In spite of that, one Beanie Baby in particular holds special value for me, even though no on would pay a bunch of money for it. (In fact I think it might be worth around $5 now.) It is Roary the lion, and it was given to me by my father.
I can't remember the specific year, but there was a time that my dad went away on a business trip for about a week. This wasn't very common, but when he did go out of town without us, he would always bring us some small little treat. This time it was a Beanie Baby, because he knew how much we loved them.
As he was getting ready to give each of us our little treasure, he told us that these weren't just things that he bought without reason. He picked out a specific prize for each of us after having spent a week praying for us individually. As he gave each of us our toy, he told us a Bible verse that he felt God wanted us to hear.
And so after giving my brother his prize (he after all is younger and should go first) he came to me, and began to read a set of verses that have stuck with me ever since.
Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded you? 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 1:7-9)
At that point in life I don't think I had any idea what it felt like to be terrified. Sure, I had felt discouragement, but nothing profound. But I listened to my father, and knowing he spoke in wisdom, I treasured his words.
He reminded me that there would be times in life that I would be afraid, so afraid that I might feel paralyzed. There would be times I would be discouraged, and feel hopeless. But he shared with me a vital truth: there is a way out, no matter what. God is with you always, everywhere, in every situation.
He pointed out the part of the verses that talk about meditating on the Word of God, and told me that was the key to success. Not just reading the Bible, but spending time with God. And if I would do that, even when the bad times would come, I could make it through anything.
I held on to those words, and the promises that my dad told me. So much so that when I was older and remembered what he told me I started to really look at Joshua's life.
Do you know what I discovered? Joshua was the guy that got to bring the Israelites into the promised land. But being the successor of Moses he had some pretty big shoes to fill. He had some pretty huge battles to fight. In fact, the first half of the book of Joshua reads more like a series of war stories than anything else. Then he had to be the guy to divide up the land amongst the people. (And knowing how selfish and demanding we are as people, I'm betting that was the least fun job of all.)
And so at the beginning of his time of leadership, God gave him a command. "Be strong and courageous." But he didn't just give it to him once. Nope, he told him over and over. Five times. And that was just as he was getting started. I think God knew that Joshua would feel like it was a big risk to do some of the things God was calling him to do. That there was a chance of failure, and that his failure wouldn't just affect himself, but all of his people.
Joshua internalized the words God had spoken, and even repeated them to his people. I wonder if Joshua repeated them not only for the people's sake, knowing they would be heading into some intense battles in the future, but also to remind himself of what God had told him. I wonder how many times he was in battle, or viewing an enemy for the first time, or dealing with the people he was leading, and thought to himself, "Be strong and courageous. God's got this one. He told you he wouldn't leave you. C'mon man, get it together! Be strong. Courageous. God's got your back."
Throughout my life I've had a lot of experiences in which I've had to remind myself to be strong and courageous. To be willing to act even when I'm afraid. To trust that God is there with me always, even when I am discouraged or terrified. When I can't figure out the outcome on my own. When logic just isn't enough to figure out how to respond in a difficult situation. When I'm leading people that I have no idea how to lead.
I've learned that courage is not the absence of fear. Instead it is the willingness to act in spite of fear. Joshua got that down. I only hope that I'm heading toward a life that is full of courage as I face my everyday fears, big or small.
What are the areas in your life that you need to be courageous? Areas in which you need to find strength in God to be able to act in spite of fear?
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