"Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you.” Deuteronomy 31:8
Sometimes I think about the disciples and their courage and how amazing it was to have Jesus with them for three solid years. I think about how brave and bold they must have been because they had Jesus with them, performing miracles right before them. I think about how bold I would have been if I had been in their place, with Jesus with me. I might have asked him to help me walk on water like Peter, or I would have brought him loaves and fish to feed a crowd of at least 5,000 people like a young boy did. Of course, it feels different today because we cannot physically see Jesus. But then, I remember that Scripture promises God’s presence with us every day, and His power is with us every day.
God promises that He is with us throughout Scripture. One of the places He promises His presence is Deuteronomy 31. In this chapter, Moses, who had been leading the Israelites for many, many years, appointed Joshua to be the new leader. As He appointed Joshua with the nation of Israel watching, Moses said to him, “be strong and courageous! For you will lead these people into the land that that Lord swore to their ancestors he would give them” (verse 7). In other words, Moses acknowledged that Joshua was the new man for leading God’s people, the Israelites. Then, Moses continued, “Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will never fail you nor abandon you” (verse 8). God did not promise that things would be easy for Joshua as he led Israel, but he promised He would be with them, and that promise was more than enough.
The promise of God’s presence is not just for Joshua and the Israelites. It is for us, too. In Acts 1, right before Jesus left earth and returned to heaven, He promised the Holy Spirit would come on every believer to live alongside them. This includes you and me. We are not alone. Not only that, but we have the Holy Spirit’s power with us every moment of every day. This, my friends, should give us all the confidence in the world. Be strong and courageous, my friends; God will be with you always.
Our challenge is to live in the power of God today. Memorize Deuteronomy 31:8. Let it remind you throughout your day that God will never leave you. Take the bold steps that He is calling you today, knowing that He is with you every step of the way.
Deuteronomy 31:1-8 (NLT)
"When Moses had finished giving these instructions to all the people of Israel, 2 he said, “I am now 120 years old, and I am no longer able to lead you. The Lord has told me, ‘You will not cross the Jordan River.’ 3 But the Lord your God himself will cross over ahead of you. He will destroy the nations living there, and you will take possession of their land. Joshua will lead you across the river, just as the Lord promised.
4 “The Lord will destroy the nations living in the land, just as he destroyed Sihon and Og, the kings of the Amorites. 5 The Lord will hand over to you the people who live there, and you must deal with them as I have commanded you. 6 So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the Lord your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you.”
7 Then Moses called for Joshua, and as all Israel watched, he said to him, “Be strong and courageous! For you will lead these people into the land that the Lord swore to their ancestors he would give them. You are the one who will divide it among them as their grants of land. 8 Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you.”
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