The Scary Part.

¹ When Moses had finished giving these instructions^a]">[a] to all the people of Israel, ² he said, “I am now 120 years old, and I am no longer able to lead you. The Lord has told me, ‘You will not cross the Jordan River.’ ³ But the Lord your God himself will cross over ahead of you. He will destroy the nations living there, and you will take possession of their land. Joshua will lead you across the river, just as the Lord promised.

⁴ “The Lord will destroy the nations living in the land, just as he destroyed Sihon and Og, the kings of the Amorites. ⁵ The Lord will hand over to you the people who live there, and you must deal with them as I have commanded you. ⁶ So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the Lord your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you.”

⁷ Then Moses called for Joshua, and as all Israel watched, he said to him, “Be strong and courageous! For you will lead these people into the land that the Lord swore to their ancestors he would give them. You are the one who will divide it among them as their grants of land. ⁸ Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you.”

The waves of Lke Michigan were high and splashing onto the pier one day as I followed a young family out to a lighthouse. I overheard the young girl say to her father: "Daddy, please walk alongside me and hold my hand at this scary part."

Sometimes life can be scary for us too: Loss of loved ones. Financial Woes. Health problems. As we carry these heavy burdens and cares, we long for a strong hand to hold ours to keep us steady and secure.

When Joshua took over the leadership of Israel, Moses reminded him of God's help in tough times. In the difficult days to come, Joshua would need to remember to trust God and His promises. Moses said, "the Lord, He is the One who goes before you. He will be with you, He will not leave you nor forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed" (Deut. 31:8).

Isaiah 41:13 encourages us with these words from God: "I, the Lord your God, will hold your right hand, saying to you 'Fear not, I will help you.'" When life gets scary, God is with us, we can hold His strong hand.

This song by Lowell Alexander reminds us of God's presence: "You will face mountains so steep, deserts so long, and valleys so deep. Sometimes the journey's gentle, sometimes the cold winds blow. But I want you to remember, I want you to know you will never walk alone. . . Jesus will be right beside you all the way. He'll walk alongside us and hold our hand at the "scary" parts. - Anne Cetas

key: Fears flee in the light of God's presence.

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Much Afraid ~jarsofclay

Empty again
Vazio de novo
Sunken down so far
afundei tanto
So scared to fall
tão amedrontado de cair
I might not get up again
eu posso não me reerguer

So I lay at Your feet
então deixo aos seus pés
All my brokenness
toda a minha fragilidade
I carry all of my burdens to You
eu carrego todos os meus fardos a Você

All of these things
todas essas coisas
I've held up in vain
que suportei em vão
No reason nor rhyme
sem razão nem rima
Just the scars that remain
somente as cicatrizes que restam
Of all of these things
de todas essas coisas
I'm so much afraid
que tenho tanto medo
Scared out of my mind
desesperadamente amedrontado
By the demons I've made
dos demônios que criei
Sweet Jesus, you never ever let me go
doce Jesus, você nunca, nunca me larga
Oh, sweet Jesus, never ever let me go
doce Jesus, nunca, nunca me largue

So happy to love
tão feliz em amar
Yet so far to go
mas tanto a percorrer
You lead me on to where I've never been before
você me trouxe aonde nunca estive antes