Deuteronomy 31:6 Be strong and courageous. (At the edge of the Promised Land, God's people are stationed to step into new territory and to face challenges they have not experienced before. Though Moses will not accompany them into the Promised Land, in his farewell address to them, he encourages them to remain true to the Lord and to be strong in their faith. Still today Moses reminds us, too, that our strength, our courage, our faith all come from the Lord. When we center ourselves in Him, He gives us what we need to face what lies ahead. In Him, we draw the strength and courage we need to take the next step.)
Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; (Moses and the people knew that fierce adversaries lay ahead of them. The land they were about to invade contained real threats who, through human eyes, would be strong enough to inspire real fear. Moses also knew that focusing on the enemy could lock them in that fear, so he reminds the people that they had a choice to make, whether to cower in fear or to go forward in courage because the Lord led the way for them. We, too, get to make a choice of being locked in fear about what we face or of focusing on the Lord and relying on His presence going before us.) He will never leave you nor forsake you. (Even though Moses will no longer lead the people, more importantly, the Lord God will remain with them and will continue to be their Leader and Guide. This is our promise still today, that this Lord we serve is faithful and true, that He has vowed never to leave our side, never to leave us alone. And because of that vow, that profound truth, we don't have to be afraid.)
