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.

‭‭Joshua‬ ‭1‬:‭9‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Some scholars count a total of 613 commandments from God in the Bible.

While most have been commuted or replaced in the New Testament with the death and resurrection of Jesus, those that remain age timelessly.

Fear and discouragement are emotions circumstantially dealt to all of us and are notorious faith killers: intentional monkey wrenches delivered by the enemy.

Confidence and conviction that our Lord is always with us through every circumstance is the sufficient solution to the emotions of fear and discouragement.

Not a suggested remedy but a commanded one.

Whether it’s a February, an October, or the entrance to a new year, the unknown is always upon us.

An intentional, deliberate, and ever deepening journey into faith and following God equips us for each encounter of the unknown with a strength and courage we can’t summon by ourselves but only through a vital, living relationship with God.

So once again, connection to and with our creator is essential for getting through and past every circumstance.

Ring in the new year with confidence in this commandment recorded in Joshua, and empowering your future with all its unknowns.