We read last week where the Lord had called Joshua to succeed Moses. Remember, Moses wasn’t allowed to enter Canaan because he had been disobedient to God. God still loved Moses, cared for him, provided for him, had relationship with him, and was always with him and Moses was still devoted (if not more so) to God, trusted God, communicated with God, and followed God; however, there were consequences for his disobedience to God.
The Lord calls Joshua forth and gives him very explicit instructions:
Be strong and courageous…Be strong and very courageous. Obey the laws Moses gave you. Do not turn away from them, and you will be successful in all you do. Study this Book of the Law continually. Meditate on it day and night so that you may be sure to obey all that is written in it. Only then will you succeed. I command you — be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged… Joshua 1:6-9
Sometimes the Bible is just so exceedingly clear. Be strong and courageous. Be strong and very courageous. Obey the laws. Study the Book continually. Meditate on it. Be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged.
There are no less than seven directives from God in these few short verses. One of which is repeated three times. Be strong and courageous. The Hebrew word for strong is chazaq and it means to be or grow firm or strong, to strengthen. And courageous in Hebrew is amet and it means to be stout, strong, strengthen, obstinate, mighty.
Joshua was about to be the leader of more than two million people. He was about to move them into a strange new land where they would be challenged at every turn. The move to the land of milk and honey was not going to be a cake walk. Joshua was leading a group of people more than the size of the entire State of West Virginia. In fact, there are other thirteen States that have fewer people than what Joshua was mobilizing to move. He was moving an entire State of people into hostile territory, into their God-given land. He needed reminders. Be strong and courageous.
And so do I. And so do you. We are all on a journey, sometimes we feel like we’re on a road to nowhere, right? But every one of our lives is a journey. A journey set in motion before time began. A journey specific to each one of us and yet supernaturally intertwined with each other. A journey sometimes into the honey spot. A journey many times into hostile territory.
Just like the Lord knew exactly what Joshua would need to make the journey, He knows exactly what we need on our journey. The route is distinct for each of us, our crossings are mapped out on different roadways, different experiences, different life events to conquer, different rivers that need to be crossed. But the “how to,” the guidance, the manner is the same.
Just like Joshua, the Lord has given us very explicit instructions: Be strong and very courageous. Read your Bible. Actually, God doesn’t just say to read your Bible, He says to study it “continually.” Make it a habit, without ceasing, always. He doubles down and says to “meditate on it day and night.” Think about it, contemplate, roll it around, chew on it, all the time. It’s interesting that another definition for “meditate” is “plan.” His Word is clear on this. When we study The Word, when we meditate on it, when we think on it and allow it to soak into our hearts and our minds, our plans will be in accord with God’s plans for our lives. The only way we will succeed is to follow The Word of God.
Obey the laws Moses gave you. Do not turn away from them and you will be successful in everything you do. Study this Book of the Law continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do. Joshua 1:7-8
Joshua had learned the ropes of leadership from Moses and he was in his own right a brilliant military strategist, a warrior leader. But, Joshua was not those things on his own. Joshua wasn’t a success because he was a great leader and a great fighter. He was a success because of who he followed. He had been trained by Moses for this moment in time, but because He was obedient to God he was powered by God to see it through.
God has given us the tools to move along on our journeys. His Presence, His Promises, His Word. So be strong and very courageous!