Topic: Psychological Warfare [Sunday September 24, 2017]
Text: Joshua 17:8-18
Key Verse: “But the mountain shall be thine; for it is a wood, and thou shalt cut it down: and the outgoings of it shall be thine: for thou shalt drive out the Canaanites, though they have iron chariots, and though they be strong” (Joshua 17:18).
It was Ralph Waldo Emerson who said: “Whatever you do, you need courage. Whatever course you decide upon, there is always someone to tell you that you are wrong. There are always difficulties arising that tempt you to believe your critics are right.
To map out a course of action and follow it to an end requires some of the same courage that a soldier needs. Peace has its victories, but it takes brave men and women to win them. Be of good courage.” Christian courage may thus be described as the “undaunted audacity of a sanctified heart in adventuring upon difficulties and undergoing hardships for a good cause upon the call of God.” From our text, the tribe of Manasseh and Ephraim received their inheritance in the land of Canaan; but they complained that the land was too small for them. After a listing of many border towns in the space occupied by both tribes, it appeared every attempt they made to create more space was resisted by the strong Canaanite neighbours who had chariots of iron.
When the Ephraimites complained about the straitness of their inheritance, Joshua encouraged them to boldly move against the Canaanites in battle in order to acquire more territories, He boosted their morale and encouraged them to see themselves as winners. Courage moves us beyond our limitations by taking us to a higher level. It allows us to grow by making us stretch beyond what we are now, serve God to the best of our ability and reach our potential. As a believer, you should not allow the enemy to make you feel as if he has won the battle already before it begins.
As Christians, we must understand that greater is He who is within us than he that is in the world. Those who claim the promises of God and confess their victory ahead of the battle are always victorious.
Thought for the day: You must first win the battle in your mind before it manifests.
Bible Reading in one Year: Hebrews 5-9
DCLM Daily Manna was written by Pastor William Folorunso Kumuyi; is the founder and General Superintendent of the Deeper Life Bible Church situated at KM 42 on the busy Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Nigeria.
