TODAY’S DEVOTION (Sunday 2nd February 2025)
“No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you. Be strong and of good courage, for to this people you shall divide as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give them.” Joshua 1:5-6 NKJV
WELCOME TO THE 33rd DAY OF OUR YEAR OF VICTORY
We give God the glory for bringing us to this new month. We know by His mercies; our lives will do well every day. Our minds are stayed on the LORD because He will keep them in perfect peace whose minds are stayed on Him. Amen and amen.
Another sad air accident happened in the United States yesterday. An air ambulance carrying six people, including a child who had been saved from death at a hospital, crashed into a populated area after few seconds of takeoff, killing all on board and one on the ground: injuring many others on the ground.
The story has it that the boy’s life was saved at a hospital, and they celebrated before he boarded the aircraft. In some climes they will say the witches did not let the boy live. It is really disheartening to hear these kinds of stories.
The truth is, when God took over the political landscape of the United States and begin to pull down the policies of Baal known today as woke policies, the demons reacted. This is the physical manifestation of the reaction. They will take the life of the vulnerable using those who they can influence.
The underworld visitations will keep happening, but our lives are secured in Christ. What we need to have now is faith and boldness. Yes, faith and boldness. Without which we will become filled with fear and begin to lose hope of God’s protection over our lives.
You see, life without boldness or courage is not very pleasant. No one has ever lived a pleasant life without being bold and courageous. That is why the LORD wants to refresh our minds today on boldness. I hope we are ready!!!
TO START WITH, IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT GOD HAS NEVER STOOD WITH FEARFUL MEN AND WOMEN IN ANY BATTLE OF LIFE.
Whenever He meets the fearful, He will tell them “Fear not.” If they obey and become courageous, they will see Him standing by them to bring down the greatest oppositions in their age and time, but if they do not, you will see His power departing from them.
Life without courage will lack good reports. It will not be praiseworthy in any way. It will not be noble, or lovely either.
It takes boldness and courage to do things that will fill your life with good reports, make it praiseworthy or lovely. Yes, it takes boldness and courage to do good and great things that will become stories on the lips of man for generations.
Men like Moses and Elijah will tell you that it will take boldness and courage to do things that will be written for the generations to come. Do you want to do exploits for the LORD this year? You can begin right now. Embrace boldness and courage this year as never before.
Years of victory require boldness and courage because of the battles that must be fought for victory to be seen. Be another Moses and Elijah under Jesus this year. Be another Deborah and Jeremiah. Yes, be another Peter, James or John. No one serves the Man of war and live life like a Chicken. The Lion nature of the man of war will never allow that.
There is a battle to fight, there are some crowns to collect, there is a destiny to release, so be bold. When Moses was sent to Egypt to unleash his destiny as a deliverer, the boldness, strength and courage he used in executing his assignment was what brought the arm of the LORD on the gods of Egypt, smashing them altogether.
When we say strength, we are referring to the strength that comes from your faith in God’s power, to save and deliver you even from the paw of the lion. In other words, your divine destiny will need boldness, Faith in God’s backing and courage to be unleashed.
It was faith in God’s backing that made David to stand confidently before Goliath and executed him with his words before the giant was killed.
Courageous men will first kill their enemies with the sword of their words before God move in to actualize what they have just said. That was the key of David. He was bold and courageous. He ended up fulfilling His destiny as a Giant Killer!
YOU WILL NEVER FULFILL YOUR DESTINY AS A GIANT KILLER OR BE ABLE TO DO EXPLOITS FOR THE LORD IF YOU ARE FEARFUL!
Every Child of God is a giant killer because we serve the Most High God. He is not the tallest. He is the Most High! So those of us who serve and worship Him in spirit and in truth are potential giant killers, because He is the one killing. But we must stand strong and bold to see Him do that!
There is more to this man David that we can glean here.
It was faith in God’s backing that gave him the boldness and courage to withstand and overcome the anger and venom of his mentor (Saul) who became his tormentor. It was faith in God’s backing that gave him the boldness and courage to take over the City of Jebus and turn it into Jerusalem as written in Heaven.
Faith and courage will help you do so much in life if you are walking with the LORD. It will help you see amazing victories by the hand of the LORD that will become a spiritual hope for the next generation. It will deliver a year of victory to you on a platter of gold.
The Jebusites were the fiercest Demonic warriors of that time. They could disappear in battle and no mortal sword could kill them. But David went against them trusting in Divine backing. The rest is History. The Bible says.
And the king and his men went to Jerusalem against the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land, who spoke to David, saying, “You shall not come in here; but the blind and the lame will repel you,” thinking, “David cannot come in here.” Nevertheless, David took the stronghold of Zion (that is, the City of David).
Now David said on that day, “Whoever climbs up by way of the water shaft and defeats the Jebusites (the lame and the blind, who are hated by David’s soul), he shall be chief and captain.” Therefore, they say, “The blind and the lame shall not come into the house.”
Then David dwelt in the stronghold and called it the City of David. And David built all around from the Millo and inward. So, David went on and became great, and the Lord God of hosts was with him. 2 Samuel 5:6-10 NKJV
THERE WILL BE BATTLES THIS YEAR, BUT YOU MUST BE COURAGEOUS AND BOLD WHEN THEY COME.
They come to deliver great prosperity and accomplishments. If we chicken out when they come, we will remain small or the same in life. It is important to understand that our life progress, success, greatness, significance and prosperity are behind the battles we are yet to fight.
God do allow such battles to come our ways so that we might access the blessings they come with. So, if you want to be blessed this year, get ready to conquer the battles bringing the blessings to you. Maintain the victor’s mindset and be bold in the face of whatever comes your way.
The last frontier you will cross before stepping into anything significant in God is the frontier of warfare. The enemy will resist you and God will allow it because of what He wants to use the resistance to do in your life.
When God called Jeremiah, He instructed him strongly to be bold and very strong against the enemy because the success of his ministry was behind the battles that were coming. God told him point blank that he was going to face a people who will not accept his message; a religious generation who will want him dead and buried.
That is how God prepares us for battle. He encouraged Jeremiah to be strong and very courageous, even in the face of death because He who has the keys of hell and death is the one sending him. In that charge is a record of how God prepares us for battle.
THE BIBLE SAYS, GOD SAID TO HIM
“Do not be dismayed and break down at the sight of their faces, lest I confound you before them and permit you to be overcome.”
“I will utter my judgments against them concerning all their wickedness, because they have forsaken me, burned incense to other gods, and worshiped the works of their own hands.“Therefore, prepare yourself and arise, and speak to them all that I command you. Do not be dismayed before their faces, lest I dismay you before them.” Jeremiah 1:16-17 NKJV
You see, when it comes to facing the enemy to unleash your divine destiny either as a prophet, an apostle, a pastor, or whatever the LORD has called you to do, God will only stand the way you stand. Our devotional text today contains the language God used in passing same charge to Joshua.
A major highlight says;
“No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you. Be strong and of good courage…”
Meaning, it takes being “strong in faith and bold” in the face of the enemy to come into the realm of God’s glory where no man will be able to stand before you in the release of your divine destiny. God literally handed over those Joshua was to confront into his hands but the key to seeing that happen was being bold and courageous in battle.
As we bring this to a close, I want you to understand that many have refused to accept the call of God upon their lives basically because of fear – basically the fear of lack.
Others have refused to stand strong against the enemies God designed them to kill because they are fearful and weak. There is no ounce of courage in them to do the will of God because they lack faith in His backing!
God wants all that to change hence sending this word to us this day!
I am fully persuaded that if we make this devotional our meditation and respond to it by becoming bold and strong in the release of our divine destiny, no man will be able to stand before us all the days of our life. As God was with our fathers so shall He be with us! Amen.
LET THIS SCRIPTURE BE AN ADDITIONAL MEDITATION FOR THE DAY;
Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go.
This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:7-9 NKJV