GOD GIVES US THE HOLY SPIRIT (1 OF 5)

God gives us the Holy Spirit (1 of 5)
Overcoming defeat and discouragement
Jerry Branch
Joshua 1:9
January 28, 2007



Joshua 1:9 (NIV)
9 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."


First, we all like to win. We want to feel happy and good about ourselves.
None of us likes to lose, nor do we like to feel discouraged.
It seems though, that as we've entered 2007, that the enemy is throwing up a new barrage of attacks at a lot of folks, as well as our church.
And while we don't like it, it shouldn't come as a surprise either,
because the devil does not like it when God's people
are on course and are making an impact on lives.
So, I felt led this week, to start a new series this morning,
because since a lot of you here at DBC are being hit from all sides,
I want us to look at how to deal with
defeat and discouragement with God's help.
I was reminded of Joshua where the Lord said to him in Joshua 1:9 (NIV)
9 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."
And then, Matthew 28:20 (NIV)
"And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

The passage reminds us that number one,
God knows we will face discouragement in life.
And second it reminds us that to overcome it,
we have to remember that God is with us, and we have to look to God.
Here was Israel...Moses had just died.
Now she was without him.
God's people had looked to Moses for all the years they traveled...
they had looked to him when there were battles to be fought,
and hardships to be overcome...
and now, here they were ready to cross into the unknown of
the promised land, and their leader was taken home by the Lord.
But they had a new leader, a very capable leader,
whom God had trained and had chosen
to lead them ...

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