Encouraged. Discouraged. Sometimes ministry is a roller coaster ride of encouragements and discouragements. One week, there are heights of joys that no amount of money in this world can purchase — not even in Disneyland! Another week, there are depths of pains and sorrows that nothing in this world can comfort — and you’re left wondering “Why, God?”
This week’s Daily Devotional text speaks into the challenges of being a leader in ministry:
“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 1:9 NIV).
Where should leaders turn to for courage in the face of challenges? First, it has to be God’s unchanging Word. It all begins with the Lord’s command to be strong and courageous. He commands us to not be discouraged; it’s a command, not a suggestion or an option. And there’s good reason for it: It’s because the Lord will be with me wherever I go. At the highest peaks of encouragements, the Lord is there with me. At the lowest depths of discouragements, the Lord is there with me. And because the Lord (my Good Shepherd per Psalm 23) is with me, I have nothing to fear! His rod and staff, they comfort me like no other.
I need to have this courage and trust our Good Shepherd to be with me on this roller coaster ride. And it is in this courage that I am able to be encouraged and not discouraged…
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