Be strong and courageous.\u00a0<\/strong>How many times have I heard sermons or teachings on these four\u00a0words from the Bible? We recently spent an entire month teaching this theme to our elementary kids Sunday school class. Courage is one of the overarching messages in the Old\u00a0Testament for the people of God.<\/p>\n Joshua received this emphatic commission before embarking on his epic adventures. King\u00a0Hezekiah used it in his speech delivered to the people of Jerusalem on the eve of invasion by\u00a0the Assyrians. But only recently did I discover this instance:<\/p>\n Then David continued, \u201cBe strong and courageous, and do the work<\/strong>. <\/em> In this verse the period isn\u2019t after “courageous.” The command is completed with \u201dand do the\u00a0work.\u201d<\/strong> We don\u2019t often associate courage with working. But here it is in the context of finishing a\u00a0lengthy and tedious project. Boy does that fit the special mom\u2019s job description! It\u2019s not\u00a0enough to be courageous at the doctor appointment, not just during the meltdown or crisis, the\u00a0IEP meeting or hospital stay.<\/p>\n The truth is that courage is required to continue the work to its completion every single day\u2014forever. As a matter of fact, I texted my husband at 9:01am today to say, “I’ve done more before 9am than most people do in a whole day.”<\/p>\n I love that in the translation\u00a0above, David follows up with \u201cDon’t be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord God, my God,\u00a0is with you.\u201d In this passage, a father is encouraging his son to complete a monumental project\u00a0which will span his entire lifetime and define the lives and talents of entire generation of\u00a0Israelites. Dad exhorts his son to be courageous, not by saying “I’ll be here by your side” but by\u00a0saying “God, my God, is with you.”<\/p>\n How can you defeat the discouragement or fear that can seep into your heart after long days and\u00a0longer nights? Know that the Lord God will be with you. He goes before you, He doesn\u2019t leave\u00a0you alone. He will not fail or forsake you. And He will see to it that all the work related to your “project” is finished correctly.<\/p>\n So meditate on the privilege and honor that He has ordained a\u00a0specific plan and course for you and He promises to enable you to do the work.<\/p>\n Because my morning with my son Nick was so challenging on the day I texted my husband, I am sharing this picture of Nick’s\u00a0Camper of the Day certificate that he received that same day. I hope it inspires you to be strong and courageous and to do the parenting work<\/strong> God has called you to do.<\/p>\n Pray with me:<\/em> Lord, you know more than any other that my job \u00a0as a caregiver\u00a0is work, it\u2019s not easy and sometimes not fun. Thank you that your Holy Spirit can\u00a0enable me to do the work joyfully and completely, so that I can achieve the great satisfaction of\u00a0finishing what you created me to do. Be with me today, fill me with courage to continue this\u00a0work.<\/p>\n Do you like what you see at DifferentDream.com? You can receive more great content by subscribing to the monthly Different Dream newsletter and signing up for the daily RSS feed delivered to your email inbox. You can sign up for both at the bottom of this page.<\/em><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column_inner][\/et_pb_row_inner][et_pb_row_inner _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column_inner saved_specialty_column_type=”3_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ background_color=”#b4dbc0″ custom_padding=”20px|20px|20px|20px|false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_blurb title=”@ET-DC@eyJkeW5hbWljIjp0cnVlLCJjb250ZW50IjoicG9zdF9hdXRob3IiLCJzZXR0aW5ncyI6eyJiZWZvcmUiOiJCeSAiLCJhZnRlciI6IiIsIm5hbWVfZm9ybWF0IjoiZGlzcGxheV9uYW1lIiwibGluayI6Im9uIiwibGlua19kZXN0aW5hdGlvbiI6ImF1dGhvcl9hcmNoaXZlIn19@” image=”http:\/\/jolenephilo.com\/staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/image1.jpeg” icon_placement=”left” image_icon_width=”100px” content_max_width=”800px” _builder_version=”4.16″ _dynamic_attributes=”title” header_font=”Rubik|500|||||||” header_text_color=”#44465f” header_font_size=”14px” header_line_height=”32px” body_font=”Rubik||||||||” body_text_color=”rgba(0,6,69,0.6)” body_link_text_color=”#ffffff” min_height=”208px” custom_css_main_element=”font-weight: 400;” border_radii_image=”on|100px|100px|100px|100px” border_color_all_image=”#ffffff” box_shadow_style_image=”preset1″ box_shadow_vertical_image=”20px” box_shadow_blur_image=”40px” box_shadow_color_image=”rgba(68,70,95,0.27)” image_max_width=”100px” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Married for 26 years, Melanie Gomez is mom to two young men, the youngest born with a rare genetic disorder. Melanie enjoys life in sunny South Florida, but never misses a chance to travel to new or favorite destinations. Her\u00a014-day devotional Bundle of Joy<\/strong><\/a>is a fantastic tool for moms who have recently received a diagnosis for their child, or find themselves struggling to align their faith with their child\u2019s diagnosis. Melanie can be found on Facebook<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0or at her website Redefine Special<\/strong><\/a> where she shares encouragement and hope on a regular basis.<\/em><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_blurb][\/et_pb_column_inner][\/et_pb_row_inner][et_pb_row_inner _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column_inner saved_specialty_column_type=”3_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_comments _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_button=”on” button_text_color=”#42313A” button_bg_color=”#EBDCB2″ global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_comments][\/et_pb_column_inner][\/et_pb_row_inner][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_sidebar _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_sidebar][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.16″ use_background_color_gradient=”on” background_color_gradient_direction=”159deg” background_color_gradient_stops=”#42313A 0%|#EBDCB2 100%” background_color_gradient_start=”#42313A” background_color_gradient_end=”#EBDCB2″ custom_padding=”0px|0px|0px|0px|false|false” border_width_all=”3px” border_color_all=”#1c1259″ saved_tabs=”all” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_2,1_2″ use_custom_gutter=”on” gutter_width=”1″ _builder_version=”4.16″ width=”100%” max_width=”100%” custom_margin=”||0px||false|false” custom_padding=”25px|0px|5px|0px|false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ module_class=”horizontal_optin_column_1″ _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ header_text_align=”right” header_text_color=”#45107a” header_3_font=”Dancing Script|700|||||||” header_3_text_align=”center” header_3_text_color=”#B4DBC0″ header_3_font_size=”45px” custom_margin=”10px||||false|false” custom_padding=”||||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_signup mailchimp_list=”JolenePhilo|89f719a52b” layout=”bottom_top” first_name_fullwidth=”off” last_name_field=”off” email_fullwidth=”off” module_class=”custom_emailoptin” _builder_version=”4.16″ form_field_focus_background_color=”#42313A” background_enable_color=”off” custom_button=”on” button_text_size=”16px” button_text_color=”#42313A” button_bg_color=”#B4DBC0″ button_border_width=”2px” button_border_radius=”0px” button_font=”|||on|||||” button_use_icon=”off” button_custom_margin=”5px||||false|false” button_custom_padding=”0px|0px|0px|0px|false|false” custom_padding=”0px|0px|0px|0px|false|false” border_width_all_fields=”2px” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_signup][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”0px|||||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ header_font=”EB Garamond|600|||||||” header_text_color=”#B6452C” header_font_size=”50px” header_text_shadow_style=”preset1″ global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_blog fullwidth=”off” posts_number=”3″ include_categories=”current” show_more=”on” _builder_version=”4.16″ header_text_color=”#42313A” meta_font=”||on||||||” read_more_font=”|||on|||||” read_more_text_color=”#B6452C” read_more_font_size=”12px” pagination_text_color=”#B6452C” pagination_font_size=”20px” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_blog][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" God commands His people to be strong and courageous. Guest blogger Melanie Gomez explains what that work looks like for caregiving parents.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":31382,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":" Then David continued, \u201cBe strong and courageous, and do the work<\/strong>. <\/em>\nDont be afraid or\u00a0discouraged, for the Lord God, my God is with you. <\/em>\nHe will not fail you or forsake you.\u00a0<\/em>\nHe will see to it that all the work related to the Temple of the Lord is finished correctly.\"\u00a0<\/em>\n1\u00a0Chronicles 28:20 (NIV)<\/em><\/p>\nIn this verse the period isn\u2019t after \"courageous.\" The command is completed with \u201dand do the\u00a0work.\u201d<\/strong> We don\u2019t often associate courage with working. But here it is in the context of finishing a\u00a0lengthy and tedious project. Boy does that fit the special mom\u2019s job description! It\u2019s not\u00a0enough to be courageous at the doctor appointment, not just during the meltdown or crisis, the\u00a0IEP meeting or hospital stay.\n\nThe truth is that courage is required to continue the work to its\u00a0completion every single day\u2013forever. As a matter of fact I texted my husband at 9:01am today\u00a0to say \"I've done more before 9am than most people do in a whole day.\"\n\nI love that in the translation\u00a0above, David follows up with \u201cDon't be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord God, my God,\u00a0is with you.\u201d In this passage, a father is encouraging his son to complete a monumental project\u00a0which will span his entire lifetime and define the lives and talents of entire generation of\u00a0Israelites. Dad exhorts his son to be courageous, not by saying \"I'll be here by your side\" but by\u00a0saying \"God, my God, is with you.\"\n\nHow can you defeat the discouragement or fear that can seep into your heart after long days and\u00a0longer nights? Know that the Lord God will be with you. He goes before you, He doesn\u2019t leave\u00a0you alone. He will not fail or forsake you. And He will see to it that all the work related to your \"project\" is finished correctly.\n\nSo meditate on the privilege and honor that He has ordained a\u00a0specific plan and course for you and He promises to enable you to do the work.\n\nBecause my morning with my son Nick was so challenging on the day I texted my husband, I am sharing this picture of Nick's\u00a0Camper of the Day certificate that he received that same day. I hope it inspires you to be strong and courageous and to do the parenting work<\/strong> God has called you to do.\n
Dont be afraid or\u00a0discouraged, for the Lord God, my God is with you. <\/em>
He will not fail you or forsake you.\u00a0<\/em>
He will see to it that all the work related to the Temple of the Lord is finished correctly.”\u00a0<\/em>
1\u00a0Chronicles 28:20 (NIV)<\/em><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/jolenephilo.com\/staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/image0.jpeg\")
<\/p>\nSubscribe for Updates from Jolene<\/h3>\n
Related Posts<\/h1>\n
![\"God](\"http:\/\/differentdream.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/courageous-work.jpg\")
\n\nBe strong and courageous is a frequent command in the Old Testament. Today's guest blogger Melanie Gomez has learned that it applies to her today in her role as mom to a son with special needs and the work that requires.<\/em>\n\nBe strong and courageous.\u00a0<\/strong>How many times have I heard sermons or teachings on these four\u00a0words from the Bible? We recently spent an entire month teaching this theme to our elementary kids Sunday school class. Courage is one of the overarching messages in the Old\u00a0Testament for the people of God.\n\nJoshua received this emphatic commission before embarking on his epic adventures. King\u00a0Hezekiah used it in his speech delivered to the people of Jerusalem on the eve of invasion by\u00a0the Assyrians. But only recently did I discover this instance:\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/differentdream.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/image0.jpeg\")
<\/p>\nPray with me:<\/em> Lord, you know more than any other that my job \u00a0as a caregiver\u00a0is work, it\u2019s not easy and sometimes not fun. Thank you that your Holy Spirit can\u00a0enable me to do the work joyfully and completely, so that I can achieve the great satisfaction of\u00a0finishing what you created me to do. Be with me today, fill me with courage to continue this\u00a0work.\n\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/differentdream.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/image1-300x300.jpeg\")
Married for 26 years, Melanie Gomez is mom to two young men, the youngest born with a rare genetic disorder. Melanie enjoys life in sunny South Florida, but never misses a chance to travel to new or favorite destinations. Her\u00a014-day devotional Bundle of Joy<\/a><\/strong> is a fantastic tool for moms who have recently received a diagnosis for their child, or find themselves struggling to align their faith with their child\u2019s diagnosis. Melanie can be found on Facebook<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0or at her website Redefine Special<\/strong><\/a> where she shares encouragement and hope on a regular basis.<\/em>\n\nDo you like what you see at DifferentDream.com? You can receive more great content by subscribing to the monthly Different Dream newsletter and signing up for the daily RSS feed delivered to your email inbox. You can sign up for both at the bottom of this page.<\/em>","_et_gb_content_width":"2880","footnotes":""},"categories":[3559,3583],"tags":[4136,2657,4137],"class_list":["post-31376","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-different-dream","category-spiritual-support","tag-hard-work","tag-perseverance","tag-redefine-special"],"yoast_head":"\n