God Is With You: Dealing With Fear, Discouragement and AnxietySýnishorn

THE INTERPRETER

First and noteworthy is where God is giving Joshua this command. Joshua is not in the middle of the wilderness but rather Joshua (along with Israel) is on the outer boundary of the promised land. What captured my attention is the proximity of fear and discouragement to the promise. In other words, the boundary to their promise was not just geographical but also psychological. 

“And they spread among the Israelites a bad report about the land they had explored. They said, ‘The land we explored devours those living in it. All the people we saw there are of great size.’” Numbers 13:32 

This is the report the spies gave Israel forty years previously concerning the promised land. It was not giants they were confronting but rather fear!  Fear is a spirit feeding you a story based upon its own selective interpretation of the circumstances that surround you—an interpretation of what something “may” mean and what things “could” lead to. While the information may be true (there were giants) the interpretation was a lie!

Fear is reliant upon the witness of our eyes (and of our senses). But God’s promise is reliant upon the witness of God’s word in our Spirit! From which vantage point are you interpreting events around you? Which will you choose to move you?

God commands Joshua not to be afraid or discouraged. If God is commanding me not to be discouraged or afraid, it means that fear is a choice! What I mean is that feeling fear may not always be a willful decision but responding to fear is definitely a choice! 

Finally, God’s alternative testimony to Joshua was simply this: I am with you. The greatest gift is not in what God will give to you, but rather it is a revelation that God is with you! No matter what is in front of you, walk in the confidence of Who is with you!
 

Life Application

Seek out the testimony of God’s word about the circumstances that you are faced with right now! Let His word give you the proper interpretation.
 

Prayer

Lord, anchor my heart in Your promises right now! Embolden my heart with the revelation that You are with me!