Strong and Courageous (Joshua 1:1-9)

               Ever had a situation that you did not expect? I do not mean a little surprise in your life, but I mean something that you did not expect. A person from work quits out of the blue. Or maybe a medical bill that you did not budget for. Well, something happened to Joshua that he was not expecting.

               Joshua was the 2nd in Command to Moses during the time of the Israelites wondering in the wilderness for 40 years. The time has come for the Israelites to go into the Promised Land. However, Moses would not be joining them. Moses had sinned against God. We see this in Numbers 20. So, Joshua was given the command of Israel.

               Even though we see a change in command, Joshua is given the same promise from God that was given to Moses. In Joshua 1:3-5 we see that God said that He will never leave him or forsake him. The word forsake means abandon. God said that He will not abandon them. God also talks about how no one will stand up against them. This means that they will win the battle, every time. That is a great confidence boost!

               Joshua was nervous with this news as he is taking this new command. Three times within the first nine verses of Joshua 1, God said, “Be strong and courageous.” God was trying to communicate to Joshua that he needed to have faith. Faith that God will protect, provide, and give them the land that was promised.

               We see that Joshua learns that he gets his strength from God. He does not get it from anywhere else. His strength comes from the Lord. So, a question I encourage you to ask yourself is, “Where do you get your strength from?” Does it come from video games, your paycheck, the gym, or from God?