“Be strong and courageous, for you are the one who will lead these people to possess all the land I swore to their ancestors I would give them.” Joshua 1:6 (NLT) If you’re going to tackle fear, you need to know about courage. According to God’s Word, courage is a personal choice. It’s not a feeling or something that just comes over you. It’s not a feeling or something that just comes over you. It’s a decision.  In Joshua 1, God repeatedly tells Israelite’s new leader, Joshua, to be courageous. He doesn’t say to Joshua, “Here are ten steps to discovering courage,” or, “Try these techniques to find courage.” He tells Joshua to choose it. Why? In a crisis, fear can cause even the toughest …

Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He will give you the desires and secret petitions of your heart. Psalm 37:4 (AMPC)  Some were raised with the belief that to serve God, you should continually suffer for Him. They were taught that to be a true Christian, you should accept poverty, sickness and terrible working conditions as your lot in life.  I’m not knocking those who sacrifice for Jesus at all. Often, we are called to step into situations that cause us to give up our comfort—but having a mentality that God wants you to be pressed down and unhappy all the time implies that you can never have an exciting dream.  The truth is, being miserable does not make you more holy. Psalm 37:4 says …

For we are God’s [own] handiwork (His workmanship), recreated in Christ Jesus, [born anew] that we may do those good works which God predestined (planned beforehand) for us [taking paths which He prepared ahead of time], that we should walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us to live]. Ephesians 2:10 (AMPC) There are two words commonly used to describe the future. “Fate” describes predicted events that will happen whether you like it or not; it refers to your lot in life. “Destiny” means God’s plan for your best life. Although preplanned, God will never force you into anything. You can choose to follow your destiny or deviate from it.  The Bible does not teach fate. Think about …

Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. Galatians 6:7 (NLT) Personal failure is not grounds for getting kicked out of God’s family. You will fall short in life—we all do at times. Yet God’s love for you never changes.  You may feel remorseful when you hurt others and have a desire to make better choices in the future, but realize that your relationship with God is unshakable. There’s no reason to feel condemned. This is the Good News that we are commissioned to share with the world. Jesus makes it possible for us to have an incredible, life-giving relationship with God, despite our faults and imperfections!  Set this fact in your mind: you belong to God. If you …