“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.” – Joshua 1:9
Throughout the centuries, Christians have always had to face persecution, difficulties, and hardships of all kinds as they have been faithful in their calling to stand strong for Christ in their culture. The Biblical account reveals to us that the world has always been opposed to God’s people.
In fact, our Lord, Jesus Christ, put it this way in John 15:18, “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first.” Jesus never sugarcoats the reality that as believers we will endure unreasonable hatred, evil, and persecution from the world, those who are lost and do not know Christ, because the world ultimately hates the Lord (John 15:18-25).
Due to our culture’s resistance and refusal to accept God’s truth, believers in our nation are feeling hostility at times from the world as we try to advance God’s truth in our society. In response to this hostility, there are some believers who are adopting a “passivist approach” where they basically refuse to engage the culture for Christ. In other words, those who are “passivist” believers are sitting it out on the sidelines instead engaging.
God’s command to us as believers in America today is the same command He gave Joshua when Joshua was facing great difficulty, and it was not to be passive. That command was to be “strong and courageous.” Thankfully, as believers no matter how difficult the fight becomes, we can always be strong and courageous for the Lord because we know that He is always with us and that “he is greater than he who is in the world (1 John 4:4a).”
LET US PRAY…
Father, empower us to be strong and courageous for You no matter the difficulties we face in our culture. Lord, help us to not be fearful or afraid to stand for Your truth here in our state and our nation. Father, in these final days of the 2023 Kentucky legislative session, empower us to stand strong for Your truth here in our Commonwealth. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Join us in praying for our elected leaders throughout the 2023 Legislative Session:
Kentucky Senate Members District 14-26
Sen. Jimmy Higdon (R)
Sen. Rick Girdler (R)
Sen. Max Wise (R)
Sen. Damon Thayer (R)
Sen. Robin Webb (D)
Sen. Gex Williams (R)
Sen. Brandon Storm (R)
Sen. Donald Douglas (R)
Sen. Christian McDaniel (R)
Sen. Shelley Frommeyer (R)
Sen. Robert Stivers (R)
Sen. Karen Berg (D)
