By Shelly Burke
After
the death of Moses, the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua…”Have I not
commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be
dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you, wherever you go.” Joshua 1:1, 9
Courage is a requirement for life today, just as it was
approximately 3400 years ago when these words were written.
In these verses the Lord was talking to Joshua. Moses, the
great leader, had just died, after leading the Israelites out of Egypt and in
the wilderness for 40 years. Now Joshua was tasked with not only leading the
Israelites into the promised land but
also conquering the people who were already there. The task was daunting, to
say the least.
What are you facing today, that demands your courage?
Troubles with a child? The break-up of a marriage? Single parenting? Illness of a friend or family member—or perhaps
yourself? End-of-life decisions? Unexpected or sudden life changes? Financial
challenges?
God gave Joshua a
huge task, but He also gave him directions.
*”Only be strong
and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my
servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or the left…you
shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according
to all that is written in it.” .
*”Do not be
frightened and do not be dismayed…”
We can follow the same directions God gave Joshua—following His
word. Meditating on it day and night. Being careful to do what we read in His
word. (Thankfully the death and resurrection of Jesus released us from having
to follow all of the laws of the OT, but the principles of the Ten Commandments
in the Old Testament still apply today.)
He also gave Joshua
and the Israelites promises:
*”Just as I was
with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you.” Joshua
1:5b
*”…the Lord your
God is with you, wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9b
And we can also claim these promises as well. We know that
through whatever we face, God will be with us, wherever we go. He will never
leave us or forsake us. We can take courage in knowing that through the Lord,
through His Word, and His promises, we can face our future with courage because
we will never be alone.
Lord, I thank you for your guidance, and
for your promises. With them I need never fear, as I know that You will guide
me and that I will never be alone. Amen.
