7th. August. 2021. Daily Devotion.

7 “Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. 8 Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. 9 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 1:7-9

It’s natural to have some fear or apprehension at the beginning of a new task. We may ask ourselves questions like “What if I don’t know what to do?” or “What if I’m not good enough?”

Joshua had just been told that Moses, the leader of God’s people, was dead. And now God told Joshua that he would be the one to lead his people. What a huge task! We couldn’t blame Joshua for at least having a little fear. But God tells him to be strong and courageous and not to be afraid or discouraged. And this encouragement is more than a pep talk. This is God’s promise to Joshua that wherever he goes in the new land that God would bring them into—and however hard the task before him would be—God would always be right there with him.

We face difficulties all the time—at work and home, sometimes with our families and friends There are many things that can cause us to be discouraged and afraid. But God’s promise to us is the same as it was to Joshua: God will be with us wherever we go. And if God is with us, what do we have to fear? B. Lamsma

Ever-present God, you promise to be with us wherever we go. Help us to remember this truth in the difficult tasks that lie ahead of us each day. Amen.

Meditation

Courage does not always roar. Sometimes it is a quiet voice at the end of the day, saying, “I will try again tomorrow.” ~ Mary Anne Radmacher

Prayer for the Morning

For the bird who sings outside my window,
For the tree that stands outside my door,
For the neighbour who waves and says, “good morning”,
I thank you dear God, for these and more,

Your blessings every morning know no limit,
Yet I often rush by not seeing them, I fear;
Let me take a moment this and every morning, God, I pray, To remember all of them, and know that you are here. Amen.

Prayer of Repentance (from Psalm 51)

Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin!

For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight. I am full of shame at my sin, and my heart lies heavy.

Purge me and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Let me hear joy and gladness; Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquities. This I ask in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Coronavirus Prayer

In the darker moments, when clouds gather and the heaviness we feel seems overwhelming, remind us of your love, carrying the weight of so much in that cross,
embracing the world with arms outstretched that we might know freedom from the chains which now constrain us. Bring us to your light, release our burdens and from despair bring hope. Amen.