Recently I read my way through the Book of Joshua.  Three times in four verses in Chapter 1, God says to Joshua “be strong and very courageous.”  [Joshua 1:6, 7, 9]

One of the things about being courageous is that it is not the absence of fear.  It is moving forward to do what needs to be done in spite of the fear that might exist.  In fact, if there was no fear present, why would God even need to tell Joshua to “be strong and very courageous?”

Life can be scary.  We are always facing the unknown.  If we could just see what tomorrow holds, whether it will be easy or difficult, maybe we could prepare.  That’s why astrology, fortune telling, and the like are so prevalent in our culture.  Those things promise to reveal our unknown futures.  Of course, they can’t.  The only one who knows our tomorrows is the Lord.

Paul writes in Romans 8 a list of things that are powerless to separate us from the love of God.  He says that neither the present nor the future has the power to separate.  Isn’t that an amazing statement!  We need not fear what is ahead because God is able to keep us through all the unknowns.  We can be strong and very courageous because nothing, present or future, will be able to separate us from the love of our Lord.

Rom 8:38-39:  For I am persuaded that not even death or life, angels or rulers, things present or things to  come, hostile powers,  height or depth, or any other created thing will have the power to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord!.  [HCSB]