Be strong and courageous!

Joshua 1:1-9

After the death of Moses the Lord’s servant, the Lord spoke to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ assistant. He said, ² “Now that my servant Moses is dead, you must lead my people across the Jordan River into the land I am giving them. ³ I promise you what I promised Moses: ‘Everywhere you go, you will be on land I have given you—⁴ from the Negev Desert in the south to the Lebanon mountains in the north, from the Euphrates River on the east to the Mediterranean Sea on the west, and all the land of the Hittites.’ ⁵ No one will be able to stand their ground against you as long as you live. For I will be with you as I was with Moses. I will not fail you or abandon you.

⁶ “Be strong and courageous, for you will lead my people to possess all the

land I swore to give their ancestors. ⁷ Be strong and very courageous. Obey all the laws Moses gave you. Do not turn away from them, and you will be successful in everything you do. ⁸ Study this Book of the Law continually. Meditate on it day and night so you may be sure to obey all that is written in it. Only then will you succeed. ⁹ I command you—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

Holy Bible : New Living Translation. 1997, c1996 (electronic ed.) (Jos 1:1). Wheaton: Tyndale House

In the first chapter of the book of Joshua, God tells Joshua to "be strong and courageous" twice, and once He tells him to "be strong and VERY courageous."  Why the repitition?

Joshua was in a situation that must have felt completely overwhelming.  The Israelites had been wandering in the desert for 40 years, and their leader Moses had just died.  

Joshua was to take over for Moses, and that in itself must have been a frightening prospect.  Over the years he saw the people turn on Moses whenever things didn't go their way.  If that happened to him, surely it would happen to poor Joshua as well.k 

But the task that God had for him was completely over the top.  He was to lead these stubborn, grumpy former slaves into the land that God has promised them.  In order to take possession, they were going to have to go to war against trained soldier, huge armies, and people who were, according to the scouts who checked out the land years ago, "giants."  The odds were completely against them.

But God was emphatic.  Joshua needed to be strong and courageous, not because he was arrogant or strong or wise.  He was to be strong and courageous, because he was about to carry out God's orders.  God wanted it done.  He promised it would happen.  Yes, things didn't look good at first glance, their foes were very intimidating.  But they weren't fighting Joshua and the Israelites.  They were up against God!  The victory was not even in question when you looked at it through the eyes of faith.

God had some specific advice on how to conquer the fear that surely went with this situation.  He was to:

1.  Remember that God was going to be with him - always!  God will not abandon him, no matter what.

2.  Obey God's commands.  He was to study God's word, think about it, and make it the foundation for his decisions and actions.

Both of these things were vital.  They are vital to us today, as well.  

We face problems on a regular basis.  Stress is our constant companion.  How do we cope?  How do we go on, when daily life feels overwhelming?

We can have hope, if we remember that God is more than just a concept.  He can be our daily companion.  The main point of God's message to Joshua is that He cared about what was going on.  He cares about us and our problems and challenges as well.

If we will let God's principles be our guide, if we will take our problems to Him in prayer, He can help us face them.  He can help us to do the impossible, because He is with us.  So be strong and very courageous!  You are not in this by yourself!