“BE STRONG IN THE LORD”
Joshua 1:6-7
Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them. Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left
that thou mayest prosper withersoever thou goest.
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God commands us to Be STRONG in the Lord.
God does not say Be STRONG when you feel like it.
He did not say BE STRONG when things are going right in your life
God commands us to BE STRONG all the time.
I am going to concentrate on one area that can weaken our strength and that is our SPEECH.
When we are going through tough times, we need to put a restraint on our tongue
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Proverbs 18:21
“Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.”
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We need to be mindful of the words that are coming out of our mouth when we are in challenging situations
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Let’s talk about Job
In Job chapters 1 and 2 – Job reality was he lost his oxen, his asses, his sheep, camels, children and then his health
Let’s read what Job said during these challenging situations
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Job 1:21
“And said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.”
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Job decided to praise God not for the situation but JUST BECAUSE HE IS GOD
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Job 1: 22
“In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly.”
Job 2: 9
“Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God, and die.”
Job 2:10
“But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips.”
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In other words, Job controlled his tongue
The Outcome of Job
Job 42:12-17
12 So the Lord blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning: for he had fourteen thousand sheep, and six thousand camels, and a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand she asses.
13 He had also seven sons and three daughters.
16 After this lived Job an hundred and forty years, and saw his sons, and his sons' sons, even four generations.
17 So Job died, being old and full of days.
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Psalm 34:19
Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the Lord delivereth him out of them all.
I want to encourage you that no matter what you are going through, God is still on the throne and God still answers prayers.
Don’t praise God for the situation but praise God for who He is.
Word OF GOD by Pastor Winda