Focus: Encourage Him!

Text: Josh.1:38

"But Joshua the son of Nun, which standeth before thee, he shall go in thither: ENCOURAGE HIM: for he shall cause Israel to inherit it."

God tells Moses to encourage Joshua; the reason being that Joshua is God's choice to take Israel into the promise land. God says to Moses, "But charge Joshua, and ENCOURAGE HIM, and STRENGTHEN him: for he shall go over before this people, and he shall cause them to inherit the land which thou shalt see" (Josh.3:28). Joshua needs to be encouraged for the task ahead of him. A lot of people fail in their divine vocation because we fail to give them the needed encouragement.

The Hebrew word for 'encourage' here is châzaq. It is a word that is differently rendered in the King James Version as we shall see in the passages cited below. Who is God asking you to encourage? There is a divine task waiting for someone to execute, and he needs all your support and encouragement to do it. The ministry of encouragement is for all of us.

God is the number one encourager. David says, "Both riches and honour come of thee, and thou reignest over all; and in thine hand is power and might; and in thine hand it is to make great, and to GIVE STRENGTH unto all" (1Chron.29:12). The word 'strength' is the same as encourage. 

To encourage means to give strength or to impart courage. All of us need the encouragement of God.

Hanani the seer says to king Asa of Judah, "For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him" (2Chron.16:9). God shows Himself courageous and powerful on behalf of the upright at heart. Ezra testified how the Lord "hath extended mercy unto me before the king, and his counsellors, and before all the king's mighty princes. And I was STRENGTHENED as the hand of the LORD my God was upon me, and I gathered together out of Israel chief men to go up with me" (Ezr.7:28).

Interestingly, God uses us to encourage others. We read of David, "Then David said unto the messenger, Thus shalt thou say unto Joab, Let not this thing displease thee, for the sword devoureth one as well as another: make thy battle more strong against the city, and overthrow it: and ENCOURAGE THOU HIM" (2Sam.11:25). God is asking you to encourage someone in the pursuit of his destiny. There is a genuine servant of God that needs your encouragement. We read of Hezekiah of how he "commanded the people that dwelt in Jerusalem to give the portion of the priests and the Levites, that they might be encouraged in the law of the LORD" (2Chron.31:4). Genuine ministers of God need the support of well-meaning people of God. Josiah "set the priests in their charges, and ENCOURAGED THEM to the service of the house of the LORD" (2Chron.35:2).

Apart from encouraging the true ministers of God, there is also need for us to fully identify with the church of God. The Scripture says, "Out of the spoils won in battles did they dedicate to maintain the house of the LORD" (1Chron.26:27).

Self-encouragement is allowed by God. We read, "And the people the men of Israel ENCOURAGED THEMSELVES, and set their battle again in array in the place where they put themselves in array the first day" (Judg.20:22).

"Be of good courage, and let us BEHAVE OURSELVES VALIANTLY for our people, and for the cities of our God: and let the LORD do that which is good in his sight" (1Chron.19:13). The highlighted words are the same as the word 'encourage.' 

To be encouraged is to be motivated and galvanized into action. By proper encouragement we can do valiantly.

In the life of David we see the force of encouragement. First, we read, "And Jonathan Saul's son arose, and went to David into the wood, and strengthened his hand in God" (1Sam.23:16). Jonathan located David in the woods and encouraged him. Second, we read, "And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but DAVID ENCOURAGED HIMSELF IN THE LORD HIS GOD" (1Sam.30:6). 

As people do their best to encourage you, also encourage yourself in the Lord. We learn from the Word of God that Uzziah "strengthened himself exceedingly," and because of that, "the Ammonites gave gifts to Uzziah: and his name spread abroad even to the entering in of Egypt…" (2Chron.26:8). It is written that Hezekiah was "marvellously helped, till he was strong," and because of that, "he made in Jerusalem engines, invented by cunning men, to be on the towers and upon the bulwarks, to shoot arrows and great stones withal. And his name spread far abroad…" (2Chron.26:15). Encouragement should lead to accomplishment. Encouragement is an action word.

Encourage yourself to fight and win against the enemy!

Barnabas encouraged the church. In fact, his ministry of encouragement earned him the nickname of Barnabas. From Joses he became Barnabas, the encourager. He sold his properties, both lands and houses, to support the church financially (Act.4:36-37). We read in Ezra, "And all they that were about them STRENGTHENED their hands with vessels of silver, with gold, with goods, and with beasts, and with precious things, beside all that was willingly offered" (Ezr.1:6). We also read that the Lord God "turned the heart of the king of Assyria unto them, to STRENGTHEN their hands in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel" (Ezr.6:22).

Isaiah declares, "So the carpenter ENCOURAGED the goldsmith, and he that smootheth with the hammer him that smote the anvil, saying, It is ready for the sodering: and he fastened it with nails, that it should not be moved" (Isa.41:7). On the social level, Isaiah says, "Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees" (Isa.35:3). The weak and feeble need to be encouraged. Also, God accuses Sodom of insensitivity to the plight of those in need. Ezekiel says, "Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy" (Ezk.16:49). The poor and needy need to be encouraged.

Take seriously this awesome ministry of encouragement! Find someone to encourage. As you give encouragement to others you will also get it from others. We encourage to be encouraged. In this ministry of encouragement, we get to give, and give to get. And most importantly, God is ever present to give us all the encouragement we need. He knows how to fire up our spirits and motivate our hearts. Encourage and be encouraged! Amen!

by Bishop Moses E. Peter