Keep Moving Forward:
Church, I came to tell somebody tonight — you don’t have to fear what’s in front of you when you know Who’s walking beside you! The Word of God declares in (Joshua 1:9), “Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.” Oh, glory! God didn’t give Joshua a suggestion; He gave him a command! He said, “Be strong!” Why? Because fear was trying to speak louder than faith. But when God calls you, He equips you! When He sends you, He goes with you!
Let’s take a trip through the Scriptures! In (Deuteronomy 31:6), Moses told the people, "Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee." ...Oh yes, that same God who brought them out of Egypt was now bringing them into promise! He said, “I won’t fail you, I won’t forsake you!” If you think God is still faithful, say amen! Then the Lord spoke again in (Isaiah 41:10), “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God.” That’s not just comfort — that’s covenant! When God says, “I am with thee,” that means no enemy, no storm, no sickness, no devil in hell can separate you from His hand!
(2 Chronicles 32:7–8) reminds us, “Be strong and courageous, be not afraid nor dismayed for the king of Assyria, nor for all the multitude that is with him: for there be more with us than with him: 8 With him is an arm of flesh; but with us is the Lord our God to help us, and to fight our battles. And the people rested themselves upon the words of Hezekiah king of Judah..” ...Glory to God! When the battle looks too big, remember, God never asked you to fight alone. When it feels like you’re surrounded, the truth is; you’re surrounded by Him!
(Psalm 27:1) says, “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?” Saints, you don’t have to fear the darkness when you’re walking with the Light! You don’t have to be shaken when your life is anchored in the Rock of Ages!
(Isaiah 43:2) says; “When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee.” Not if; but when! In other words, the storms will come, the rivers will rise, but they can’t drown you because His presence holds you above the flood! I hear (Psalm 23:4) echoing through eternity; “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for Thou art with me!” ...I may be in the valley, but I know that God is with me every step of the way; walking with me, until the very end, therefore a very valuable lesson will be learned as God’s rod and His staff continues guiding me, till completion. Jesus sealed it in (Matthew 28:20), “Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.” In other words, when friends walk out, when doors close, when trouble rises, He’s still there! When you can’t trace His hand, you can still trust His heart!
Paul testified in (Philippians 4:13), “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” And the writer of (Hebrews 13:5–6) says, “He will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” Child of God, when He said never, He meant never! Not in the valley. Not in the fire. Not in the storm. Not in the struggle. He’s an ever-present help in time of trouble! So, saints, when fear knocks, don’t answer! When doubt whispers, don’t listen! When the enemy threatens, don’t tremble! Instead, stand tall, square your shoulders, and declare: “I will be strong! I will be courageous! My God is with me wherever I go!”
He’s with you on the mountain, He’s with you in the valley, He’s with you in the courtroom, He’s with you in the hospital, He’s with you in the midnight hour — you are never alone! Be strong, Church; not because of who you are, but because of Who’s with you! And when you stand in His strength, the devil’s got no room to work. When you walk in His courage, fear has got to flee. When you rest in His presence, victory is already yours! Glory to God!