1). Now after the death of Moses the servant of the Lord it came to pass, that the Lord spake unto Joshua the son of Nun, Moses' minister, saying, 2). Moses my servant is dead; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, thou, and all this people, unto the land which I do give to them, even to the children of Israel. 3). Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that I have given unto you, as I said unto Moses. 4). From the wilderness and this Lebanon even unto the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and the great sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your coast. 5). There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee:I will not fail thee nor forsake thee. 6). Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them. 7). Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest serve to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest. 8). This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth: but thou shall meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and thou shalt have good success.
JOSHUA 1:1-8
What do the following people have in common: Joshua, the Israelite leader; Daniel, the visionary; Jesus’ disciples; and the apostle Paul? For one thing, they were all dedicated followers of God. But in addition to that, they all needed great courage.
For example, Joshua was called to lead the nation of Israel into the Promised Land. Perhaps he thought, Who am I to follow in Moses’ footsteps? or What if the people don’t support my leadership? God spoke reassuringly to him three times, telling him to be strong and courageous. Joshua responded with faith and based his bravery on two precious assurances:
1. God travels with us. The Lord pledged to be with the Israelites in the new land. He makes a similar promise to us and, in fact, travels with us in a far more intimate way—through His indwelling Spirit.
2. God goes before us. The Lord promised to take care of the enemy before the Israelites arrived. They still faced battles, but He assured them of victory if they obeyed. Jesus has already won the spiritual battle through His death on the cross. Our redemption has been secured and our place in God’s family established.
Ask God to help you trust in these two promises and to face each day with courage.
-IBC
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