"God made me for a purpose, but he also made me fast and when I run, I feel his pleasure."
Strong and courageous 2
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 31:6This was Moses’ advice to Joshua as he was coming off the bench to replace the aging Moses.
It is easy to tell someone to be strong and not to fear. Moses did not just do that to Joshua; He gave him the strength and wherewithal to do it! There are two reasons why we can face anything without fear and:
God goes with us;
He will never leave us.
One of the challenges is sport (and life) is that we feel we have to prove ourselves. We have to win and succeed to establish our value. It is easy to become fearful and anxious before the competition.
But if we remember that God goes with us and that he has promised that he will never leave us, then we have the basis on which to be strong and not afraid no matter what challenge faces us.
Moses didn’t expect Joshua to grasp this immediately. The message is repeated three more times:
Verse 7 “Be strong and courageous”.
Verse 8 “The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”
Verse 23 “Be strong and courageous… and I myself will be with you.”
Right what was it I was anxious about?