here tonight and let's begin there in Joshua chapter 17, Joshua chapter 17. And I thank you church for all the many surprises this month and just your love. Thank you. Joshua chapter 17, we're gonna begin there in verse 11, and when you find your place there, we can stand if you would, and we'll look at the word of God together here tonight. Joshua chapter 17, there in verse 11. I've entitled this message, Yes, You Can. Yes, you can. It's good in life to receive encouragement. I can definitely say in this month of October, my heart has been richly encouraged. And my family has. And I pray that you receive encouragement as well. But in life, we need encouragement. And we got a lot of things that's going on in the world today, doing everything it can to really, it seems like there's a lot of discouraging things. I mean, we look around. And sometimes we just shake our heads and wonder, how in the world? But I want to give you some encouraging things here tonight, maybe to help you this evening, encourage your spirit. The Bible says there in verse 11, and Manasseh had in Ishkar, and in Asher, Beth-shin, and her towns in Eblom, and her towns in the inhabitants of Dor, and her towns in the inhabitants of Endor, and her towns in the inhabitants of Tanak, and her towns in the inhabitants of Megiddo, and her towns, even three countries. Yet the children of Manasseh could not drive out the inhabitants of those cities, but the Canaanites would dwell in that land. And it came to pass, when the children of Israel were waxen strong, that they put the Canaanites to tribute, but did not utterly drive them out. And the children of Joseph spake unto Joshua, saying, Why hast thou given me but one lot and one portion to inherit? Saying, I am a great people, forasmuch as the Lord has blessed me hitherto. And Joshua answered them, If thou be a great people, then get thee up to the wood country, and cut down for thyself there in the land of the Pezarites, and of the giants, if Mount Ephraim be too narrow for thee. And the children of Joseph said, the hill is not enough for us, and all the Canaanites that dwell in the land of the valley have chariots of iron. Both they who are of Bashan and her towns, and they who are of the valley of Jezreel, And Joshua spake unto the house of Joseph, even to Ephraim, and to Manassas, saying, Thou art a great people, and thou hast great power, and thou shalt not have one lot only, but the mountain shall be thine. For it is a wood, and thou shalt cut it down, and the outgoings of it shall be thine. For thou shalt drive out the Canaanites, though they have iron chariots, and though they be strong. Let's pray. Father, we come to you tonight, we thank you, Lord, once again, God, for your goodness. Lord, we thank you, Lord, for your blessings on this day. Lord, we thank you for your blessings on our church. God, we thank you for, Lord, just your help in all of our lives every single day. Now, Lord, I pray here tonight that you would help us as we go through your word. I pray, God, that you would help our hearts to hear that which you need us to hear from heaven. Now, Lord, I pray that you'd help me, Lord, as I bring your word tonight, that you'd just use me, God, as an empty vessel filled with your spirit, Lord, to preach your word here tonight. The Lord made the things that I say be, Lord, what you need me to say. Lord, I pray that you would just bless our night and just help us to use this time, God, just to hear your voice. And this we pray in Jesus' name, amen. Amen, you may be seated. Yes, you can. You know, I was told a long time ago, you know, because words make a difference, and I was told a long time ago, this man told me once, he said, Brian, he said, the me I see is the me I'll be. And I thought about that, and he said, what I mean by that is, is if you see yourself being victorious, if you see yourself winning, if you see yourself on the other side of the problem, then that's what's gonna happen. He said, if you see yourself as a winner, then you'll be a winner. If you see yourself as a loser, of course we've heard that, then that's what you'll probably end up, what'll end up happening. by we can preconceive what's gonna take place by the words that we use against ourselves. And so he said, Brian, he said, I've always had this motto for myself is, he said, the me I see is the me I'll be. So anytime I get discouraged in life and anytime I come up against a challenge, he said, I always wanna see myself coming out on the other side, being victorious in the Lord. And so that always stuck with me, that saying, I'm not sure if that was his or if he got that from somewhere else, I don't know. But it was something that always just stuck with me, is that the me I see is the me I'll be. And as we go through the text here tonight, we're gonna see a tribe of the nation of Israel, They come up against some challenges, and as they come up against these challenges, we can see that they begin to think within themselves that it didn't seem like it was possible for them to overcome the challenges that had befallen them. But there came along, of course, their leader there, Joshua, who had a word of encouragement for them. And that's what I want to focus on tonight as well as this man who was an encourager to them and what the things that he said was and how we can describe Joshua as he was an encouragement to these people that didn't think that they could be victorious. Because sometimes in life, listen, we feel like that there's no way possible that we could win. That the odds are just against us and there's no way in the world that we would ever be victorious in such a situation. But I'm thankful that we have a God here tonight that can reassure us in our spirits that if we put God first and then we follow His path and go in His direction that the Lord will help us to be so. Here in the verse, we see there in verse 11, the Bible begins to talk about all these towns here and all these people that Manasseh was involved in, and the Bible says was up against, and there in verse 12, the Bible says, yet the children of Manasseh could not drive out the inhabitants of those cities, but the Canaanites would dwell in the land. And so I began to, of course, wonder and thought about, you know, why couldn't they drive them out? Well, you know, God was there to, to be victorious in what they were doing. God was there to help the nation, to receive the land that he had given them, the land that he had promised to them. And one of the reasons why they could not receive the land that they needed was because, for one, well, maybe for many reasons, but I think for one is, well, they weren't following God like they needed to. God said he would give them the land. When they're in the very beginning of Joshua, the Bible, God told Joshua, he says, all this land I'm gonna give to you. But yet they go out, and we see this tribe goes out, and all these other tribes, they're getting all their land, they're fighting the enemies, they're getting this land, and getting this land, and getting this land, but here we see Manasseh, and here they are, they're going up against these people, and they said, you know what, we can't do it. They saw themselves really as, well, we don't have enough. Notice the Bible says there in verse 12, the Bible says, yet the children of Manasseh could not drive out the inhabitants of the cities, but the Canaanites would dwell in the land. They didn't feel it seemed that necessarily maybe they were too small at some point that they couldn't do it because it says in verse 13, yet it came to pass when the children of Israel were waxing strong. And so it seemed like there we see that Manasseh was really waiting to get to this point to drive out the inhabitants whenever they had enough people to do so, rather than really relying on the strength of God to use them to push their enemies out of the townships. And so listen, sometimes in ourselves, we can kind of do the very same thing, and we can be very thoughtful even in our own selves, because we'll look at ourselves and we'll say, well, I'm not enough. I don't have this, or I don't have this. How can I be victorious? I'm missing so many different things, and this is what I desire, but I can't reach that point because because maybe I'm struggling with this or battling with that or maybe because I don't have this or have that. But we see the nation of Israel, they were not able to drive the inhabitants out because to them it was because they didn't have enough. When in reality, they had God. And is not God enough? In all reality, they had God on their side, and the Bible says if God before us, then who can be against us? But we can see that Manasseh, they was in this place where it seemed like perhaps that they were looking more around at what they could tangibly have, or maybe at their own strength. And like they were waiting on this time when maybe they had enough people or had enough assets or whatever, or enough possessions, you know, in strength to be able to drive them out on their own, which we can see there in verse 13. that it came to pass when the children of Israel were waxing strong. The Bible says they put the Canaanites to tribute, but there was a time before that when they didn't have to themselves enough people. To them, they didn't have enough strength. But I believe they could have possessed the land even before verse 13 if they would have just put their faith and trust in God. Now, the reason why they didn't Could be because maybe they were just faithless in this and were looking more towards themselves than they were the power of God. Listen, if we're not careful, what we'll do is is we'll put God in a box and we'll say, well, you know, I don't have this, so if I don't have this and that means God can't, then that means God's not big enough to help me. You've heard me say this before listen. We've had lots of lots of battles and lots of struggles come our way But if we're not careful, then this is what we'll do and you've heard me give this illustration before But we understand that the Sun is far greater and bigger than we and we can see if our if our thumb was our problem Then if we if we put our problem in front of the Sun because if we put our thumb in front of the Sun We can actually block the Sun out but if we But if we put our problem before the Sun then what we're doing is is we're saying well my problem is bigger than the Sun But in all reality, that's not the case Wouldn't it be an agreeable statement here tonight to say that the Sun's bigger than your thumb? Yes, it is But what we'll do is is we'll put our problem before the Sun and then we'll think well My problem's too big because I can't see the Sun no more because sometimes our problems can come between us and the sun and we'll think our problems too great. But understanding on the other side of that is something that is great, something that is magnificent, something that is powerful, and that something is a someone. But we see right here the nation of, or the tribe of Manasseh, they were putting themselves, I think they were putting their problems, they were putting their size, I think they were maybe perhaps putting the things that they didn't have before God and never seeing the things that they didn't have is greater than God's capabilities listen don't don't think that just because there are some things that maybe you may not have that others may not have don't let us let us never put our our problems or our in capabilities in front of the power of God that just because we have these things that God can't help us listen it is through those things that God's gonna manifest himself strongly, amen? As we said this morning, as the Apostle Paul, whenever he had that thorn in the flesh, God said, my strength will be made known in your weakness. So it's in our incapabilities, it's in our weaknesses that God manifests himself and shows himself even that much more stronger in our life. But Manasseh, I believe they could have achieved victory even before they had it, had they put their faith and trust in God before. But for whatever reason they did not, whether it's because they were slothful, or because they were faithless, or because they were looking at maybe God as not being perhaps big enough or strong enough to help them. But the Bible says, nonetheless, the Bible says in verse 13, that it came to pass, and the children of Israel were waxing strong, that they put the Canaanites to tribute, but did not utterly drive them out. One of the things that we see, of course, a problem with that is too, and I'm gonna do all this before I get to my truths here tonight, is that one of the things we see is that yes, Manasseh, they did become strong and they did become great, but the problem is is that God didn't tell the Manasseh to, God didn't tell Manasseh to put the Canaanites into a place of tribute, to put them in a place of service where they would then make, use the Canaanites and they would make money off of the Canaanites. God didn't tell them to do that. See, the Canaanites here in our text is a good picture of the flesh. Something that we have a hard time trying to conquer in our life. Something we have a hard time trying to win over, perhaps. And we can see right here that God says, listen, you need to exterminate the Canaanites from the land. The last thing that you need to do is to try to get it to work for you because, listen, your flesh is going to work against you, not for you. The Bible tells us not to walk in the flesh, but to walk in the spirit. And so we see right here that whenever we put our flesh, if we try to use our flesh as something to help us, then we're going to understand that we're going to come up short. The Bible shows us here there in verse 13 that they put the Canaanites to tribute. One of the reasons why they were having a difficult time is because they wouldn't listen. They should have kicked the Canaanites out. They should have drove the Canaanites out of their life. But they did not do it. What they did was they kept the Canaanites around when they finally felt like they were strong enough to handle it. But see that's also another problem. Because often times we'll look at our flesh or we'll look at our whatever Enemy that it is that we're facing whatever obstacle or challenge it is that we're dealing with and we'll say well I am greater than this. I am stronger than this I'm the one that's going to be the master of this until you find out you're not Oftentimes what happens is is that which we think we really have control over We really don't realize how much control it really has over us. I People can say, well, I'm in charge of this, and I'm in control of this, and this, whatever it is, it don't have control over me. And so my first thing would be, okay, let's set it off to the side and see how long you can go without it. Let's see who's really the master in your life. The Bible shows us right here in this verse that the Manasseh put the Canaanites to tribute. We move on down, the Bible says in verse 14 that the children of Joseph spake unto Joshua saying, why hast thou given me but one lot and one portion to inherit? Saying, I am a great people, for as much as the Lord has blessed me hitherto. It's interesting there in verse 14 that we see this tribe that is now in essence coming up to Joshua and saying, why don't we have more than what we need? Why don't we have more than what we got? I mean, it's amazing to me that we see that here they are coming to complain to Joshua that they don't have any more land because they're a great people, yet they're not doing what God's saying to do anyway. Like, they're expecting God to bless whenever they're not obeying the voice of God. Here they are, God says, kick the Canaanites out, and they're saying, no, we're gonna use them. You know, just like us today, we say, God says, man, you need to conquer your flesh and fight the flesh, you know, and don't walk in the flesh, but walk in the Spirit. And we say, no, I like my flesh and I like the deeds of the flesh, but yet I still want God to bless. And so we can see that here they were. Here they were complaining about what they did not have, but yet they were not doing what God was asking them to do. And there in verse 15, Joshua answered them, and I just wanna encourage it here tonight, in the midst of all of this, we see what was going on with Manasseh, and we see what was going on here, but Joshua, he was the man that was encouraging. And the Bible says in verse, the Bible shows us there in verse 15, The Bible says Joshua answered them and says, if thou be a great people, then get up to the wood country and cut it down for thyself. In other words, he says, you know what, you're saying that you're so great, you're saying that you're so big, you're saying all these things. He says, well, listen, go up there. Go up there and cut, if you don't got enough room, then go up there and cut the woods down. Go up there and do something about what you don't have. Don't sit here and wait on somebody else to hand it over to you. Go up there and do something. Go up there and cut down the woods. Listen, if you want it, then claim it. If you don't have enough, then go get it. But don't sit here and just wait around for it to fall in your lap. It says there in the text, in verse 15, he says, get up to the wood country and cut down for thyself in the land of the Pezarites and of the giants, if Mount Ephraim be too small for thee. There in verse 15, you know what he was doing? He wasn't being harsh. What he was doing was giving them a swift kick in the right direction. He was trying to get them to see, listen, here you are, you're talking about what you don't have. You're talking about how you need more room. He says, but in essence, look, the reason why you don't have it is because for one, you're not following God anyway. Number two, you're just waiting on it to fall in your lap and you're not getting up there and doing anything about it. The Bible shows us right here, he was really just trying to encourage them to move in the right direction. If you want it, then go get it. If you want it, then work for it. If you want it, then go up there to the wood country and cut it down for thyself. There in verse 15, he says, there in the land of the Pezrites and of the giants, if Mount Ephraim be too narrow for thee, And verse 16, the Bible says, and the children of Joseph said, the hill is not enough for us. And all the Canaanites that dwell in the land of the valley have chariots of iron, both they who are of Bashan and her towns, and they who are the valley of Jezreel. And so we can see how discouraged and how disheartened that they are. And they're saying, in essence, within themselves, we cannot do it. But one of the reasons why they could not do what they should be able to do is because they weren't following God. They weren't doing how God said to do it. God didn't say put the Canaanites in tribute. He said drive them out. God, listen, as I said, they could have had victory long before this. But they were waiting for themselves to come to a certain number. They were waiting for themselves to be, to add a certain strength. But as I said before, if God before us, then who can be against us? They need to see that God was bigger than the inaccuracies that they had. That God was far bigger and greater than the things that they did not possess. And listen, it would be in those weaker things that God would manifest himself and show himself strong and mighty. But we see here that they didn't, but Joshua was trying to encourage them to go in the right direction. And so there in verse 17, or verse 15, I want us to see Joshua the motivator. Joshua the motivator. Because he says there in verse 15, he says, If thou be a great people, then get thee up to the wood country and cut down for thyself. Joshua the motivator he told him he needed to go up there He said you to go up there need to cut the woods down and not only that but he says you need to go up there Not only do you need to cut the wood down? But he says in verse 15 he in essence told him listened and that the Pezarites were up there They needed an essence to drive them out He says cut down for thyself there in the land of the Pezarites and of the Giants if Mount Ephraim be too narrow for thee and the Canaanites were there in the land. And so he says, listen, you need to go up there, you need to cut those woods down, you need to put your hand to the plow, you need to go up there and do something about it. He says, you don't need to be sitting here waiting on it just to fall in your lap, but you need to press forward. And the only way that you're gonna do that is to go up there thyself and do something about it. Because listen, if we wait on everybody else to do something for us, we're gonna be waiting for a long time. And so he says, listen, you need to get up there and you need to do it for yourself. He said, go up there and cut the wood down thyself. He told him about the giants that were up there, how they necessitated to drive them out. He was trying to motivate them to press forward. Sometimes in our discouraged lives, and we can all get there, and we've all been there. But sometimes in those discouragement places in life, we just need somebody to come along and just motivate us a little bit. You know? You ever needed somebody just to kind of motivate you a little bit? He ever felt unmotivated? Yeah? We've all felt unmotivated in life. Whether it's because of fear, whether it's because we were just tired and weary, or like this morning we got in ruts in life, or whatever it could be, circling around the mountain. However it is that we got to feel that way, we've all been there. And we know what it's like, and we know what it feels like. But I tell you what, what a refreshment that it is when somebody comes along, and they see what's happening, and they come along, and they motivate you, and they motivate you to push you in the right direction. They motivate you to do what needs to be done. They motivate you. They tell you exactly what you need to hear to help you do what's right. The Bible shows us right here in the text that I think. we see Joshua as the motivator. Go up there and cut, and remember, yes, those giants that are up there, you're gonna have to fight, you're gonna have to cut the wood. He was motivating them to press forward, even though there were obstacles, even though there were challenges, even though it may be exhausting, even though it was gonna be a lot of work. He says, listen, you need to go up there and cut those trees down. Listen, if this over here's not enough, then that whole, then listen, go over there and do what you gotta do. Fight and cut. Hey, listen, life, that's what we gotta do every single day. It's a fight every day. Every day we gotta be motivated to press forward because, listen, life, the world's not gonna stop just because we feel unmotivated. Amen? It's still gonna cycle. Things are still gonna happen. Things are still gonna keep going. We gotta make sure that we are doing everything we can. to stay motivated in this world. Not only do we see Joshua as this motivator, but I also see Joshua as this advocate. Notice what he says about them and for them and really to them. He says in verse 16, The Bible says, and the children of Joseph said, the hill is not enough for us. And all the Canaanites that dwell in the land of the valley have chariots of iron. You see how they're talking, they continuously talk about how strong their enemy is, but they're not talking about how big and strong and powerful God is. That's part of the problem, is they're constantly talking about and constantly seeing how big the issue is, how big the problem is, but not focusing on how great and powerful and magnificent God is. And we can be guilty of that, just like Peter, when he took his eyes off the Lord and began to sink. And the Lord Jesus looked down at him and said, oh, ye of little faith. And listen, he didn't start sinking until he took his eyes off Christ and started looking around at everything else. And we can be the same way. So we can see that they continually mention how we got these giants and how they're not big enough and all these things that they don't have, but what they have failed to realize is that they have the God of the universe on their side. They have God that is right there with them, the one that created all things. who has already promised there in the very beginning of Joshua that every piece of land that the sole of their feet would come across, God would give to them. But here they are in this place of discouragement. You see there in verse 16, they're talking about the valley, the land of the valley. They have chariots of iron, both they who are Bishan and their towns and all who are of the valley of Jezreel. They're just talking about how great the problems are and how big the problems are and how much they gotta face and how much work it's gonna be. But yet they talk about how big and powerful and great they are. But yet they're looking at everything else and talking about how great and how big and powerful all that stuff is. So they're looking at themselves, talking about how big they are, and looking at their enemies and talking about how big they are, but nobody's talking about how big and great God is. And the Lord seems to be left out of the equation, so Joshua comes along and tries to help them to get back on track. The Bible says there in verse 17, the Bible says, and Joshua spake. And Joshua spake unto the house of Joseph, even to Ephraim and to Manasseh, saying, Thou art a great people. And notice what he says, and he says, and hast great power. Not only do we see, I think, in verse 15, Joshua the motivator, but I think we see Joshua the advocate because what we were doing is he was believing in them. He was helping them to see that he believed in them. He was trying to help them to see and everybody else to see that he believed in them. That he had faith that God would help them. There in verse 17 he says, thou art a great people. He says, and hast great power. You see, he saw within them what they could not see for themselves. He saw within them what they could not see. And so he was trying to advocate for them. He was believing in them. And listen, sometimes when we're facing battles and we're discouraged in life and we feel like, well, I don't have this, I don't have this, I don't have that. Listen, it's not that we can't have it. We just need to be motivated to go get it and cut it down ourselves and fight for it instead of just waiting for it to fall in our lap. It wasn't that God wasn't gonna help them. Listen, God was gonna help all, God was helping all of his people fight for the land. God was helping for all of his people to have their inheritance. But they were all going up to fight. They were all going up there to do, to take that which God had given them. But we get to Manasseh and here they are where they say, well, we're a great people, but we can't do anything about it. I imagine God looking down from heaven saying, what do you mean you can't do nothing about it? Have you forgot who I am? Have you forgotten all the things that I've done? What do you mean you can't do nothing about it? I? Think that resonates with us here tonight, and we ask ourselves well when I'm faced with challenges And I'm faced with certain things to myself help my help I need to make sure that I don't minimize the power of God that I don't minimize that I don't make much out of my problems and minimize the power of God, but we see right here that it seems that that's what they were doing and they were They were focusing so much on the chariots of iron. They were focusing so much on all that was against them, they had completely forgotten about who was for them. And he comes along, Joshua, there in verse 17, and he comes along and says, yes, thou art a great people, but he says, and hast great power. Notice this, he says, thou shalt, thou shalt have great power. He says, thou shalt not have one lot only. So we see Joshua the advocator. He believed in them. Listen, sometimes in our life, not only do we just need people to motivate us when we're just facing some difficulties or just kind of in a rut in life. Not only do we just need somebody to help motivate, we just need people to motivate us, to help us. But not only that, but I think it's good that we can have people that just believe in us. Just believe in you. He was an advocate for him. He says, listen, you have great power. Yes. Yes, I get it. There's cherries of iron that are standing in your way. And yes, the obstacle is tough. And yes, it is strong. That is against you. But listen. I believe in you. I believe that you can do it. I believe through God that you can be victorious. Hey, if I can do all things through Christ, he strengthens me. Amen. And so the Bible shows us here in the text. He says, thou hast great power. Thou shalt not have one lot only, he says, but the mountain shall be thine. Not only whenever we're faced with obstacles in our path, do sometimes we just need somebody to come along and motivate us. Not only do we just need somebody to come along and be an advocate for us and believe in us and have faith, but we need somebody who will be a visionary for us. Because sometimes other people can see more than us than we can see in ourselves. And I say that because of this. It's because sometimes we get so focused on the chariots of iron. Sometimes it's good when somebody else comes along beside of us and says, and does this right here. And takes your head and says, alright, you see you focusing on all this? And tilts your head up towards God. Because sometimes other people, sometimes we need other people to come along and help us to be a visionary for us. Because sometimes we get so focused on the chariots of iron and we get so focused on the problems that we're no longer looking around at everything else. We can't see past the chariots of iron. We can't see past the giants. We can't see past any of that. Somebody sitting on the outside can come along like Joshua and say, hey man, I just want you to know God is for you. God's already promised He's going to give this to you. So don't let yourself think that because you don't have this or you don't have that, that you cannot be victorious against the Canaanites. Don't think in yourself for one second that God is too small or too weak to give you that mountain. If God wants you to have it, God's going to give it to you. And God's done promised that you can have it. And so sometimes somebody on the outside, it's good for them to come in and show us what we can't see for ourselves. What did I do with my glasses? Ah, there they are. And so we can see here in the text. There in verse 18, he says, but the mountain shall be thine. It says, He shall be thine. He was a visionary for them. Listen, we need people sometimes that can come into our life and help us to see what we cannot see, to motivate us to press forward, who will believe in us, who will show us that we can trust in Christ and that we are more than what we think we are, not because we're powerful, but because we have a mighty God that lives and dwells within us. Not because we can do it, but because there's a God inside of us that says, I can do all things through Christ. And so sometimes we can lose sight of that. And it's great when somebody can come along by your side and just help you to be a visionary because they can perhaps see what you cannot. that you can overcome, that you can be victorious, and don't get so focused on the problems, but focus on how big and great and mighty God is. He was being, and Joshua was trying to be an encouragement to the tribe. He was trying to motivate them. He was trying to advocate for them and believe in them. He was trying to be a visionary for them, because they couldn't see past their own chariots of iron that was in front of them. and he needed them to see that they could be victorious. Notice he says, he says, but the mountain shall be thine. It is a guarantee. God's gonna give it to you. Listen, in other words, it's like you believe this mountain is yours like the title of these done been signed over and God's done stamped it with the seal of authority and your name is on it. Believe it so. He says, the mountain shall be yours. The problem is, is that Joshua could see the mountain could be theirs, God could see the mountain could be theirs, but they could not see the mountain could be theirs. And so they needed someone to come along beside of them and help them to see what they could not see for themselves. And I'm thankful for people that can come along in our life, that can motivate us, that can inspire us, that will believe in us. and will have a vision, help us to have a vision for what we cannot see. He says in verse 18, the mountain shall be thine, for it is a wood. Notice this, he says, and thou shalt cut it down, and the outgoings of it shalt be thine. And thou shalt drive out the Canaanites, though they have iron chariots, and though they be strong. Joshua could see what they could not see. And sometimes we need people that can come along in our life to help us to see what we cannot see for ourselves. Because we're just simply so focused on the chariots of iron. So Joshua was a big motivator, a big advocator for them, a big believer in them, not because of them, not because of their strength, but because he believed in the God that he served, that God could do all things. That anything that God, if God promised that you can have this, if God promised that you can be victorious, then you can. But the same thing happened to this child is the same thing that happens to us. We look at ourselves, and we say there's no way possible. Well, no, not for us, but with God in us, then all things are possible. Amen? It's like we talked this morning about the men that went in there into the promised land, and they came back out, and they said, we're as grasshoppers in our sight. Listen, I think it's good that we understand our weaknesses and that we acknowledge the power of God in our life. That's good. But I think we also got to understand that, listen, if we belittle ourselves down to such a degree and we think that we cannot do anything and we forget that God can do everything through us and in us, then we'll never enter into the promised land. We'll never eat of the grapes that they poured out of the promised land. We'll never enjoy those blessings. We'll never fight those giants and find ourselves behind those great city walls. And here we can see Joshua was trying to help to motivate them. He was trying to help inspire them by believing in them and showing them that, listen, you can do this through the power of God. And whenever we're facing things in our life, it's just an encouragement to know that there can be people that can come along our way, like Joshua, who can motivate us, believe in us, and advocate for us, and be a visionary for us. Because listen, sometimes we can just have bad eyesight. Sometimes we just can't see it. And I'm thankful for folks that can come along and help us to see what we need to see. Amen? Let's pray. Father, we come to you this evening, we thank you, Lord, for your goodness. Lord, you are faithful. Lord, I'm thankful that you show us in your word, yes, you can. Even though we're faced with difficulties and even though we're faced with mountains and chariots of iron, it seems like sometimes in our life. And we get in these places where we feel like we can't do it. Lord, we've all been there. God, we know that in our strength and our own personal abilities we are limited, but God, we know that through you we can do all things. And so Lord, I pray here tonight that as we face these things in life, that we don't see our problems bigger than you. That we don't minimize your power. That we don't forget about the God that has created all that there is. and see you as so small compared to the things that we face. Lord, I pray here tonight that it would be, this message would be an encouragement, Lord, to our hearts. That you'd help us to press forward and to, just to trust in you. But that also, God, that you'd help us to be an encourager like Joshua. Who can come along and motivate us to go in the right direction. Who can motivate us to press forward when we feel like we can't go any further. God, that you'd help us to be a people that will believe in each other because we believe in God. Not God, not because we have faith in our own abilities, but because we have faith in an almighty God that can use us and our weaknesses. Lord, I pray that you'd help us tonight, Lord, to be an encouragement to each other. Like Barnabas was to so many people in the New Testament, the son of encouragement. Lord, I pray that you would help us to be like-minded. A people full of spirit. A people that is full of goodness. Come along beside the folks that need a word of help and direction. Lord, I pray tonight that you would just bless the remainder of our night. Pray God you keep us safe as we get ready new week, and I pray, Lord, that you just watch over us all, bring us back here to an exit point in time on Wednesday, and this we pray in Jesus' name, amen.