Angie McGregor

When God gives you an assignment, it’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking that you are not the right person for the job. Fear sabotages faith and put up a wall between what is and what is possible if we believe. While you may think that you’re alone in this, I assure you that you’re not.

In the Old Testament, when God told Moses to liberate his people from the bo***ge of an oppressive leader, Moses had quite a list of reasons that he was not the man for the job.

Nearly 30 years later, when God tapped Joshua for phase 2 of this assignment, God met Joshua’s limiting mindset and fear with this promise, “…be strong, and brave… I will be with you…”

If you read the eight versus leading up to Joshua 1:9, you find the practical steps that God gave Joshua to help him be prepared, manage the assignment, lead well, and not succumb to the fatigue of leading others.

I love how practical God is, and how detailed he was in his instructions to Joshua. While Joshua had close proximity to Moses and saw the best and worst of his leadership style, Joshua was not supposed to do what Moses did like he did it. While the end goal was the same, Joshua, had specific instructions:

Get up
Prepare
Lead
Location
I’m with you
Be strong
Be brave
Acquire
Administrate
Be faithful
Obey
Stick to the plan
Speak my words
Contemplate my words
Follow my instructions
Do not yield to fear

Verse nine contains both the warning and the promise! Do not yield to fear! How often do we yield to fear? If I’m being honest, more times than I’m ashamed to admit. God told Moses do not yield… don’t surrender to fear.

How many ideas never materialize because of fear? What never gets launched because of fear? Who never gets rescued because of fear? How many promises are never attained because of fear? How many people will not enjoy heaven because someone surrendered to fear?

That is why the Lord kept telling Joshua to be strong and brave! The assignment was too important to be sabotaged by fear.

After the warning, the Lord gave Joshua the promise that followed the plan:

-You’ll have a successful and prosperous life
-I will always be there for you
-The people will finally be free

The first nine verses of Joshua 1 are a master class in leadership, faith, spiritual growth, and obedience. So if you are struggling with fear today, or wrestling with a weighty decision or opportunity, spend some time with Joshua 1:9.

May the word of God will give you peace, make you strong and brave!

I have spent the week editing/writing! Received an excellent editorial review of my book manuscript last weekend and that has kept me busy all week. Whew, outside eyes are fresh and so important when you have been immersed into a project for a while.

Writing is a labor of love. And it’s labor! Painful. Kinda pressing through that “want to quit” threshold. 😎

Anybody else ever felt that pressure after a long time with a project? Can’t stop now.

Jesus gave the best example of strategic periods of rest, which produced great success in his assignment and appointments along his path.

After long and demanding periods of ministry Jesus invited the apostles to come away with him and get some much needed rest.

We can learn from what Jesus did, as well as what he said. He worked hard with his team and then he gave them an invitation and permission to come near to him, rest and refill.

I’m thankful for that invitation and permission in my life. And I’m thankful for his example. Work. Rest. Refill.

What does rest look like to you? Solitude on your back porch, an afternoon of golf, weeding your garden, or an extended time of uninterrupted prayer and reading scripture? For me it changes, but it is essential.

If you’re tired today, embrace this invitation in Mark 6:31-32 to get into the boat with Jesus and rest for a while!

How do you rest and refill? I’d love to hear from you.