Be Strong
Joshua 1:1-9 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.”
For the most part, I imagine many of us learned about Joshua the same way— “Joshua-fit the battle of Jericho and the walls came tumbling down.” But as we grow both in age and in faith, plunging deeper into the Word, we learn more about the man called Joshua.
Joshua was one of the twelve spies who returned from the Promised Land with a positive report—the land was flowing with milk and honey. It is ours to take.
The Scripture reveals that to this day, the Israelites have never claimed all of the land God gave them. God assured them to be strong and take courage, keep the Word ever before them. God said, “The Lord your God will go with you wherever you go.”
What happened? It is known as “the 4 S’s—sin, slavery, supplication and salvation. The Israelites entered into the above cycle and it has repeated itself over and over again. The sin the Israelites committed the most often was idolatry. They simply could not, or would not, stay faithful to the one, true and living God.
So what does this mean for us today? It means that we, too, are charged with meditating on the Word, trusting in God during uncertain times, and remaining courageous regardless of the circumstances.
May we follow God faithfully, knowing that He alone can see from the beginning of time to the end of time, and He alone knows the end of our stories.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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