STAND STRONG AND HANG ON

THEME: STAND STRONG AND HANG ON

TITLE: Joshua
CHAPTER: 1
VERSES: 6-9

The Hebrew word for strong refers to "sound legs" while the one for "courage" refers to having a secure grasp.

In the text of Joshua 1: 6-9 verses explains about many people think prosperity and success come from having power, influential contacts, and a relentless desire to get ahead. But the strategy for gaining prosperity that God taught Joshua goes against such criteria. He said that to succeed Joshua must (1) be strong and courageous because the task ahead would not be easy, (2) obey God's law, and (3) constantly read and study the Book of the Law--God's Word. To be successful, follow God's words to Joshua. You may not succeed by the world's standards, but you will be a success in God's eyes-- and his opinion lasts forever.

Therefore, the Lord had reminded Joshua 3 times to be strong and courageous. Here, God was telling Joshua that his success as a leader depended on whether he could stand strong and hold tightly. Joshua had already experienced situations in which he was forced to take a strong stand in face of opposition.

Most of all, rely on God's strength and wisdom, not your own. Allow God's abiding presence to give you courage: know that Jesus' promise to be ever with you and will keep you from terror and discouragement. In Psalms 23:1 said The Lord is my shepherd; and I shall not want. What that means is that he is your provider, your comforter, he is your refuge in the time of trouble. The Lord is saying to his people don't lack for nothing because he will take care of you. Stop trying to do things your way. He will take care of you, if you just trust him. In Psalms 37:3-7 said Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday. Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him; fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass. The word delight means great pleasure in something.

Consequently, to delight yourself in the lord is to desire and enjoy the nearness of His presence and truth and righteousness of His Word (Job 22:26; 27:10; Is. 58:14). To those who delight themselves in the Lord, God gives the desires of their hearts. (1) God will answer the cry of our hearts if our desires are in accordance with His will ( see John 15:7). (2) When we delight ourselves in God and His will, God Himself places desires within our hearts that He then sets out fulfill (see Phil. 2:13).

As a result, there are 6 things to accomplish that the righteous who are oppressed by sin in the world that are promised:

(1) answers to their prayers
(2) vindication of their righteous standards
(3) a heavenly inheritance
(4) the Lord's sustaining help
(5) the Lord's guidance, protection and presence
(6) salvation

Therefore, I here that Lord saying in Prov. 3:5,6 trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. And verse 7 saids, Be not wise in thine own eyes; fear the Lord, and depart from evil. Most of all, you must trust God with your whole heart and not half and in every choice we make. We should not omit careful thinking or belittle our God-given ability to reason; but we should not trust our own ideas to the exclusion of all others. We must not be wise in our own eyes. We should always be willing to listen to and be corrected by God's word and wise counselor. Furthermore, bring your decisions to God in prayer; use the bible as your guide, and then follow God's leading. Most of all, he will make your path straight by both guiding and protecting you. To receive God's guidance said Solomon, we must acknowledge God in all our ways, this mean turning every area of life over to him. God is saying look at your values and priorities. What is important to you? In what areas have you acknowledge him? What is his advice? On the other hand acknowledge God when he bring you out of your dilemma. Acknowledge means to recognize. There are Christians in churches today that don't acknowledge God. But I here the voice of God saying for every time you acknowledge me, I will pour my blessing on thee said the Lord of host. The Bible says seek ye first the kingdom of heaven and all other righteous will be added unto thee. Heb. 11:1 says Faith is the substance of things hope for, evidence not seen. When you are stepping out on faith, you are stepping into the will of God. In everything you do depend on God to bring you through your storms. Don't depend on man to bring you out because man will fail you every time. But God says he will not fail you.

Finally, God is saying wait patiently for him and practice regularly scripture memorization and meditation. Then determine beforehand to put it into practice. This promises secure success. As Christians we need to pay attention to our physical and material needs. But Jesus urges us to stop worrying about things so that they dominate our lives and values. We can't do that and serve God at the same time (Matt. 6:24). Instead we need to redirect our focus onto God's kingdom and righteousness. That means adopting the values of the king and bringing Him into our work and lives. And you must be steadfastly persevere in the faith while waiting for God to bring about justice and to vindicate you. So you can stand strong and hang on then watch the almighty God move in your life abundantly.