“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 1:9 KJV

This verse has been popping up for months now whenever I listen to messages by Charles Stanley. When I’m on the road, and when we watch Youtube on Sunday mornings. After a while it becomes a bit … boring. ‘Cause I’ve heard it now. And again. And again.

I would be eagerly awaiting a new message, a new revelation for my life in particular, and then all I get is this repetition.

It then started becoming somewhat hilarious. It cropped up in my YouVersion reading plan, in Joyce Meyer’s message while I was ironing before dawn, and in Priscilla Shirer’s studio interview I listened to on my trip north.

With good reason, of course.

Because shortly thereafter I could grab at it for all I was worth as the enemy tried to pull out the rug from under my emotions, and attempted to leave fear, rotting and spreading disease in my heart’s deepest recesses.

What’s more, even just this week, I could throw out the same life preserver to someone else.

This is how we learn. This is how we grow.

I have learnt that it is practically impossible to lay a foundation in the middle of a storm.

When the sun is at its brightest and the clouds offer simple relief, that is the time for keeping your head down and grafting, making it sure and steady.

Just as the Lord wanted to encourage the people around Zechariah at the time, He encourages us as well.

The work that is currently being done, may seem trivial. But never underestimate small beginnings.

For the storm is coming.

I’ve never been too fond of the King James version. It always seemed a bit over the top and medieval.

And yet Charles Stanley’s reiteration of this so often, has not left me.

“Have I not commanded thee?”

You can clearly recognise the authority in this.

I believe that it had the power to pull Joshua’s faltering focus back from the stumbling block in his path, to the God that was conversing with him.

In order for him to see the love in God’s eyes when he hears the words:

“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.”

He is our loving Father.

He is our merciful Father.

But sometimes I forget that He is also the authority in my life.

And sometimes (often) I need some (plenty) discipline too.

Focus, girl, focus!

Your inspiration for the week: There’s nothing that our God can’t do.