Christianity Oasis Forum

[Lani]

Joshua 1:1-9
1 Now after the death of Moses the servant of the LORD it came to pass, that the LORD spake unto Joshua the son of Nun, Moses' minister, saying,
2 Moses my servant is dead; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, thou, and all this people, unto the land which I do give to them, even to the children of Israel.
3 Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you, as I said unto Moses.
4 From the wilderness and this Lebanon even unto the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and unto the great sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your coast.
5 There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.
6 Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them.
7 Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest.
8 This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.
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.


"The Lord said to Joshua, "As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you." Joshua 1:5 (NIV)


One of my fears is public speaking. The bigger the audience, the more I fear. Sometimes this has prevented me from doing my best. One year at work, we made changes that required training for our staff across the country. Although I recognized this as an opportunity to challenge myself, I ignored it. I was content to assist while my manager conducted the training.

Then a request came from management for a re-training session. This time hundreds of people were to attend. I had no choice but to lean on the training myself. I was terrified. After calming down, I spent time in prayer. I accepted my challenge and then reminded myself of a promise from Joshua 1:9, "Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified:... for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." Next, I prepared by reviewing the training material and practicing my presentation. I went into the training trusting in God.

God does not want us to stand on the sidelines of life. Instead, God asks us to face our fears, relying on divine strength. Fear of public speaking is only one battle; all of us have something that can terrify us. Whatever that is, we can know that both the battle and the victory belong to the Lord.


Prayer: Dear Father, thank you for the challenge that comes our way. Teach us how to boldly face our fears and rely on you, Amen.

Prayer Focus of Day: My Greatest Fear

Thought for the Day: God stands with us as we face our fears.

Story shared by: L. Chacko (PA)
Source: Upper Room Daily Devotional 7/9/11

[dema]

Picture your audience at the dentist with their mouth propped open and a little drool on their chin. It really helps them to not seem so intimidating.

[humblevisitor]

Be strong and have courage...

Reminds me that my strength has to come from God...mine is never enough unaided.

Knowing this I need to be courageous...there will be fear but courage is not the absence of fear. But rather than facing it alone I must face it with Him.

Can I truly say this:

"I have set the Lord always before me; because He is at my right hand i shall not be moved." Psalm 16:8 NKJV

I pray that just for today I set Him before me...

Then tomorrow get up and do it again...

[sbennett]

Awww Lani this was my scripture the other day during my quiet time. I guess God wanted me to know it again. Thanks !!! God bless you always.