By: Shelby Lockhart

“Be strong. Take courage. Don’t be intimidated. Don’t give them a second thought because God, your God, is striding ahead of you. He’s right there with you. He won’t let you down; he won’t leave you” (Deuteronomy 31:6, The Message Translation).

Life can be difficult at times. We may find ourselves in situations that may weigh us down, making it hard to carry on. In the text, Moses was passing on a message to the Israelites that a new leader named Joshua would be leading them. They were afraid and lacked faith that God would ensure their safety and fulfill His promise for their lives. Moses encouraged them not to be fearful or intimidated, but to have courage! We lose our faith sometimes when life throws curve balls at us. We may not receive a grade we want, we may have difficulty on the job or even finding one, have money problems, or our futures may just be blurry to our sight at the moment. Though you can’t see what’s next in your life, just remember that the Lord is always with you. He will be your biggest cheer leader along the way. Isn’t it amazing to know that as He is striding ahead of you clearing the path, He is still walking right beside you? Don’t be intimidated by your current situation or even by the future because Jesus Christ has everything under control, His control. Always ignore the devil when he tries to make you discouraged, asking questions like, “So, are you going to give up already or nah?” Remembering James 4:7, your answer should and always be, “Nah, so move out of my way. I’m moving forward, towards my destiny that God promised me!”