0:00 Here is a thought for you to hold onto this morning.0:04 It comes from the book of Joshua, chapter one, verse nine.0:09 Have I not commanded you?0:11 Be strong and courageous.0:14 Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.0:22 Just yesterday, we were talking about what it means to trust with all your heart.0:29 This verse is the other side of that same coin.0:34 It's the reason WHY we can trust so completely.0:38 Let’s sit with that for a moment.0:41 The first thing to notice is that this isn't a suggestion.0:46 It’s not a hopeful wish.0:48 It starts with a question that’s really a statement: "Have I not commanded you?" It’s a reminder that this instruction comes from a place of authority and deep care.1:03 Courage, in this sense, isn't something you have to manufacture on your own.1:09 It's not about puffing out your chest and pretending you're not afraid.1:16 It's about obedience to a command that comes with a promise.1:21 The command is to BE strong, to BE courageous.1:25 It's a state of being that you are invited to step into, because God has already made it possible.1:34 Here's what that means for you today.1:37 If you're facing something that feels too big, remember that the call to be strong is not about your own strength.1:47 It's about relying on His.1:49 The pressure is not on you to be enough.1:53 The command is simply to accept the strength that is already being offered.2:00 Then, the verse gives us two very specific things to avoid.2:05 "Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed." These are two different kinds of shadows we can live under.2:14 Being frightened is often about the future.2:18 It's the anxiety about what might happen.2:22 The worry about the meeting later today, the results you're waiting for, the difficult conversation you need to have.2:32 It's the fear of the unknown.2:35 Being dismayed, on the other hand, is often about the present or the past.2:41 It’s that sinking feeling when things have already gone wrong.2:47 It’s the disappointment, the exhaustion, the feeling of being overwhelmed by circumstances that are already here.2:57 The verse speaks to both.2:59 It covers the anxieties about what's to come, and the discouragement from what already is.3:07 And it offers the same single answer to both.3:11 And that answer is the most important part of the entire verse.3:17 It’s the foundation for everything else.3:20 The reason you don't have to be frightened, the reason you don't have to be dismayed, is this: "for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go." That is the promise that changes everything.3:37 It's not that the challenges disappear.3:41 It's not that the day will suddenly be easy.3:45 It's that you will not face any of it alone.3:48 His presence is the constant.3:51 It is the one thing that is true in the quiet moments of the morning, true in the chaos of midday, and true in the stillness of the night.4:03 Here’s what that means for you, right now, as you get ready for your day.4:10 It means that God’s presence goes with you into your car.4:15 Into your office.4:16 Into the hospital room.4:18 Into the kitchen as you make breakfast for your family.4:23 There is no place you will go today where His presence will not be.4:29 Your courage, then, doesn’t come from a change in your circumstances.4:35 It comes from a change in your focus.4:39 It comes from shifting your gaze from the size of the challenge, to the greatness of the One who is with you in it.4:49 So today, when a moment of fear rises up, gently remind yourself of this promise.4:56 When a wave of disappointment or discouragement washes over you, anchor yourself to this truth.5:04 You are NOT alone.5:06 The strength is not in you.5:08 The courage is not from you.5:11 They are gifts, flowing directly from the simple, profound reality of His presence.5:18 That is a truth you can build your entire day on.
