Deuteronomy 31:8

"It is the Lord who marches before you; he will be with you and will never fail you or forsake you. So do not fear or be dismayed." -Deuteronomy 31:8

Moses used these words to reassure Joshua when he handed over the task of crossing the Jordan and leading the Israelites into the Promised Land. In a blunt paraphrase, Moses says, "It will not be easy. There will be battle, and the Canaanites will want to kill you, but don't worry. God is going before you, and God will save you from them. You will take their land, and be victorious."

This week I leave for college. Despite all my excitement and anticipation, I'll be honest. I am terrified. I will be entering a world that my parents fought so hard to keep my sheltered from. A world of sex, drugs, alcohol, materialism, atheism, and much more. College life is going to be a petri dish of opportunity for the devil to use. Temptation will be everywhere. My faith will be tested, and I may be faced with someone who strongly disagrees with my faith. It would be easy for me to hide who I am, and lay under the radar. However, that's not right. I want to be strong and make my faith apparent. No, I won't be in people's faces quoting scripture, but I want people to see me and know I'm Christian. This means I will have to be able to support and back up my faith, as well as avoid temptation and lead by example. "It is the Lord who marches before you." If God can overthrow kings, lead Moses, Joshua, and the Iraelites safely through battle, and provide food, shelter, and water for them, then God can lead me through college. I trust in him, and it may not be easy, but it will be victorious.

If you are scared or worried about stepping out your box, or concerned about any upcoming event, remember the Lord is going before you. Trust him and he won't let you down.