Don't Be Timid

Don’t Be Timid

“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 NIV)

This command from God, first spoken to Joshua, is just as relevant to us today. God does not merely advise strength and courage; He commands them. But to walk in strength and courage, we must first lay aside timidity. Where timidity remains, strength and courage have little room to grow.

Timidity weakens strength and silences courage. It is strength restrained by fear and courage that has surrendered before the battle begins. That is why God says plainly, “Do not be timid.” Courage is not something reserved for a few; it is a virtue anyone can take hold of once they decide to let go of fear.

What makes this command possible is God’s promise of His presence. He assures us that He is with us every step of the way. His presence is greater than strength and deeper than courage. When you step out of timidity and move forward in faith, you discover that you were never alone. So take hold of courage, refuse discouragement, and move boldly—God is with you.

Reflection

In what areas of your life has timidity held you back—from speaking up, stepping out, or trusting God fully? Fear often disguises itself as caution, but God’s command is clear: do not be timid. Reflect on the truth that God’s presence goes before you. When you focus more on who is with you than on what is against you, courage rises naturally. Today, choose one step of obedience that requires courage, and take it with confidence in God.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, thank You for commanding me to be strong and courageous. I lay aside every form of timidity, fear, and discouragement. Help me to trust in Your presence and to step forward in faith, knowing that You are with me wherever I go. Fill my heart with courage, strengthen my spirit, and guide my steps today and always. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Have a fruitful day,
(Dr.) Emmanuel Okoro
(aka Dr. Lift) 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Steady your heads

Steady your hands "But Moses' hands got tired. So they got a stone and set it under him. He sat on it and Aaron and Hur held up his hands, one on each side. So his hands remained steady until the sun went down.(Exod.17.12 MSG) Consistency and stability are two traits that we need to succeed in life. The Bible says those second guessing themselves will not receive anything from God.  "Ask boldly, believingly, without a second thought. People who "worry their prayers" are like wind-whipped waves."(Jas.1.6)  Our text illustrated this very clearly. Moses had an assignment to keep his hand raised. But as human, he became tired and his hand would come down and as that happened his people would lose the battle. So he devised a means to create consistency and stability, he rested his hands on a stone, with support from Aaron and Hur on either side supporting him.  We need this kind of support, the kind of systems an structures that will help to create stability in ...
Read more

Daily ration, daily routine

Daily ration, daily routine  "GOD said to Moses, "I'm going to rain bread down from the skies for you. The people will go out and gather each day's ration. I'm going to test them to see if they'll live according to my Teaching or not. On the sixth day, when they prepare what they have gathered, it will turn out to be twice as much as their daily ration." (Exod.16.4 - 5) What you do daily determine what you become permanently. God had told the children of Israel that he was going set up rules and procedures for them to follow. In this day and age, we would have said structures and systems but rules and procedures communicate the same intentions.  So God says to Moses in response to the complaint against God about not having enough to eat. God says He will rain bread down from the skies but these bread are to be taken by the people on a daily basis and on the sixth day, they will take a double portion. Take only what the day requires. This will set them in ...
Read more

Be mindful of the crowd of riffraff

Be mindful of the crowd of riffraff "GOD saw to it that the Egyptians liked the people and so readily gave them what they asked for. Oh yes! They picked those Egyptians clean. The Israelites moved on from Rameses to Succoth, about 600,000 on foot, besides their dependents. There was also a crowd of riffraff tagging along, not to mention the large flocks and herds of livestock." Exod.12.36 - 38) These verses bring to mind the parable Jesus told about the wheat and tares. The Bible says the farmer planted good seed but at mid night while men slept the enemy sowed tares among the good seed. When he was asked if the tares be uprooted, he told them no, but that they should grow together. The operative word been grow.  "Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn. (Matt.13.30 ) The israelite came out of Egypt not just ...
Read more