BBD 01.08.08 Courage for the New Year

#1 · January 8, 2008, 1:18 pm

Quote from Forum Archives on January 8, 2008, 1:18 pm
Posted by: wrather <wrather@...>

Visit the Burning Bush websites:

www.theburningbush.net

www.theburningbush.org

Join the Burning Bush Prayer Group! Send and receive prayer requests and be
a part of a great ministry. More than 300 wonderful people make up this
group. To join send an email to: BBPG-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

Be a part of the Burning Bush Community! Share prayer requests,
inspirational material, find help for addictions, and help others. Find out
more at the Burning Bush Community webpage:
www.theburningbush.net/pages.asp?pageid=37647

The Burning Bush Devotional

Welcome to the 56 new subscribers since January 1, 2008!!

01.08.08

Courage for the New Year

Be strong and of good courage, for to this people you shall divide as an
inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. Only be
strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the
law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right
hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go. This Book of the
Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and
night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it.
For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good
success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be
afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you
go. - Joshua 1:6-9.

Joshua had just taken over the reins of power from Moses. However, this is
not necessarily a promotion that Joshua wanted or desired to have. This was
not going to be a cakewalk. There were so many people and they had proven in
the past to be a rebellious people. At least their parents were. Joshua knew
he had to protect these people and at the same time conquer a land filled
with strong cities and people. For many it would have been an impossible
task and God knew Joshua would need courage. We need courage too.

The last several years have been difficult for my family and me with our
parents growing older with more and more health problems. However, last year
provided perhaps the greatest challenges for us. The year started out with
my Dad having another stroke being hospitalized and from there being placed
in the same nursing home with my Mother. He passed away on May 24th. We also
had the tornado, which hit our community damaging our church on May 5th.
During this time, I was trying to take care of my parent's affairs and
cleaning out their home so someone could move in and live there. During the
summer, we cared for foster children who are children of friends. The boy,
Malachi, had a relapse of his cancer and his care was a great challenge for
us (He is doing much better; please continue to pray for him.). My
mother-in-law had a heart attack and my Mother passed away Dec 3rd.

We realize that we have been fortunate in many ways by only having minor
health problems ourselves. We also realize that the courage and strength
necessary to go through the last year did not come from within.

Merriam-Webster's Online Dictionary defines courage as "mental or moral
strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty."

The Wordsmyth English Dictionary-Thesaurus defines courage as "the quality
of will that enables a person to confront fear or danger regardless of the
consequences; bravery."

The Wiktionary defines fear as "A strong, uncontrollable, unpleasant emotion
caused by actual or perceived danger or threat."

Fear is an emotion; however, courage is an attitude that will enable us to
take action. Fear immobilizes you. Courage activates you. Everyone will
experience the emotion of fear but not all will have the attitude of courage
when they encounter fearful circumstances.

Courage can be valor demonstrated as the soldier or others face death.
Courage, however, can and must be demonstrated to live the Christian life.
John F. Kennedy once said, "Without belittling the courage with which men
have died we should not forget those acts of courage with which . . . men
have lived."

Much of what God calls on us to do, as His child requires courage. It
requires courage for us to take seriously the Great Commission. It requires
courage for us to live out the Sermon on the Mount. It certainly requires
courage to follow in the steps of Jesus. Sometimes, however, we are called
on to face what may seem to be an impossible task. We may face our own
Jericho, as did Joshua. Will we have the courage? Can it be done?

Where did Joshua's courage come from? His courage flowed from the Word of
God as God commanded him, "This Book of the Law shall not depart from your
mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to
do according to all that is written in it." Joshua was to speak the Word,
meditate on the Word, and He was to do all the Word of God commanded. If we
want courage, we must do the same.

Whatever courage I have had or have now I know flows directly from the Word
of God. Whenever I neglect the Word, I have a lack of courage. If I want to
have the courage necessary to face the challenges of this New Year, I know
that I can only have that courage through the Word of God. For the Christian
our courage flows directly from His Word. Make this New Year be a year that
you live courageously by reading, studying, meditating on, memorizing, and
living the Word of God.

Copyright © 2008. Ed Wrather. Permission is given for use of the devotionals
on a non-profit basis with source credited. The Burning Bush website has
been online since January 31, 1998. On June 8, 1998 the email version of the
Burning Bush Devotional was first sent.

Prayer Requests: Please pray for Malachi a young boy with cancer. Many
prayer needs are posted at the Burning Bush website on the Prayer Request
page. You can also post your prayer requests there and they will be
forwarded to the Burning Bush Prayer Group (Of course, I am always in need
of prayer - please pray for me.).

If you enjoy the devotional please recommend it to your friends. They may
subscribe by sending a blank email to
burningbushdevo-subscribe@welovegod.org

Streaming Videos of some of my sermons are posted at:
www.theburningbush.org/fbcswvideo.html

There is a complete devotional archive at the old Burning Bush website. Here
is the URL: www.theburningbush.org/33.html.

You can unsubscribe to the pure text version of the devotional by sending a
blank email to burningbushdevo-unsubscribe@welovegod.org and then respond to
the confirmation email.

You may subscribe to the html text group by sending a blank email to
burningbushhtml-subscribe@welovegod.org and you may unsubscribe by sending a
blank email to burningbushhtml-unsubscribe@welovegod.org and then respond to
the confirmation email.

Posted by: wrather <wrather@...>

Visit the Burning Bush websites:

http://www.theburningbush.net

http://www.theburningbush.org

Join the Burning Bush Prayer Group! Send and receive prayer requests and be
a part of a great ministry. More than 300 wonderful people make up this
group. To join send an email to: BBPG-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

Be a part of the Burning Bush Community! Share prayer requests,
inspirational material, find help for addictions, and help others. Find out
more at the Burning Bush Community webpage:
http://www.theburningbush.net/pages.asp?pageid=37647

The Burning Bush Devotional

Welcome to the 56 new subscribers since January 1, 2008!!

01.08.08

Courage for the New Year

Be strong and of good courage, for to this people you shall divide as an
inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. Only be
strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the
law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right
hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go. This Book of the
Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and
night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it.
For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good
success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be
afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you
go. - Joshua 1:6-9.

Joshua had just taken over the reins of power from Moses. However, this is
not necessarily a promotion that Joshua wanted or desired to have. This was
not going to be a cakewalk. There were so many people and they had proven in
the past to be a rebellious people. At least their parents were. Joshua knew
he had to protect these people and at the same time conquer a land filled
with strong cities and people. For many it would have been an impossible
task and God knew Joshua would need courage. We need courage too.

The last several years have been difficult for my family and me with our
parents growing older with more and more health problems. However, last year
provided perhaps the greatest challenges for us. The year started out with
my Dad having another stroke being hospitalized and from there being placed
in the same nursing home with my Mother. He passed away on May 24th. We also
had the tornado, which hit our community damaging our church on May 5th.
During this time, I was trying to take care of my parent's affairs and
cleaning out their home so someone could move in and live there. During the
summer, we cared for foster children who are children of friends. The boy,
Malachi, had a relapse of his cancer and his care was a great challenge for
us (He is doing much better; please continue to pray for him.). My
mother-in-law had a heart attack and my Mother passed away Dec 3rd.

We realize that we have been fortunate in many ways by only having minor
health problems ourselves. We also realize that the courage and strength
necessary to go through the last year did not come from within.

Merriam-Webster's Online Dictionary defines courage as "mental or moral
strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty."

The Wordsmyth English Dictionary-Thesaurus defines courage as "the quality
of will that enables a person to confront fear or danger regardless of the
consequences; bravery."

The Wiktionary defines fear as "A strong, uncontrollable, unpleasant emotion
caused by actual or perceived danger or threat."

Fear is an emotion; however, courage is an attitude that will enable us to
take action. Fear immobilizes you. Courage activates you. Everyone will
experience the emotion of fear but not all will have the attitude of courage
when they encounter fearful circumstances.

Courage can be valor demonstrated as the soldier or others face death.
Courage, however, can and must be demonstrated to live the Christian life.
John F. Kennedy once said, "Without belittling the courage with which men
have died we should not forget those acts of courage with which . . . men
have lived."

Much of what God calls on us to do, as His child requires courage. It
requires courage for us to take seriously the Great Commission. It requires
courage for us to live out the Sermon on the Mount. It certainly requires
courage to follow in the steps of Jesus. Sometimes, however, we are called
on to face what may seem to be an impossible task. We may face our own
Jericho, as did Joshua. Will we have the courage? Can it be done?

Where did Joshua's courage come from? His courage flowed from the Word of
God as God commanded him, "This Book of the Law shall not depart from your
mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to
do according to all that is written in it." Joshua was to speak the Word,
meditate on the Word, and He was to do all the Word of God commanded. If we
want courage, we must do the same.

Whatever courage I have had or have now I know flows directly from the Word
of God. Whenever I neglect the Word, I have a lack of courage. If I want to
have the courage necessary to face the challenges of this New Year, I know
that I can only have that courage through the Word of God. For the Christian
our courage flows directly from His Word. Make this New Year be a year that
you live courageously by reading, studying, meditating on, memorizing, and
living the Word of God.

Copyright © 2008. Ed Wrather. Permission is given for use of the devotionals
on a non-profit basis with source credited. The Burning Bush website has
been online since January 31, 1998. On June 8, 1998 the email version of the
Burning Bush Devotional was first sent.

Prayer Requests: Please pray for Malachi a young boy with cancer. Many
prayer needs are posted at the Burning Bush website on the Prayer Request
page. You can also post your prayer requests there and they will be
forwarded to the Burning Bush Prayer Group (Of course, I am always in need
of prayer - please pray for me.).

If you enjoy the devotional please recommend it to your friends. They may
subscribe by sending a blank email to
burningbushdevo-subscribe@welovegod.org

Streaming Videos of some of my sermons are posted at:
http://www.theburningbush.org/fbcswvideo.html

There is a complete devotional archive at the old Burning Bush website. Here
is the URL: http://www.theburningbush.org/33.html.

You can unsubscribe to the pure text version of the devotional by sending a
blank email to burningbushdevo-unsubscribe@welovegod.org and then respond to
the confirmation email.

You may subscribe to the html text group by sending a blank email to
burningbushhtml-subscribe@welovegod.org and you may unsubscribe by sending a
blank email to burningbushhtml-unsubscribe@welovegod.org and then respond to
the confirmation email.