Only Be Thou Strong and Very Courageous

"Only be though 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."

One of the most profound truths of the Christian faith, is that because He is the maker of all things, because His is all powerful, because He is in control (when we let Him be), and because we have the privilege of being His sons and daughters that He loves beyond measure or fathomability; then, when Truth tells us we have nothing to fear, that means we can believe it to be true. The question then, is how do we turn that "head" knowledge of God's love, protection and provision into "heart" knowledge? How do we embrace, as reality, a life without worry or fear? What would a life without worry or fear even look like? Is that level of freedom truly possible in a world capable of being so dark?

I profess to you, in my younger years, I was crippled by anxiety, fear, worry, sleeplessness, and it was not until Jesus found me, and moved in me that I was able to begin my journey into the freedom Jesus refers to when he says, "Which of you, taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?" (Mathew 6:27) If Jesus says it is not only possible, but God's desire for us to live a worry free life, than it very well is possible. I do not come to you as someone who has it figured out, but simply, as someone who loves God because He loved me first, and because I have tasted and seen. I want you to taste and see.

In this life, our number one spiritual enemy is fear. Fear of death, fear of failure, fear of loss, fear of (fill in the blank). The root of all our slavery is fear! Plain and simple, fear controls us; some of us more than others, and in different areas for different people, but if God is not driving, than fear is! This is why Jesus tells us, "Come to me all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." (Matt. 11:28) We all serve something, but if we serve Jesus, we not only have the privilege to live under His authority and power, but we are promised a prosperous life free from fear. Biblically, prosperity is not defined by financial means, but by spiritual means: peace, joy, love, contentment, positive relationships with those we love most. These are the true treasures, and they are different than what the world offers.

Yet, how do we attain this? First, we chose to live our lives obedient to God. Choosing obedience to God is not a different kind of slavery, and obedience does not happen overnight, but through the empowerment of the Holy Spirit and the grace we find through the Blood of Jesus. Obedience, through the Grace of God, is the beginning of freedom.

However, inevitably, following God requires courage and trust. Nothing triggers fear faster than giving up the vices and controls that we use to hold ourselves together without God, but to conquer fear, you must be willing to sacrifice your vices and controls in order to follow God. This requires trusting Him; which takes an absorbent amount of courage and determination, and will include moments of failure. Your courage is your weapon against fear. Following God and placing things at His feet is terrifying. The enemy wants you to run from your fears, so that you're kept in a cage of his design by them. The Lord wants to free you from all fear, so you can live the life that He has set before you. The table the Lord has prepared for you in front of your enemies. It takes time to build a relationship with God, and it takes courage to surrender enough to learn that you can truly trust Him.