Joshua 1:9 “Have not I commanded thee?  Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.”

This verse closes God’s charge to Joshua as he was assigned the mantle of leadership following Moses’ death.  It was the third time in the short eight verses of this charge where the Lord directed strength and courage.  The context of this direction was Joshua’s role in bringing God’s people into the promised land, a task that the great leader Moses was never able to accomplish.  It is no wonder that Joshua needed an extra dose of courage.

Joshua needed courage, especially based on the nature of the task at hand, so God encouraged him.  By definition encouragement engenders courage, and encouragement is at its best when it is accompanied by a reminder of the Lord’s all-powerful presence.

American Christians need courage too, based on the nature of the task at hand.  We need courage to stand up to a culture that increasingly opposes Christ.  We need courage to remain faithful when faithfulness is often mocked.  We need courage to oppose ungodliness.  We need courage to stand up for the Lord and His institutions.  We need courage to demand selfless leadership.  We need courage to stand for the values of our Christian forefathers.  We need courage to take back our land.

If we want American Christians to act with courage, then we must encourage one another.  PLEASE PRAY THAT YOU CAN ENCOURAGE AMERICAN CHRISTIANS IN ORDER TO MAGNIFY COURAGE AMONG US.  Do so with the ready reminder that “the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.”