21 Be Strong and of a Good Courage
Be Strong and of a Good Courage
Be Strong and of a Good Courage
Finally, the children of Israel were nearing to enter the
Promised Land. Does every new challenge bring doubt and fear to your heart.
Their parents (or grandparents) had crossed the Red Sea on dry ground; but this
was a new group of people, facing the Jordan River and the Walls of Jericho.
Nephi later related this story to his brothers, to remind
them to put their faith and trust in the Lord.
1 Nephi
17:35 35 Behold, the Lord esteemeth all flesh in one;
he that is righteous is favored of God. But behold,
this people had rejected every word of God, and they were ripe in
iniquity; and the fulness of the wrath of God was upon them; and the Lord did
curse the land against them, and bless it unto our fathers; yea, he did curse
it against them unto their destruction, and he did bless it unto our fathers
unto their obtaining power over it.
Joshua
1:9 9 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
3:5 5 And Joshua said unto the people, Sanctify
yourselves: for to morrow the Lord will do wonders among you.
God will be with me as I strive to be faithful to Him.
Joshua
1:1–9
How many times has the Lord said to you to “Be strong and of
a good courage”…to be courageous, to trust in Him? Whether we are called to a
position that is new, or whether we need to leave familiar surrounding to go
where the Lord wants us to be, He doesn’t plan to forsake us. We need to not
forsake Him. We need Him.
Joshua
1:1–9 1 Now after the death of Moses
the servant of the Lord it came to pass, that
the Lord spake unto Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ minister, saying,
2 Moses my servant is dead; now
therefore arise, go over this Jordan, thou, and all this people, unto
the land which I do give to them, even to the
children of Israel.
3 Every place that the sole of your foot
shall tread upon, that have I given unto you, as I said unto Moses.
4 From the wilderness and
this Lebanon even unto the great river, the river Euphrates, all the
land of the Hittites, and unto the great sea toward the going down of
the sun, shall be your coast.
5 There shall not any man be able to
stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I
will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.
6 Be
strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for
an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to
give them.
7 Only
be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law,
which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the
right hand or to the left, that thou
mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest.
8 This book of the law shall
not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and
night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein:
for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good
success.
9 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 means Jehovah saves. The name Jesus is derived from
Joshua. Jesus is our Deliverer and Savior, and Joshua was appointed to deliver
and save ancient Israel by the Lord’s powerful hand.
The word of God can make my way prosperous.
Joshua
1:8
Joshua
1:8 Study and live by the scriptures day and night. God will make your way
prosperous and bring you success.
1 Nephi
15:23–24 The Iron Rod is the Word of God. If we hold fast to Jesus Christ
and to His Word, we will never perish or destroyed by Satan.
2 Nephi
32:3 3 Angels speak by the power of the Holy Ghost;
wherefore, they speak the words of Christ. Wherefore, I said unto
you, feast upon the words of Christ; for behold, the words
of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do.
One of my favorite scriptures. Listen to those things that
are spoken by the power of the Holy Ghost, whether by living angels, or by the
Spirit that carries their messages to you.
Mosiah
1:7 Search the scriptures diligently, so that you can profit from them.
Keep the commandments, so that you will prosper in the land according to God’s
promises to your fathers.
Helaman
3:29–30 29 Yea, we see that whosoever will may lay hold upon
the word of God, which is quick and powerful, which
shall divide asunder all the cunning and the snares and the wiles of
the devil, and lead the man of Christ in a strait and narrow course
across that everlasting gulf of misery which is prepared to engulf
the wicked—
30 And land their souls, yea, their immortal
souls, at the right hand of God in the kingdom of heaven, to sit down
with Abraham, and Isaac, and with Jacob, and with all our holy fathers, to go
no more out.
Even Jesus used the scriptures to combat the wiles of the
devil. Have faith in God’s promises and protection to you.
Doctrine
and Covenants 84:85 85 Neither take ye thought
beforehand what ye shall say; but treasure up in your minds
continually the words of life, and it shall be given you in the very
hour that portion that shall be meted unto every man.
Russell M. Nelson, “Hear Him,” Ensign or Liahona,
May 2020, last
paragraph on page 89
“We can go to the scriptures. They teach us about Jesus
Christ and His gospel, the magnitude of His Atonement, and our Father’s great
plan of happiness and redemption. Daily immersion in the word of God is crucial
for spiritual survival, especially in these days of increasing upheaval. As we
feast on the words of Christ daily, the words of Christ will tell us how to
respond to difficulties we never thought we would face.”
As
I Search the Holy Scriptures: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4R3ELWkMQXs&list=RD4R3ELWkMQXs&start_radio=1
Both faith and works are necessary for salvation.
Joshua 2
Hebrews
11:31 31 By faith the harlot Rahab perished
not with them that believed not, when she had received the spies with
peace.
James
2:25 25 Likewise also was not Rahab the
harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and
had sent them out another way?
In Joshua 2,
consider how Rahab’s faith served her family and her being saved. How can you
show more faith and petition the Lord more for the spiritual and physical
safety and salvation of your family?
With faith in Jesus Christ, I can experience God’s
“wonders.”
Joshua
3–4
Joshua
3:5 5 And Joshua said unto the people, Sanctify
yourselves: for to morrow the Lord will do wonders among you.
The Israelites had to be a purer people than the those whose land they were
taking, or the Lord wouldn’t fight their battles for them.
Joshua
3:13, 15 3 And it shall come to pass, as soon as the soles
of the feet of the priests that bear the ark of the Lord, the Lord of all
the earth, shall rest in the waters of Jordan, that the waters
of Jordan shall be cut off from the waters that come down from
above; and they shall stand upon an heap.
15 And as they that bare the ark were come unto
Jordan, and the feet of the priests that bare the ark were dipped in the brim
of the water, (for Jordan overfloweth all his banks all the time of harvest,)
Faith precedes the miracle.
2 Kings
2:6–15 Before Elijah was taken to heaven, Elisha asked for a double portion
of the spirit to be upon him. Elijah said it would happen if he saw him again.
Elisha saw Elijah ascend into heaven in a chariot of fire, and he rent his
clothes.
5:1–14
Sometimes we need to humble ourselves just as Naaman did. We might not
understand why the Lord directs us to do something; but, surely, if we hearken
and do it, we’ll be blessed.
Mark
1:9–11 9 And it came to pass in those days, that Jesus came
from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized of John in Jordan.
10 And straightway coming up out of
the water, he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like
a dove descending upon him:
11 And there came a voice from heaven, saying, Thou
art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
Joshua
3:5 5 And Joshua said unto the people, Sanctify
yourselves: for to morrow the Lord will do wonders among you.
Joshua
3:17 17 And the priests that bare the ark of the covenant of
the Lord stood firm on dry ground in the midst of Jordan,
and all the Israelites passed over on dry ground, until all the people were
passed clean over Jordan.
Obedience invites God’s power into my life.
Joshua
6–8 Deals with battles over the lands of Jericho and Ai.
How do you battle temptation in your own life?
Joshua
7:10–13 10 ¶ And the Lord said
unto Joshua, Get thee up; wherefore liest thou thus upon thy face?
11 Israel hath sinned, and they have
also transgressed my covenant which I commanded them: for they have even taken of the
accursed thing, and have also stolen, and dissembled also, and
they have put it even among their own stuff.
12 Therefore the children of Israel could
not stand before their enemies, but turned their backs
before their enemies, because they were accursed: neither will I be with you
any more, except ye destroy the accursed from among you.
13 Up, sanctify the
people, and say, Sanctify yourselves against to morrow: for thus saith
the Lord God of Israel, There is an accursed thing
in the midst of thee, O Israel: thou canst not stand before thine enemies,
until ye take away the accursed thing from among you.
One of the exhortations from Moroni in his final chapter is
to stay away from the accursed thing? Are you paying attention to the warnings
of the Spirit and the prophets. Are you drawing nearer to God and seeking his
guidance?
Be sure that you love the Lord, people, and the gospel of Jesus Christ more
than you love things, praises of this world, or pleasures. Don’t be collecting
for or building a golden calf or a Tower of Babel. Our work is to help build up
the Kingdom and establish Zion.
Are you preparing for tomorrow by becoming sanctified today?
Joshua
6:1–5 1 Now Jericho was straitly
shut up because of the children of Israel: none went out, and none came in.
2 And the Lord said unto
Joshua, See, I have given into thine hand Jericho, and the king thereof, and the
mighty men of valour.
3 And ye shall compass the
city, all ye men of war, and go round about
the city once. Thus shalt thou do six days.
4 And seven priests shall bear before
the ark seven trumpets of rams’ horns: and the seventh day ye shall compass the
city seven times, and the priests shall blow with the trumpets.
5 And it shall come to pass, that when
they make a long blast with the ram’s horn, and when
ye hear the sound of the trumpet, all the people shall shout with a great
shout; and the wall of the city shall fall down flat, and the people shall
ascend up every man straight before him.
Do not become bored with keeping the commandments. There is
power in repetition. What are you determining to become by how you spend your
time, what you choose to do, and who you follow? Do not let your interests and
discretionary time lead you in an accursed direction.
Joshua
7:13 13 Up, sanctify the
people, and say, Sanctify yourselves against to morrow: for thus
saith the Lord God of Israel, There is an accursed
thing in the midst of thee, O Israel: thou canst not stand before thine
enemies, until ye take away the accursed thing from among you.
I feel like the rush for power, money, and intellectual
superiority through AI is becoming an accursed thing in our nation. If we are
not following the Lord and battling to be more powerfully prepared in and of
ourselves, He may leave us to ourselves and not fight our battles.
I have seen a correlation to the building of AI tech centers, no matter the
cost in water, in loss of jobs for people, in the betterment of family and
community life as a current-day Tower of Babel, and definitely as a golden
calf. So, in my own life, I need to choose my Father’s will over pleasureful technological
pursuits. I do need to love Him and serve Him first and foremost.
“Choose you this day whom ye will serve.”
Joshua
23–24 Joshua issues warning and counsel to his people, as well as promised
blessings for following the Lord God of Israel. His departing testimony showed
his love and concern for the people.
Joshua
23:8 8 But cleave unto the Lord your God,
as ye have done unto this day.
What can I do each day, each week, and each month to make
sure that I am cleaving to the Lord?
Daily: Pray more and with better purpose. Accept my own invitation given in
Seminary to pray, kneeling down and aloud if possible two time a day for at
least three minutes each time.
Weekly: Prepare better for sacrament meeting and to take the
sacrament
Monthly: choose to go to the temple when you can, and to
minister more often.
Scripture Helps
- What
was the significance of the parting of the Jordan River?
- Why
was Achan’s sin so serious?
- What
occurred on Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal?
For Children:
“Be strong and of a good courage.”
Joshua
1–4; 6
1 Now after the death of Moses
the servant of the Lord it came to pass, that
the Lord spake unto Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ minister, saying,
2 Moses my servant is dead; now
therefore arise, go over this Jordan, thou, and all this people, unto
the land which I do give to them, even to the
children of Israel.
3 Every place that the sole of your foot
shall tread upon, that have I given unto you, as I said unto Moses.
4 From the wilderness and
this Lebanon even unto the great river, the river Euphrates, all the
land of the Hittites, and unto the great sea toward the going down of
the sun, shall be your coast.
Joshua
1:6 6 Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this
people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land,
which I sware unto their fathers to give them.
Are we afraid to receive the Lord’s blessings? Are we
slothful sometimes because we are scared of the unknown, even when we have the
promises that our futures will be great? What can we do to lay aside fear and
pick up faith In Jesus Christ?
Joshua
1:6, 9, and 18
9 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.
Are we ignoring the commandments, because we are fearful?
18 Whosoever he be that
doth rebel against thy commandment, and will not hearken unto thy
words in all that thou commandest him, he shall be put to death: only be
strong and of a good courage.
Are we putting into jeopardy our spiritual well-being? Are
we alive in Christ?
Studying the scriptures brings me blessings.
Joshua
1:8
8 This book of the law shall not
depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and
night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein:
for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good
success.
Bear testimony of the importance of the scriptures in your
own life. Invite the children to read them too, by themselves and with their
families.
1 Nephi
15:23–24 23 And they said unto me: What meaneth the rod of
iron which our father saw, that led to the tree?
24 And I said unto them that it was
the word of God; and whoso would hearken unto the word of God, and
would hold fast unto it, they would never perish; neither could
the temptations and the fiery darts of the adversary overpower
them unto blindness, to lead them away to destruction.
2 Nephi
31:20 20 Wherefore, ye must press forward with
a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope,
and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press
forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end,
behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life.
32:3
3 Angels speak by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore, they
speak the words of Christ. Wherefore, I said unto you, feast upon
the words of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ
will tell you all things what ye should do.
Jacob
4:6 6 Wherefore, we search the prophets, and we have many
revelations and the spirit of prophecy; and having all
these witnesses we obtain a hope, and our faith becometh unshaken,
insomuch that we truly can command in the name of Jesus and
the very trees obey us, or the mountains, or the waves of the sea.
Helaman
3:29–30 29 Yea, we see that whosoever will may lay hold upon
the word of God, which is quick and powerful, which
shall divide asunder all the cunning and the snares and the wiles of
the devil, and lead the man of Christ in a strait and narrow course
across that everlasting gulf of misery which is prepared to engulf
the wicked—
30 And land their souls, yea, their immortal
souls, at the right hand of God in the kingdom of heaven, to sit down
with Abraham, and Isaac, and with Jacob, and with all our holy fathers, to go
no more out.
I must be baptized to enter the kingdom of heaven.
Joshua
3–4
Where was Jesus baptized? In the River Jordan.
Just think, the Israelites had to leave beyond the life they’d known and become
familiar with, when they cross the Jordan River into the Promised Land. We do
something very similar when we are baptized. We are showing faith and courage,
by entering the waters, and then coming out as committed disciples of Jesus
Christ and children of the covenant.
When we are baptized, we start a new life with Jesus.
The waters did not part, until the men who were carrying the
Ark of the Covenant walked into the River Jordan.
I can choose to serve Jesus Christ.
Joshua
24:15
·
Memorize a short phrase from Joshua
24:15.
“but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”
- Find
stories about people who chose to serve Jesus Christ. They could
look in the Friend magazine,
the Gospel
Art Book, or Old
Testament Stories and other scripture stories books.
·
Role-play situations in which they can choose to
follow and serve the Savior.
Use a variety
of activities. “All children are different, and as they develop, their
needs will change. Varying your teaching methods will help you meet their
diverse needs” (Teaching in the Savior’s Way, 31).
Comments
Post a Comment