The Fifth Idea: The Parable of the House

There once was a man who wanted to buy a house. So, this man made a list of all the things he wanted in a house. He made a list of wants, needs, and then he made a budget.
On a certain day the man went out to look at houses. As he looked he walked through many halls, rooms, doors, pantries, garages, and beautiful backyards, but nothing he saw in his budget made him feel as though he would be completely happy. None of them fulfilled his needs and wants good enough to call the house a home. Then, he came upon 1110 Mountain street. It was the perfect size, the perfect space, the perfect floor plan, and the imperfect price.
As soon as he heard the cost he drew back. It was far out of his budget. If he wanted to buy this house he would have to work for at least another two months for the down payment. He decided to contact the owner of the house to see what he could do.
When they met he inquired how long the house had been on the market, and the owner replied a little over two weeks. This time frame was not enough to tell the man whether or not there would be other people that would buy the house in the time he was working, but he didn't dare ask the owner if other people were interested in the house as well. He was trying his best to be aloof to see if he could get the price lower. The man liked the house, but it was a lot to sacrifice to get the promise of being able to buy it when he was ready.
The owner informed the man that in three weeks the house would be pulled off the market for remodeling, but that the sign would remain in the yard. He also informed the buyer that if someone was interested in the house and could provide the owner with a contract and promise to buy that as soon as the remodeling was over he would sell it. The man weighed his options. If he promised the man now that he would buy the house then he wouldn't be able to get the price any lower, but if he could work and wait until the remodeling was complete he could pay when he believed he would be ready and move in right away. There was also the problem that someone else would be interested in the home as well and make an offer better and more solid than his.
So, what will he do? Will he simply wait? Will he make his promise to buy? Will he lose his house? We don't know.


This parable has no ending right now. It has yet to be made, but you can imagine the many ways it could end. In each ending a different lesson can be learned, and in each ending the fate of the seller and the buyer change. In some endings the seller is satisfied and has a good promise his house will be sold, and in others the seller must wait without promise or security that his house will be sold. In some endings the buyer will acquire his house, and in others it will be lost.
Because this is a parable I'll let you discover everything you could learn, but I will say this: With all things in life, we don't have it until we have it. Waiting is good, but don't wait too long to do or get the things you want. No matter what everyone else does or what anyone else says, you should do what's best for you. And if you want to wait think about what it is you are sacrificing and weigh that. Remember, sacrifice is giving up something good for something better, but if you give up the good thing and never get the better then all you've done is give up.

The Fourth Idea: "Be strong and of good courage."

As we read through the bible a sentence often shows up in Joshua as the Lord speaks with his servant about how to bring his people into the land he promised them. "Be strong and of good courage." Courage is of course, a great value to have and it often goes along with strength. So this apparent admonition to be courageous and strong is just that. Or could there possibly be more to one sentence than we have let ourselves become used to seeing?

If you look at the wording of the sentence you discover very important things. (Note: No word in the correctly translated Bible should be overlooked. Every word is there for a reason!)
The first word we encounter in this phrase is "be". The word "be" here can, and in my opinion, does imply that the following words are to become part of who you are. 'Being' means it is ingrained into every fiber of your character.
The word that immediately follows "be" is "strong". There's not much to say for this word that probably hasn't already been said. I can say though that strength is as good a spiritual quality as it is mental or physical, even more so than the latter. Not to forget though, the kind of strength the Lord is commanding Joshua (and in turn, us) to have encompasses all 3, but when thinking of how we are to "be strong" the Lord was probably referring to a more constant state if strength. That is, the strength of our spirit and mind. When we are spiritually and mentally strong we are prepared for any challenges and can face the ones that come.
Next is the word "And". We all probably know what the word "and" means, but keep in mind that this is combining two ideas. We must "Be strong" and "Of good courage." This means that we must be both.
With this in mind, we will move on to the next word. "Of" is a word that has a similar meaning with "Be" it means that that is what makes up who we are. When we are "Of" a certain nature it means that all of our actions flow from that nature. The definition of the word is 'expressing the relationship between a part and a whole'. Meaning, when we are 'of' something, it is a part of us, it makes up who we are.
Now lets see the kind of people Heavenly Father wants us to be. The next word is "Good." "Good" morally defined is "That which is morally right; righteous." Which here is very self explanatory. Now let's see it in relation to the last word.
"Courage" means we have the strength to do things that we are afraid of. It does not mean we are devoid of fear, but that we face the things we fear. Now what about the relationship between "Good" and "Courage"? What if the Lord was not only telling us to face our fears, but to face them in a good way.
How many of us face out fears, but choose to face the wrong fears, the wrong way, or with the wrong priorities? When we choose to face the challenges of life God wants us to be "Of good courage." He wants us to face our fears and trials the way Christ would. Think about the brilliant, perfect example of courage is Christ. He did the right thing, in the right way, always. The reason Christ had the power to be who he is and live the way he did is because he had the constant support and confidence of our Heavenly Father.
To put it into our newly discovered translation: We must be living in such a way that strength and courage are ingrained so fervently in our souls that the choices we make are made the way Christ would make them, with confidence in our Father in Heaven and in His power.

My dear friends: Be strong, and of good courage.