Fall 2000
Be Strong in the Lord
William Egnew

In the first chapter of Joshua, the Lord admonished Joshua to be strong and of good courage. For forty years, the Lord had led the Israelites through the wilderness, with its many tests and trials. These were intended to prepare them for the battles they were about to face with their enemies, who seemingly were greater in number and more powerful, that their trust might be in the Lord alone.

We see this again in the book of Job, in which the Lord allowed the devil to strip Job of all that he had, including his health. Through all this, Job maintained a right attitude toward the Lord. Even when his wife told him to curse God and die, Job refused. Rather he summed up his hearts attitude with one statement.

“Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him Job 13:15a.

Job believed and trusted the Lord, even though his circumstances were exceptionally difficult, with no indications of any change.

This is the attitude that the Lord desires us to have toward Him, in all our circumstances, especially those that are unpleasant or difficult.

The generation of Israelites who wandered in the wilderness for forty years murmured and complained at every turn and test. They could have gone through this wilderness in eleven days, if their hearts had been right.

Psalm 78:8 is an admonition that the next generation not be as their fathers were; a stubborn and rebellious people, who had not set their hearts aright toward the Lord, and whose spirits were not steadfast toward His will for them.

There are testings and trials that we face at each turn of our lives. It is important that we learn how to rightly interpret these. The Lord would have us to lean on Him for grace and strength, that we might go through each of these victoriously. Therefore we must wait upon the Lord to receive this grace and strength, so we might endure each difficulty that we face, with a right attitude of heart.

These difficult situations are designed by the Lord to mold and shape our character into that which is fit and desirable for the Masters use.

“Cannot I do with you as this potter, saith the Lord,
Behold as the clay is in the potters hand, so are you
in My hand.” (Jer 18:7).

In Revelation chapters two and three, the Lord has one statement that He makes to each of the seven Churches. “To him that overcometh.”

The many trials and tests that each of us encounter gives us the opportunity to become an overcomer. We must be careful to not misinterpret or miss these opportunities. We will respond in one of two ways. We will become better, or we will become bitter.