Daily Courage

[Judy Harder]

from Day by Day with the Persecuted Church

The Amalekites came and attacked the Israelites at Rephidim. Moses said to Joshua, "Choose some of our men and go out to fight the Amalekites. Tomorrow I will stand on top of the hill with the staff of God in my hands."
(Exodus 17:8-9)

As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning. When Moses' hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up - one on one side, one on the other - so that his hands remained steady till sunset. So Joshua overcame the Amalekite army with the sword.  (Exodus 17:11-13)

Joshua

In this chapter, Joshua is mentioned for the first time in the Bible: a young  man, appointed Commander-in-Chief in a war between Israel and Amalek.

Joshua was one of the youngest generals ever to serve in the Israelite army.  General Douglas McArthur listed Joshua among the greatest generals of world history. President Theodore Roosevelt's favorite book in the Bible was the book of Joshua.

Already in this first encounter with Joshua, we see a spiritual principle in the Kingdom of God: Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit. "Hands were lifted up to the throne of the Lord." (Exodus 17:15)

That does not eliminate human responsibility. Joshua still had to battle against the enemy in the valley. But the secret of the victory must be found in the spiritual battle that was fought. Hands uplifted to God. "My help comes from the Lord." (Psalm 121)

Work as if everything depends on you. Pray as if everything depends on God.

Ora et Labora - Pray and work.

[Judy Harder]

from Day by Day with the Persecuted Church

Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go. (Joshua 1:9)

Joshua

"Be strong and courageous." Four times these words are repeated in the first chapter of Joshua. That can only mean one thing, Joshua was afraid. He needed the encouragement. But when you think about it, how strange, if anybody could be expected to show courage, it would have been Joshua. After all, he was the youngest general in the Israelite army, which says it all. He and Caleb were the only spies who came back with a positive report after their expedition to the Promised Land. While the other ten spies were full of fear, Joshua and Caleb were full of faith and courage.

But now fear seems to have caught up with Joshua. Yet it is not fear of man that bothers him. Neither is it fear of danger, or fear to enter into battle. Joshua is frightened by the enormous spiritual responsibility which rests upon his shoulders, to take the people of Israel to the Promised Land is not a small thing. This responsibility intimidates Joshua. Such a task frightens him. That is why the Lord encourages him over and over again by telling him, "The Lord your God will be with you!"

Then no wall proves to be too high and no giant too strong.

Are there similar walls and giants in your life? Do you feel small and weak like Joshua did? Today the Lord is saying to you, "be strong and courageous, for I, the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go."

[Judy Harder]

from Day by Day with the Persecuted Church

"...are you for us or for our enemies?" "Neither", he replied. ... Then Joshua fell face down to the ground in reverence and asked him: "What message does my Lord have for his servant?"   (Joshua 5:13,14)

Joshua

Shortly before the first big confrontation with Jericho, Joshua had a very strange encounter himself.

He had only just been called to be the leader of his people, and now he has been asked to surrender his leadership to the commander of the army of the Lord.

Joshua's spiritual maturity is proven by the fact that he would rather be second-in-command in God's army, than first-in-command of his own.

When asked if the man was for or against the Israelites, his only reply was, "neither." What the messenger of the Lord was really saying was "I have not come to take sides. I have come to take over."

Whoever is willing to surrender the leadership to God will experience that no wall is too high for God, no river too deep, no problem too great.

Got any rivers you think are uncrossable?

Got any mountains you can't tunnel through?

God specializes in things thought impossible; He does the things others cannot do.

[Judy Harder]

By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the people had marched around them for seven days.  (Hebrews 11:30)

Joshua

After Joshua's voluntary surrender of his leadership to the commander of the army of the Lord, some more strange orders followed. "March around the city." "Make seven priests carry trumpets in front of the Ark." "Do not give a war cry, do not raise your voices, do not say a word until the day I tell you to shout."

Very unusual military commands. An army does not show itself to the enemy. You don't ask the chaplains to walk in the front lines, waving their Bibles.

It seemed so illogical, unprofessional, and unmilitary. God's way of doing things often seems unreasonable.

Joshua had to learn that this was not going to be his war, done in his way, but God's war, done in God's way. He responded with an unquestioning obedience.

Faith expressed in obedience to God's Word is always the key to victory. And victory came because Joshua and his people fully trusted God.

When you face a "Jericho" in your life, you too may see the walls tumble down as you trust in God and in His way of handling a crisis situation.

[Judy Harder]

Then choose for yourself this day whom you will serve ... But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.
(Joshua 24:15)

Now then, throw away the foreign gods that are among you and yield your hearts to the Lord, the God of Israel.
(Joshua 24:23)

Joshua

Once again Joshua addressed the nation. He reminded them of God's faithfulness and deliverance. Through his farewell message he stressed the grace of God. "I gave," "I brought," "I destroyed," "I delivered." Not once did he mention his own achievements because, simply, he acknowledged God's hand in it all. He challenged the people to follow that God. He himself set the example; "As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord." He practiced what he preached. His mind was made up, his course was clear: we will serve the Lord.

The people responded. "We too will serve the Lord." It was then that Joshua challenged them to prove their sincerity by their works. "Throw away your idols." We can only serve God fully if we throw our idols away!  Idols of any kind, any idol blocks the way to full communication with God. A price needs to be paid. A reward is waiting: To walk with God - to the land of promise.

[Judy Harder]

Bless those who curse you, pray for those who ill-treat you. (Luke 6:28)

Irina Ratushinskaya

Almost every demand from Christ seems impracticable. If we, however, want to follow the Lord, then there is no other way. More than once I experienced this from the KGB prisons.

The response of the world to the tormentors of the KGB is hatred, and every hour, the KGB gives more reasons to hate them. But I soon noticed that if I hated them as well, I would be eaten up from within. I have seen fellow prisoners so filled with hatred that they lost their mind and so destroyed their personality. And that's exactly what the KGB wants.

How should we as Christians control these feelings? Christ commanded us to cast out hatred by love. That is not easy. This demand by Christ seems impracticable. But there is no other way.

"Pray for those who mistreat you." Such a prayer may save them, but in any case it will save us.

Writer for the month - Irina Ratushinskaya from Russia was imprisoned for seven years in a labor camp. She has written about her experiences in a moving book entitled Grey is the Colour of Hope published by Sceptre Books, 1989.

[Judy Harder]

Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners, and those who are ill-treated as if you yourselves were suffering.  (Hebrews 13:2)

Mehdi Dibaj

These days there are celebrations everywhere. People outside celebrate the day of the Revolution and you, my son, are celebrating your birthday today (7 years old).

Inside my prison cell I am celebrating my forty-third year of becoming a Christian and today I am celebrating the entering of the eighth year of the test of my faith in Jesus Christ our Lord.

There is a celebration and joy within my heart. I thank my loving God ever so much that He counted me worthy to be here in prison for more than seven years now because of my love and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. I thank my Christian brothers and sisters who have supported me with their prayers and love, so that the victory should belong to the Lord.

Victory is yours, risen Jesus, Son of the Creator, our Redeemer.

Mehdi Dibaj is from Iran. While this book was being compiled, Mehdi Dibaj had been in prison for nine years. Early in 1994 he was released, but was murdered six months later. His courtroom defense was edited to form part of this book.

[Judy Harder]

If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, whoever loses his life for me will find it.  (Matthew 16:24-25)

Mehdi Dibaj

One of my guards in prison once asked me, "Does Jesus Christ know that He has someone in this prison who loves Him?" I told him, "Jesus Christ our Lord has millions of people all over the world who love Him and who wish to sacrifice their lives for Him. I too wish to be one of them."

How sweet it will be if one day my life is sacrificed for Him, when my spirit with joy and purity will fly towards Jesus. I don't want to hide from you my dear son that I always envied those Christians who all through Church history were martyred for Christ Jesus our Lord. Because, for a Christian it is a loss to leave this world by natural death. What a privilege to live for our Lord and to die for Him as well. And I am prepared for the name of Jesus Christ our Lord not only to remain in prison but to give my life in His service as well. Because living is an opportunity for me to serve Christ and death is a better occasion to be with Christ.

[Judy Harder]

Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.  (Hebrews 13:5)

Mehdi Dibaj

Jesus said, "For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it" (Matthew 16:25).

Every Christian should be willing to be such a sacrifice for God that he gets cleansed by the fire of hardships and sufferings. "To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps" (1 Peter 2:21).

My heart rejoices as I walk with Jesus
the world behind me, the cross before me
I will follow Him for ever ... every day.

He will never leave us. He will never forsake us. It is the wish of every father and child to walk together. God too wishes that we walk with Him - that is to obey Him.

"I am God Almighty; walk before me and be blameless." Two people can only walk together if they agree together.

In the triumphal procession of Christ we will go forward by the power of God.

Mehdi Dibaj is from Iran. While this book was being compiled, Mehdi Dibaj had been in prison for nine years. Early in 1994 he was released, but was murdered six months later. His courtroom defense was edited to form part of this book.

[Judy Harder]

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way.  (Psalm 46:1-2)

Mehdi Dibaj

In the story of Daniel's friends in the fiery oven, God teaches us an important spiritual truth, if we want to walk close to our Lord we must be willing to go into the fire because it is the safest place for us. Not only will our socks not burn, but our clothes will not even smell of fire.

I praise God that during these seven years that I have been in prison for my faith, the Lord Jesus Christ has been my strength in a wonderful way. I not only may walk close to Him in the midst of the fire, but I go forward as well.

He leads me through water and fire

He leads us in the way of the Cross.

Yes, God is our refuge and strength an ever-present help in trouble.