The Biblical Path of Life

Tag: Be Strong

  • Don’t Quit

    “And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.”

    Galatians 6:9

    God stirred the heart of Cyrus to send His people home (to Jerusalem) to rebuild the house of the Lord. The first group to return to Jerusalem was led by Zerubbabel, a descendant of David.

    Once they reached Jerusalem, Zerubbabel remained a leader, and Joshua was the high priest. These two men led the people to rebuild the altar of the Lord. They then began to rebuild the Temple. However, when they completed the foundation, the troubles began.

    Do you remember what happens when God’s people begin to serve God? The adversaries make themselves known. “1. Now when the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the children of the captivity builded the temple unto the LORD God of Israel; 2. Then they came to Zerubbabel, and to the chief of the fathers, and said unto them, Let us build with you: for we seek your God, as ye do…” (Ezra 4:1-2). Adversaries means “one who troubles; an opponent; or an enemy.” Once the work of God had begun, the adversaries made themselves known. However, Zerubbabel recognized that they were not for God so he would not allow them to help. Although they declared they wanted to “help”, they were not trying to help the work of God. They were trying to stop it. This was not a one-time trouble. They caused difficulties for years and years, stopping the building of the Temple – which was the ulterior motive (see Ezra 4:3-5). The adversaries’ purpose had been accomplished, and the building had been stopped (see Ezra 4:23-24).

    When the adversaries came and the building stopped, God sent His prophet, Haggai, to encourage the people to build the house of the Lord. First, he scolded them for living in their nice houses while the Temple of the Lord was not completed. He reminded the people to “consider your ways”, and that God was to come first (see Haggai 1:4-8). Haggai then encouraged the leaders to complete the Temple. Once the people began to obey, God encouraged them. “I am with you, saith the LORD” (Haggai 1:13b).

    After the people decided to obey God, and God encouraged them that He would be with them, recognize what else God did for His people. “And the LORD stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people; and they came and did work in the house of the LORD of hosts, their God” (Haggai 1:14). God did not leave His people alone. He stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel and Joshua to lead the people. He even stirred the spirit of all the remnant. God understood that His people needed to have physical leaders that they could see, hear, and with whom they could communicate.

    God gave them the encouragement they needed. “Yet now be strong, O Zerubbabel, saith the LORD; and be strong, O Joshua, son of Josedech, the high priest; and be strong, all ye people of the land, saith the LORD, and work: for I am with you, saith the LORD of hosts” (Haggai 2:4). Three times God said to be strong. This is the same encouragement God gave to Joshua when he was preparing to lead the people into the promised land years earlier. The secret of Joshua’s successes was his faith in the Word of God (see Joshua 1:7-9), its’ commandments, and its’ promises. God’s Word to Joshua was “Be strong!”. This is the same message for His people today! See the following:

    • “Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong” (1 Corinthians 16:13).
    • “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might” (Ephesians 6:10).
    • “Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 2:1).

    God had specific words for the leaders. When the leaders acted upon those words, the people followed and the work began again. Zerubbabel, Joshua, the high priest, and the remnant of the people stepped up and began working on the Temple again – and God kept the enemy from stopping them.

    Just as the adversaries stopped the building of the Temple, even today, Christians have an adversary who is set about to stop the work of the Lord in this world. “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8).

    Knowing Satan wants to defeat (and destroy) Christians, how can we survive his attacks? “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4:7). When we submit to God and His will in our lives, we can defeat Satan.

    “And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not” (Galatians 6:9). We are to never quit serving God as the Israelites did when the adversary opposed them. We must not only recognize who the adversaries are that try to stop God’s work, but we must continue with what God has for us to do. God will also encourage us through His Word (the Bible) just as he encouraged the Israelites through His prophet, Haggai.

    Have you chosen to ignore your adversary, be encouraged through God’s Word, and complete the work God has for you?

  • Joshua

    “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.”

    Joshua 1:9

    Joshua was born a slave in Egypt. He saw the mighty works of God revealed in the ten plagues, providing the exit of the Israelite people out of bondage. Joshua saw the parting of the Red Sea for God’s people, and the destruction of the Egyptian army. About two months later, Moses called upon Joshua to lead an army against the Amalekites. In this battle, as long as Moses’ arms were held high in the air, Joshua was able to lead the people in winning that battle until the enemy was defeated (see Exodus 17:8-16). “And the LORD said unto Moses, Write this for a memorial in a book, and rehearse it in the ears of Joshua: for I will utterly put out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven” (Exodus 17:14). God wanted Moses to write this victory down and remind Joshua. Have you considered that this was done so that Joshua would remember this as he prepared for the battles in the Promised Land?

    Joshua was called Moses’ minister (a servant). “And Moses rose up, and his minister Joshua: and Moses went up into the mount of God” (Exodus 24:13). This is the time-frame when God gave Moses the “tables of stone, and a law, and commandments which I have written” (see Exodus 24:12). Joshua was with Moses when Moses came down from the mount and saw the golden calf (see Exodus 32:17).

    While the Israelites traveled through the wilderness, Moses set up a special tent where he met with God (before the Tabernacle was built. See Exodus 33:7-11). Joshua stayed in that tent. “And the LORD spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend. And he turned again into the camp: but his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, departed not out of the tabernacle” (Exodus 33:11).

    Most people remember that Joshua was one of the twelve spies sent to spy out the Promised Land. Only he and Caleb believed God (see Numbers 15). Joshua was not afraid to stand up with Moses and Caleb against the 10 spies, the majority. Joshua and Caleb revealed that they believed God was greater than the difficulties ahead, and God would defeat the enemies for them. However, because the people listened to the ten spies, God declared they would wander in that wilderness for forty years until that generation died. All died in the wilderness except for Joshua and Caleb, two who believed God. Even with the delay of 40 years to enter the Promised Land, Joshua stayed with Moses. For those 40 years in the wilderness, Joshua and Caleb watched as the older generation died off, but each day brought them closer to the Promised Land.

    Looking back upon Joshua’s life, notice something. Throughout the wanderings, God was preparing Joshua to be the successor to Moses. Remember the defeat of Og, king of Bashan where Moses encouraged Joshua to not be afraid of his enemies (see Deuteronomy 3:21-28 and Numbers 21:33-35). “21. And I commanded Joshua at that time, saying, Thine eyes have seen all that the LORD your God hath done unto these two kings: so shall the LORD do unto all the kingdoms whither thou passest. 22. Ye shall not fear them: for the LORD your God he shall fight for you” (Deuteronomy 3:21-22).

    Before Moses died, he revealed God had chosen Joshua to lead the Israelites into the Promised Land (the land of Cannan). “7. And Moses called unto Joshua, and said unto him in the sight of all Israel, Be strong and of a good courage: for thou must go with this people unto the land which the LORD hath sworn unto their fathers to give them; and thou shalt cause them to inherit it. 8. And the LORD, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed” (Deuteronomy 31:7-8). God would be with Joshua.

    When Moses died and Joshua became the leader of God’s people, God encouraged Joshua. “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” (Joshua 1:9).

    Looking back at Joshua’s life, God had been preparing him for many years for the task at hand.

    First, Joshua had to obey God. We read no hesitation on his part. Even more encouraging is that he completed what God asked him to do. “As the LORD commanded Moses his servant, so did Moses command Joshua, and so did Joshua; he left nothing undone of all that the LORD commanded Moses” (Joshua 11:15). See also: “So Joshua took the whole land, according to all that the LORD said unto Moses; and Joshua gave it for an inheritance unto Israel according to their divisions by their tribes. And the land rested from war” (Joshua 11:23).

    Remember how Joshua felt at the end of his life. “14. Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the LORD. 15. And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD” (Joshua 24:14-15).  

    Have you considered the things God has placed in your live to prepare you for what He has planned for you?