“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9

The Lord spoke to Joshua when he was to lead the Isrealites into the promise land and He told Joshua just as He was with Moses he would be with him. To successfully lead the Isrealites, Joshua had to trust God, be strong and courageous.

Even when you feel heavy and the weight of the world is on your shoulders you still have to push through. Just like Joshua. Push through the uncertainty, the lack of strength, the voices inside of your head telling you not to and this is stupid and worthless. Push through with courage and strength from God.

God has called us to be warriors not worriers. He calls us not to be timid but reminds us that God give us power, love and have self control (2 Timothy 1:7).

In my last post, Lighting up the Lies of the Devil, I talked about what are you holding on to that the devil told you that is holding you back. When life gets hard, as it always does, what do you do? Do you sit down and give up believing the lies from satan that you are not enough, you don’t have what it takes? OR do you fight back? I hope that you fight back. There is always going to be the moment that life will knock you down but you also have to stand back up. Life is not about what knocks you down, it’s about how you stand up.

There have been things you have been learning to overcome your whole life and there is a purpose for that. You may not know that purpose now but I promise you one day, God will show you why. I’ve had insecurities about being enough for others, having enough money, worried that my work ethic isn’t good enough on the way to burnout. I’ve struggled with depression and anxiety and having the strength to keep pushing forward. Beating myself down trying to maintain what the world deems as enough but the truth is that God already made me enough. He has made YOU enough.

Those obstacles that you are constantly fighting to get through are going to show you that you have the strength, you are enough because God said you were and he will always provide a way when it’s his will for your life.

Maybe you keep getting knocked down because that road you keep trying to go down isn’t meant for you. What if you are meant to get up and go in another direction? The direction that God is calling you to. Will it be hard to turn around? Yes. Will it require change and sacrifice? Yes. Will it be worth it? Absolutely. Trials produce perseverance and perseverance produces character. (Romans 5:3 & James 1:2-3)

When I was 15 until I was 21 I worked at a hot dog/ ice cream shack and when I would work day shift and see people leave their job to come get lunch I used to think to myself and pray to God, one day I will have a job where I can leave and enjoy lunch. I will have a job with benefits, a salary and good people to work with. Did it happen right away. No. It took time. When I was 21 I started a job at a boutique that opened my eyes to a new world of possibilities for a job. When I was 24 I got my first job with a salary and benefits. When I was 27 I finally made it to a job where I have great benefits, a great salary, great people to work with and I get to go out for lunch and enjoy it. It took over 10 years, with a lot of bumps in between. This may seem trivial to you but this one area of my life has impacted others areas of my life and my faith in what God can do for me.

Little by little God gave me what I was asking for to ensure that once I got all of it I could handle it. Little by little I was thankful for the small wins and did I question why I couldn’t get it all at once, of course I did but now looking back on it I kept pushing forward in the hope that one day God would provide.

Trusting God is hard work but the return of love, protection, provision and so much more will enrich your life tenfold. The God that holds tomorrow in his hands also holds you. He has a purpose for your life, don’t let it pass you by because you won’t step out in faith and trust Him.

God I thank you for the person that is reading this blog. I thank you for your words of wisdom and guidance. Lord I pray that you continually work in our lives to persevere through life’s obstacles and that you will provide us with guidance, strength, courage and love every time we stand back up. Lord I pray that when our internal flames start to dim that you will reignite our flames to move forward in the purpose you have for our lives. Lord thank for you our challenges, thank you for your love and thank you for another day to follow your will. In your Son’s name we pray, Amen.