7-10-2017

Good Morning All,

                  Joshua 1:9b; “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.”

    We began one of our vacation Bible schools.  Since it is the 500 anniversary of the Reformation, our lessons are using that as a backdrop.  The opening thought was from the document called the Solid Declaration of the Formula of Concord.  At the end of this document, which is a statement of faith, the authors wrote this: “This declaration… is our faith, doctrine, and confession.  By God’s grace, with intrepid hearts, we are willing to appear before the judgment seat of Christ with this confession.”  “With intrepid hearts”; I love that thought.

   Intrepid is a word that we don’t often use but is a word that conveys courage, fortitude, strength of character and an unending desire to truth.  We have used the name Intrepid to convey these ideas.  There have been battle ships in the British navy and the U.S. navy named Intrepid.  There was a balloon used in the Civil War by the Union Army Balloon Corps for observation and surveillance of battlefield conditions.  It was also the name of the lunar module for the Apollo 12 lunar landing.  Yet all these examples fall short, all of these no longer exist or are in use.  We have a better use.

   In our verse, God told Joshua to be strong and courageous, to be intrepid.  To boldly go forth in the Name of the Lord and to serve him in all that you do and never be afraid for the Lord is with you wherever you go.  That is a promise that stirs the heart; that lifts us up in our spirit and soul and moves us to be, maybe just a little, intrepid.  Maybe, just a little, we experience the love and power of God and feel intrepid.

    An intrepid heart is what God promises us.  Through faith, God promises to always hear us and to answer us in our prayers, to defend us from all harm and danger and to give us life and to give it abundantly.  Jesus promised this and then added “I am with you always even to the end of the age.”  We can go forward, trusting in the mercy of God to defend us, guard us and to keep us safe.  We can go forward boldly; with the assurance that our salvation is secure.  We can be intrepid because God is for us and no one can be against us.

    Whatever battle we face, whether it is health, wealth, relationship or weather; God goes forward with us and we can be intrepid because we go with him.  The God of all mercy leads us forward in eternal grace that we may rest in his peace and go forth in faithful service to him with an intrepid heart.

Father of all grace, your mercies are new to us each day.  Encourage us Lord; by your Word and Sacrament keep us faithful to you.  Give us courage, give us intrepid hearts that we may go forward; confident of your mercy and secure in your grace.  Be with those who struggle this day.  Strengthen their faith, enliven their spirits and give them the intrepid heart to always trust in your love.  In the precious name of Jesus we pray, amen.  

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret