to them, "Do not be afraid, nor be dismayed; be strong and of good courage, for thus the LORD will do to all your enemies against whom you fight."

            This challenge to be strong and of good courage was not only for that moment, but for a moment in the future when things were not as bright and beautiful as they were that day.  The challenge was to remember the God who fought for them on this day is the same God who will be with them in the struggle that the future holds.  Faith comes from hearing and hearing by the Word of God. (Romans 10:17).  God had spoken and they had personally witnessed Him doing exactly what He said.  Their faith in Him and His Word grew greatly on that day and would be needed in the future.

            Our challenge is this time of struggle is also to be strong and of good courage.  God has not forsaken us, but is using this time to fulfill His will in our generation.  Don’t let fear enter into your heart, but believe and fully trust in the God that has led us to this point to deliver us from or through this time of struggle.  I believe God will fight for us as His chosen people and in the end deliver us victoriously from our enemies.  Take heart and remember all the times in your life that God has fought for you.  In the dark days in which you felt powerless, God came through for you and ended the struggle, lifted the burden, or the moved the mountain!  We all have our own testimonies in which we experienced God moving in our lives, fighting for us.  Be strong and of good courage by remembering the victories of the past and know the same God fights for you today that won the victories for you yesterday.  The struggles that lie ahead could very well be far greater than any we have faced so far, but take heart and know God will be faithful.  2020 may have just been a preparation for the struggles that lie ahead. 

            A very good example for us is the story of the three Hebrew who chose to be strong and of good courage long before trials came so they were ready.  These men were faced with having to choose to bow down and worship the image of the king or be tossed into a fiery furnace as we read in Daniel.

 

Dan 3:14-18   Nebuchadnezzar spoke, saying to them, "Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the gold image which I have set up?  (15)  Now if you are ready at the time you hear the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, and you fall down and worship the image which I have made, good! But if you do not worship, you shall be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. And who is the god who will deliver you from my hands?"  (16)  Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego answered and said to the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter.  (17)  If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king.  (18)  But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up."

            Talk about being strong and of good courage, these three faced an almost certain and painful death, but chose to be faithful without knowing what their fate would be.  They knew God could deliver them, but did not base their faith upon whether He would or not.  Their faith and courage allowed them to choose to follow the God that they loved and respected no matter the outcome and in the end God did choose to deliver them in a miraculous way.

            Does that reflect your faith and commitment today?  Are you all in with the Lord no matter where the path leads, or are you only in if as long as the path is easy and it doesn’t cost you too much?  Be assured Jesus promised that one day He will return and take us home to be with Him for eternity, but He also ask us each to carry our cross until that day.  He did not promise wealth and health to all who follow Him, but instead promises “if they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you.”  We are not exempt from trials, but should expect them along our journey.  Jesus said this:

 

Mat 7:14   Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.

What lies ahead along this narrow way is out of our control, so we should not fear it, trusting God to lead us and knowing He will fight for us.  I will close with a promise from Jesus that we all can stand firmly upon today and through whatever lies ahead of us in the coming days, and encouragement from Paul on how to apply that promise to your life.

 

 Joh 14:27 Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

 

 Php 4:6-7 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; (7) and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

            Let the peace of God guard your heart and mind to allow you to choose to be strong and of good courage in this time of struggle, knowing the Lord fights for you. 

 

Father, empower us through the Spirit to not walk in fear, but to be strong and of good courage fully trusting You to lead us and protect us.