There are many times in life when we are ready to give up; many things happen to us that take away our strength and faith to keep living; we have to trust in the Lord during the times when our hearts feel very dark and when we have no hope for the future. Difficulties and problems are a normal part of life. We have to realize that many things that happen to us are hard for us to understand; we can get scared and think that there is no point trying to go any further; we may want to give up because the road we are walking on is so long and we are very tired. But, at those times we need to look up to Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour; at those times of sadness and fear we need to put our faith in Jesus Christ and call upon His name in prayer and wait for Him to come and save us from our problems.
Many people in the Bible were afraid to do what God wanted them to do; many people in the Bible were tired and did not want to move forward with the plan that God had made for their lives. One person like that was Joshua. Joshua had a very big job ahead of him and God knew that He had to make Joshua strong in his faith. So this is what God told Joshua:
“After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ aide: “Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them—to the Israelites. I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses. Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the great river, the Euphrates—all the Hittite country—to the Mediterranean Sea in the west. No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their ancestors to give them.
“Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” – Joshua 1:1-9
“Addoonkii Rabbiga oo Muuse ahaa markuu dhintay dabadeed, Rabbigu wuxuu la hadlay Yashuuca ina Nuun, oo Muuse midiidin u ahaa, oo wuxuu ku yidhi, Addoonkaygii Muuse ahaa waa dhintay, haddaba kac, oo webigan Urdun ka tallaaba, adiga iyo dadkan oo dhammuba, oo waxaad u gudubtaan dalka aan siinayo iyaga, kuwaasoo ah reer binu Israa’iil. Meel kasta oo aad cagta dhigtaanba waan idin siiyey, sidaan Muuse ugu sheegay.Oo soohdintiinnu waxay noqon doontaa marka laga bilaabo cidlada, iyo Lubnaantan, iyo xataa tan iyo webiga weyn oo ah Webi Yufraad, iyo dalka reer Xeed oo dhan, iyo tan iyo badda weyn ee xagga qorraxdu u dhacdo. Cimrigaaga oo dhan ninna isma kaa hor taagi kari doono. Sidaan Muuse ula jiray ayaan adigana kuula jiri doonaa. Kuma aan gabi doono, kumana aan dayrin doono. Haddaba xoog yeelo, oo aad u dhiirranow, waayo, dadkan waxaad dhaxalsiisaa dalkii aan ugu dhaartay awowayaashood inaan iyaga siiyo.Xoog uun yeelo, oo aad u dhiirranow inaad dhawrtid oo aad yeeshid si waafaqsan sharcigii addoonkaygii Muuse kugu amray oo dhan. Si aad ugu liibaantid meel kastoo aad tagtidba, sharcigaas ha uga leexan midigta iyo bidixda toona. Kitaabkan sharcigu waa inaanu afkaaga ka tegin, laakiinse waa inaad u fiirsataa habeen iyo maalinba, si aad u dhawrtid wax alla waxa ku qoran oo dhan, waayo, markaasaad jidkaaga ku barwaaqoobi doontaa, waanad liibaani doontaa. Miyaanan kugu amrin? Xoog yeelo, oo aad u dhiirranow. Ha cabsan, hana qalbi jabin, waayo, Rabbiga Ilaahaaga ahu wuu kula jiraa meel kastoo aad tagtidba.”
When we know we are doing the right thing then God will give us the power and the energy to do what it is He wants us to do; sometimes we get scared and we do not do what we want to do; but I believe God will always give us another chance to do what we were supposed to do for Jesus.
There once was a woman who had a daughter and they both believed in Jesus Christ. One day the leader of the church where the woman and her daughter went was arrested. The police came and started to take the leader of the church away to prison. The woman told the police that they should not arrest the leader of the church. So the police arrested the woman and her daughter and put them both in prison.
The woman was very upset and sad that she had to live in the prison with her daughter because her daughter was crying very much. The prison captain told the woman that if she stood up on a stage in front of many people and told the people that she didn’t believe in Jesus Christ anymore then the prison captain would allow her to go home with her daughter. So the mother went on the stage and told the people that she did not believe in Jesus Christ anymore; the woman said that she was not a Christian. The prison guard let the woman and her daughter go home.
The little girl said to her mother that Jesus was sad about what the mother had done that day; Jesus wanted the mother to be strong in her faith and tell the prison captain that she was a Christian and did not care if she had to stay in prison because she believed in Jesus Christ as her Lord and Saviour. The little girl said that she would not cry if they went back to the prison.
So the mother went back to the prison captain and told him that she was a Christian and that she believed in Jesus Christ as her Lord and Saviour. The prison captain put the little girl and her mother back in the jail. Sometimes we are afraid of what Jesus lets happen in our lives; sometimes we think that it is better to say we do not believe in Jesus to save ourselves from some kind of problems; but it is always better to trust in the Lord and to follow Him.
May people who lived before us had to suffer for their faith; faith in God is a wonderful thing and gives us such peace and joy. Let us listen to what the Bible has to say about faith and trusting in the Lord:
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. 2 We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. 3 Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won’t become weary and give up. 4 After all, you have not yet given your lives in your struggle against sin.
12 So take a new grip with your tired hands and strengthen your weak knees. 13 Mark out a straight path for your feet so that those who are weak and lame will not fall but become strong.
14 Work at living in peace with everyone, and work at living a holy life, for those who are not holy will not see the Lord. 15 Look after each other so that none of you fails to receive the grace of God. Watch out that no poisonous root of bitterness grows up to trouble you, corrupting many. 16 Make sure that no one is immoral or godless like Esau, who traded his birthright as the firstborn son for a single meal. 17 You know that afterward, when he wanted his father’s blessing, he was rejected. It was too late for repentance, even though he begged with bitter tears.
24 You have come to Jesus, the one who mediates the new covenant between God and people, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks of forgiveness instead of crying out for vengeance like the blood of Abel.
28 Since we are receiving a Kingdom that is unshakable, let us be thankful and please God by worshiping him with holy fear and awe. 29 For our God is a devouring fire.” – Hebrews 12
“Sidaas daraaddeed, innagoo haysanna markhaatiyaal badan oo sida daruur u weyn oo inagu wareegsan, aynu iska dhigno culays kasta iyo dembiga dhibyaraanta inoogu dhegaya, oo aynu adkaysasho ku orodno tartanka ina hor yaal, 2 innagoo fiirinayna Ciise oo ah Bilaabaha iyo Dhammeeyaha rumaysadkeenna, kii farxaddii hor tiil daraaddeed u adkaystay iskutallaabta, isagoo fududaysanaya ceebta, oo fadhiistay midigta carshiga Ilaah.
3 Haddaba ka fiirsada kii u adkaystay hadalkii ka geesta ahaa oo dembilayaasha inaydnaan daalin oo aanay nafihiinnu itaal beelin. 4 Idinkoo dembi la dagaallamaya weli iskama aydnaan celin ilaa dhiig idinka daato
12 Sidaas daraaddeed xoogeeya gacmaha taagta daran iyo jilbaha tabarta yar.13 Cagihiinnana waddooyin toosan u sameeya si aan curyaanku u murkacan laakiin u bogsado.
14 Nabad kula dadaala dadka oo dhan, iyo quduusnaanta aan la’aanteed ninna Rabbiga arki doonin. 15 Fiiro u yeesha si aan ninna u gaadhi waayin nimcada Ilaah, waaba intaasoo xidid qadhaadhi soo baxaa oo idin dhibaa, oo qaar badanu ku nijaasoobaane, 16 si aan dhillay u jirin ama qof cibaado la’ sidii Ceesaw oo ahaa kii curadnimadiisii kala baxay waxoogaa cunto ah. 17 Waayo, waad og tihiin, xataa kolkuu dabadeedto jeclaaday inuu dhaxlo barakada, in loo diiday, in kastoo uu doondoonay, isagoo ilmo daadinaya, waayo, ma uu helin meel uu ka soo noqdo.
22 Laakiin idinku waxaad timaadeen Buur Siyoon iyo magaaladii Ilaaha nool oo ah Yeruusaalemtii jannada, oo waxaad u timaadeen guutooyin malaa’igo ah oo isu soo ururay, 23 iyo kiniisadda curadyada oo ku qoran jannada, iyo Ilaaha ah Xaakinka wax kasta, iyo ruuxyada kuwa qumman oo la kaamilay,24 iyo Ciise oo ah dhexdhexaadiyaha axdiga cusub, iyo dhiigga rushaynta oo u hadla si ka wanaagsan kii Haabiil. 28 Sidaas daraaddeed innagoo helayna boqortooyo aan la gariirin karin, aynu mahadnaqno si aynu Ilaah uga farxinno innagoo cibaado iyo cabsi ugu adeegayna; 29 waayo, Ilaaheennu waa dab wax baabbi’iya.”
My dear brother and sister Somalis we have been on the radio now for one year and we have continued to teach you the same message of the Lord: Jesus Christ died for your sins on the cross; He was buried and after 3 days God raised Him from the dead. If you call upon the name of Jesus Christ and ask Him to forgive you your sins He will do it; Jesus will give you eternal life if you believe in Him. God is good. He prepared a way for you and I to be saved – so if you want to go to heaven and have your sins forgiven then put your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ – and you will be saved.
Let us pray…