GOD’S REPEATED REVIEW AND DRILL
Prayer: Lord, help us win the spiritual battles in our profession. Lead us. Impart to us strength and courage.
Scripture: Joshua said to them, “Do not be afraid. Do not be discouraged. Be strong and courageous.” Joshua 10:25 NIV
God believes in intermittent repeated review and drill in order to teach an objective. He believes in spiraling objectives throughout our lives. Have you ever noticed that when God wants to give you a message, He will tell you the same thing in several different ways, often using different people or circumstances to share the exact same lesson? In the Bible the great Hebrew leader, Joshua, is told multiple times to be strong and courageous. Moses told him to be strong and courageous when he was in a crowd with many Israelites. (Deuteronomy 31:1-6) Moses then did some private tutoring. He pulled Joshua up in front of his classmates and personally told him to be strong and courageous once again. (Deuteronomy 31:7)
After Moses, Joshua’s teacher, died, God Himself had a little chat with Joshua telling him to be strong and courageous. He told Joshua this two times. (Joshua 1:6) Joshua was then given some “hands on” cooperative learning group activities (battles) in order to practice the concepts he had been taught. He led the army of Israel into the Promised Land. He saw the walls of Jericho fall. He had to deal with sin in his own camp, that which caused him to fail an assignment, to lose a battle (Joshua 7). He saw many of his fellow Israelites become discouraged and flee a battle (Joshua 7:5). In the midst of this, God tells Joshua once again to be strong and courageous (Joshua 8:1). Again, more review and more practice. Joshua asked God for a miracle during one particular battle and God granted it. The Lord sent large hailstones down upon the enemy and also made the sun stand still in the sky.
Joshua not only learned the lessons of strength and courage God taught him, he began to teach these same lessons to others. He called the Israelite leaders out to stand on the necks of five enemy kings his army had captured. What does Joshua tell these Israelite leaders? Of course, “Be strong and courageous!” (Joshua 10:25)
God wants to tell you. “Be strong and courageous in your professional life in education. There is a spiritual war going on in your school and nation for the minds, bodies and souls of the youth you serve. In this battle follow me as did Joshua. Inquire of me as did Joshua. Be strong and courageous. Be strong and courageous. Be strong and courageous.”
Reflection: What is something I fear in my professional and what must I do to be free from this fear? What do I need to do to increase strength and courage in my professional life?
Post somewhere in your room where you can see it daily, BE STRONG AND COURAGEOUS! as a continuous reminder of God’s call in your life. (Do not put the scripture reference by it.). Integrate this character trait into your curriculum. Tell and teach the students to be strong and courageous through true incidents that happen in their lives and in the examples in history, literature, nature, etc.
Copyright Don Clark. Email [email protected]