Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the LORD your God, He is the One who goes with you. (Deuteronomy 31:6 NKJV)
What encouragement today’s verse offers us amidst our current ongoing challenges. God commands us to be strong in every challenge that we face.
Several verses in God’s Word command us to “be strong.” It occurs seven times in Deuteronomy 31 and Joshua 1 inclusively. It also occurs in 1 Chronicles 22:13, “Be strong and of good courage; do not fear nor be dismayed.” And additionally in 2 Chronicles 15:7, “But you, be strong and do not let your hands be weak, for your work shall be rewarded!”
In the New Testament, Paul offers “be strong” encouragement in 1 Corinthians 16:13, “Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong.” He also writes in Ephesians 6:10, “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.”
As believers, we are to “be strong” in the midst of all of our challenges. How do we do this? We call on the power of God and the Holy Spirit living within us, and we know that we never face our challenges alone. Therefore, live expectantly and go forward with the courage to face all of your challenges because “he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world” (1 John 4:4).
“Only he who can say, ‘The Lord is the strength of my life’ can say, ‘Of whom shall I be afraid?’” - Alexander MacLaren