Be Strong and Courageous
Joshua 1:9 (NIV)
‘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.’
Have you ever been told to ‘pull yourself together’ or you need to ‘get yourself some thick skin’? Emotional resilience and maturity is a good thing but pushing down your emotions and trying to muster up strength you don’t have, can be destructive.
God words to Joshua here are NOT about ‘pulling yourself together, pushing down our emotions, or mustering up strength from within. God calls the Israelites to be strong and courageous, not from their own strength, but by obeying his commands and drawing from his presence and promises.
God had saved the Israelites miraculously out of Egypt, sustained them for 40 years in the desert, and now they, under Joshua’s leadership, were about to ‘drive out’ the people who performed evil practices in the ‘promised land’. This required great strength and courage from Joshua and Israel, and the victory was only possible through total trust in God.
Like the Israelites entering the promised land, new possibilities might lie ahead of us, individually or as a church. Perhaps we don’t have the full picture of what new things lie ahead. Neither did Joshua! God had given Israel the ‘big picture’ of taking the land, but he didn’t spell out each part of the plan immediately. He simply asked them to obey his commands.
It might be God is simply asking you to be faithful to him for now, trusting him to work out his plans for your life in his perfect time. God calls you to be strong and courageous, trusting he’s got it!
And that’s the confidence we declare, when, at bed-time, my 3-year-old and I speak these words over each other, acting out the verse by tensing our biceps together (squeeze -yeeesss!) knowing that we can both draw strength from God.
Prayer – Lord God, I love you! I choose to be strong and courageous today, living out my life the way you ask of me. I thank you that as I trust in you and your ways, I can be confident that your presence goes with me and before me.