STRONG and COURAGEOUS

 

^{August 7, 2024}

Father, you alone know what lies before me this day, grant that in every hour of it I may stay close to you. Let me today embark on no undertaking that is not in line with your will for my life, nor shrink from any sacrifice but your will may demand. Suggest, direct, control every moment of my mind; for Jesus sake and your glory. Amen.

 

^{Deuteronomy 31:6-8}

 

⁶ Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.”

⁷ Then Moses summoned Joshua and said to him in the sight of all Israel, “Be strong and courageous, for you shall go with this people into the land that the Lord has sworn to their fathers to give them, and you shall put them in possession of it. ⁸ It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.”

 

 

Shafiqua Maloney’s journey is a testament to resilience and faith. “I am a child of God,” reads Shafiqua’s Instagram bio. Yet this child of God battled homelessness as recently as 2023 on her way to the Olympics. She persevered and made it to the Olympics, representing St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Her story gained attention, leading to support from her nation’s prime minister and an endorsement contract from a Caribbean water company.

Arriving at the Paris Olympics ranked 27th in her event, Maloney defied the odds by setting personal records and making it to the finals. She finished fourth in the 800-meter race, just 0.24 seconds short of a bronze medal. Her faith played a crucial role in her journey, as she believed that God carried her through her struggles and would continue to support her. “I’ve been homeless—not having food to eat and all this stuff,” sportswriter Chris Chavez quoted Maloney as saying after she qualified for the finals. “God carried me through all of that and when I got here, I had to believe that he didn’t bring me this far just to leave me and that he would carry me straight through.”

This story beautifully illustrates the principle and teaching in today’s verses from Deuteronomy 31. As Joshua, is about to takeover leadership from Moses, the promise he is given is “the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.” I am sure you noticed that promise was given to Joshua twice in 3 verses. It’s as though God was saying to Joshua, and to us, you may have all kinds of obstacles in front of you, here is what I want you to do “ Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.” … and again just in case you missed it, “It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.”

Shafiqua Maloney took this kind of truth to heart, and persevered with great faith, and I believe we witness in her story that God worked a beautiful outcome even though she didn’t medal, she went from a rank of 27th in the world to 4th at the Olympics. The real story is that her trust in God, as a Child of God, has brought glory to him, and brought to Shafiqua personal success but also her story and faith has and will inspire many others.

Maybe we just needed that today, to be inspired by a fellow Child of God to remind us that no matter what happens in life we can count on this one truth, that “It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.” Amen.