✨ January Theme: Set My Course
🕊️ Welcome Moment
Every new season brings moments that stretch your courage. Sometimes the path ahead feels unfamiliar, the responsibilities heavy, or the unknowns intimidating. Joshua 1:9 speaks into those very moments—not with a demand to be fearless, but with a reminder of who walks beside you.
Today, let your heart settle into the truth that courage is not something you muster alone. It is something God strengthens within you as you step forward with Him.
📖 Scripture Immersion
Joshua 1:9 (NIV)
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous.
Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged,
for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”
Read it as a personal commissioning spoken directly over your journey.
🌄 Snapshot
Imagine you’re traveling standing at the edge of a wide river. Behind you lies the familiar—comfortable, predictable, safe. Ahead lies a land you have never seen, filled with both promise and challenge.
You hesitate.
Your heart beats faster.
The weight of the unknown presses in.
Then you hear a steady voice:
“Be strong and courageous… I am with you.”
The words don’t remove the river.
They remove the fear.
And with renewed strength, you step forward—one foot into the water, then the next—trusting the One who goes before you.
This is the essence of Joshua 1:9.
Courage is not the absence of fear.
It is the presence of God.
🔍 Deep Dive
“Have I not commanded you?”
This isn’t a suggestion. It’s a divine calling. God equips what He commands.
“Be strong and courageous.”
Strength and courage are not personality traits—they are spiritual postures. They grow as you trust God’s presence and promises.
“Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged…”
Fear looks at the size of the challenge.
Discouragement looks at the size of your own strength.
Faith looks at the size of your God.
“…for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”
This is the anchor of the verse.
God’s presence is not conditional, partial, or occasional.
It is constant.
Steady.
Unfailing.
As you Set Your Course this January, remember:
You move forward not because the path is easy, but because God is with you.
🧭 Companion Questions
- What part of your journey feels most intimidating or uncertain right now?
- How have you experienced God’s presence strengthening you in past seasons?
- What fears or discouragements do you need to release into God’s hands today?
- What step forward is God inviting you to take—even if it feels small?
🚶♀️ Pilgrimage Practice
- Courage Prayer: Begin your day by praying, “Lord, give me courage for what lies ahead.”
- One Brave Step: Identify one action you’ve been avoiding out of fear and take a small step toward it.
- Presence Reminder: Write Joshua 1:9 on a card or note and place it somewhere you’ll see throughout the day.
- Forward Walk: Take a short walk and imagine God walking beside you, matching your pace, strengthening your stride.
🙏 Closing Prayer
Lord, fill me with Your strength and courage today. Quiet my fears and lift my discouragement. As I set my course this year, help me move forward with confidence—not in myself, but in Your faithful presence. Walk with me, guide me, and steady my heart as I follow where You lead. Amen.
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