April 16, 2024 | Be God's Light
Be Strong and Courageous
Scripture: Joshua 1 (NIV)
1 After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ aide: 2 “Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them—to the Israelites. 3 I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses. 4 Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the great river, the Euphrates—all the Hittite country—to the Mediterranean Sea in the west. 5 No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. 6 Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their ancestors to give them.
7 “Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. 8 Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. 9 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.”
10 So Joshua ordered the officers of the people: 11 “Go through the camp and tell the people, ‘Get your provisions ready. Three days from now you will cross the Jordan here to go in and take possession of the land the Lord your God is giving you for your own.’”
12 But to the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh, Joshua said, 13 “Remember the command that Moses the servant of the Lord gave you after he said, ‘The Lord your God will give you rest by giving you this land.’ 14 Your wives, your children and your livestock may stay in the land that Moses gave you east of the Jordan, but all your fighting men, ready for battle, must cross over ahead of your fellow Israelites. You are to help them 15 until the Lord gives them rest, as he has done for you, and until they too have taken possession of the land the Lord your God is giving them. After that, you may go back and occupy your own land, which Moses the servant of the Lord gave you east of the Jordan toward the sunrise.”
16 Then they answered Joshua, “Whatever you have commanded us we will do, and wherever you send us we will go. 17 Just as we fully obeyed Moses, so we will obey you. Only may the Lord your God be with you as he was with Moses. 18 Whoever rebels against your word and does not obey it, whatever you may command them, will be put to death. Only be strong and courageous!”
Devotional
Forty years in the desert wilderness after leaving Egypt, the Israelites were ready to conquer the land God had promised them. This land was promised to Abraham some five hundred years earlier. Now God called it “the land the Lord your God is giving you for your own.”
Joshua would be their leader, having been chosen for the task by God Himself. Thirty-nine years prior to this moment, Moses tapped Joshua and eleven other people to spy out this same land to see if they could take it then. Joshua and Caleb said yes but were outmaneuvered by the other ten spies. As a result, the Israelites had to wait four more decades to take what God had promised to give them.
The bottom line is that the people were afraid and thought they were too weak to take the land. Perhaps that is why we see the phrase “be strong and courageous” so frequently in this chapter. How many times can you find it? What is the context? Why was this so important for them to hear?
Are there any areas of your life where you need to hear the message “be strong and courageous” from the Lord?
Remember that Joshua spent forty years being trained for this moment. Sometimes he was up on the mountain of God with Moses (Exodus 24:13). Other times he was down in the valley leading the people into battle (Exodus 17:13). Often, he was with Moses in the Tent of Meeting where Moses met with God face to face (Exodus 33:11). And Joshua was chosen by God and anointed by Moses to be the national leader to guide the people into the Promised Land (Numbers 27:18; Deuteronomy 1:38).
How did all this equip Joshua for the difficult task ahead? How have your experiences and training developed you for what you have coming up in your life?
1 Corinthians 16:13 says, “Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong.” This call to be strong and courageous is wind to our sails as we navigate the stormy waters of life.
Poem
Commands Of God To The Servants Of God
Arise! Get up! And make a stand!
You’re called to higher standard
Be full awake, Cast off all sloth
Grab hold of Spirit’s banner!
Now go! Move forward! Full advance!
Cross over into unknown
Each marching stride with confidence
Past passions overthrown
Full claim wherever you may trod
Expand the Kingdom’s borders
I will be with you where you tread
Obeying every order
Be strong! Put muscle to your task!
Faint not! Forth without waver
Put training, discipline, to test
Lean into God’s great favor
Let courage, boldness, be your staff
Speak clearly what is true
Care not for dangers in the field
Vict’ry belongs to you
A great inheritance is yours
A prize beyond all measure
For generations yet to come
A blessing of great treasure
Now meditate upon God’s word
From it, be not distracted
All else will one day pass away
God’s truth be all which lasted
