“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.”
We have an ongoing joke in our family. I tend to have a funny habit of putting random things like the TV remote in my pocket when I go do something and then forgetting it is there. Then, when we are looking for it, my dad says, “Check your pocket.” Sure enough, the item is in my pocket, and I had totally forgotten. So now when something turns up missing, my family automatically asks me the question, “Is it in your pocket?” The funny thing is that most of the time, it is.
In Joshua chapter 1, the Israelites are camped along the east bank of the Jordan River at the edge of the promised land. Their fearless leader, Moses, has just passed away after leading the entire generation of Israelites through the desert for the past 40 years. This 40-year journey was supposed to take only a few weeks, but their lack of faith prohibited them from entering into the promised land—with the exception of Joshua and Caleb. At this point, God appointed Joshua to be Moses’ successor, to lead the next generation to conquer the promised land that God had promised to His people long before. This was a daunting task, but God commanded Joshua to “not be afraid, for the Lord God will be with him wherever he went.” God continues to reinforce this idea of “Do not be afraid” at least four times throughout the chapter as He prepared Joshua for the challenges that lay ahead.
Maybe you have wanted to make a major life change for a while now, like starting your own business, going back to school, or learning a new skill, but the thought of stepping out in faith keeps you paralyzed in fear, so you settle for average. Maybe you see many successful, talented people doing great things on social media and TV and think to yourself, “That could never be me. I don’t have what it takes.” Let me encourage you. God’s presence is within you and has given you everything you need to fulfill His perfect plan for your life.
Now, notice I said “HIS” perfect plan for your life. There are some things that we can be delusional about, like becoming an NBA player even though we are 5’2″ and can’t jump. Or becoming a pop star even though our friends and family know we are worse than some of the people who try out for American Idol. (If you know, you know.) That’s not what I’m talking about. I’m talking about walking in our God-given talent and getting in agreement with what He destined for us.
The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 3:16: “Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst?” While we are so busy searching for something external to fulfill our lives and accomplish our dreams, we often forget that God’s holy presence within us is all we need. He knows everything about us and still fully loves us. Therefore, we don’t have to strive from a place of human lack, we can rest in knowing that no matter happens, I am loved by a redeeming, all-powerful God. In fact, He will use everything about us—our mistakes, flaws, and weaknesses, as well as our accomplishments and strengths—to accomplish His perfect plan for our life. The key is submitting our whole life—our plans, failures, successes, dreams, and goals—to Him. So today, be strong and courageous and remember that everything you need is found in your pocket.
Prayer: Lord, how often do I seek elsewhere than your presence to find fulfillment in my life. The Bible says in Psalm 16:11 that in Your presence there is fullness of joy and pleasures forevermore. May I never become numb to the things of this world and forget about spending time in Your presence. I don’t have to run to something external to fulfill me anymore. I am fully loved exactly the way I am because of the great love You demonstrated on the cross. I choose to remember today that everything I need is found in my relationship with you. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Let It Go 
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