"Be strong and very courageous." - Joshua 1:7

The encouragement from today’s five understandable words is adapted from Charles H. Spurgeon’s, Morning and Evening.

Our God’s tender love for His servants makes Him concerned for the state of their inward feelings. He desires them to be of good courage. From this text, it is plain that our Master doesn’t want us to be entangled with fears. He wants us to be without anxiety, without doubt, without cowardice. Our Master doesn’t think so lightly of our unbelief as we do. When we are hopeless we are subject to a grievous malady not to be trifled with but to be carried at once to the beloved Physician. Our Lord doesn’t love to see our countenance sad.

It was a law of Xerxes that no one should come into the King’s court dressed in mourning attire: this is not the law of the king of kings, for we may come mourning as we are; but still He wants us to put off the spirit of heaviness and put on the garment of praise, for there is so much reason to rejoice. The Christian ought to be of a courageous spirit in order to glorify the Lord by enduring trials in a heroic manner, to do otherwise denies the faith He began in you (and He will be faithful to complete it). This disease of doubtfulness and discouragement is an epidemic which soon spreads among the Lord’s flock. One downcast believer makes twenty souls sad. Moreover, unless your courage is kept up, Satan will be too much for you.

Let your spirit be joyful in God your Savior, the joy of the Lord shall be your strength, and no fiend of hell shall make headway against you. Those who sow in hope shall reap in joy; therefore, dear reader, “be strong and very courageous.”

(Morning and Evening; evening of May 11)

Joyfully yours,

Steve