Scripture: Joshua 1:6
"Be strong, and of good courage, for to this people you shall divide as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give them." NKJV
Just a quick thought today, as I ponder the directions the Lord gave to Joshua at the very outset of his ministry. It is curious to note the repetition of the words, "be strong and courageous" in the verses 6-9 of Joshua chapter 1. I am persuaded that any time we see such obvious repetition, the Lord is trying to get our attention - so that we might not miss a very important principle of life.
The Lord appears to be trying to communicate two distinct thoughts here to Joshua. The first of those thoughts is to "be strong". Now, I suspect that Joshua, a young man who had basically grown up in the desert wilderness, was already blessed with a certain element of "physical" strength. But here, God is commissioning Joshua to be "spiritually strong". And Joshua NEEDED such strength - he was inheriting the command of over 2.5 million people from Moses.
And second, the Lord tells Joshua to "be courageous". Why do you think that God would attach this advice to that of "being strong"? Do you suppose that the trials and course of events that Joshua was heading into would require such courage? Well, if one were to read on in Joshua, we would clearly see that such was exactly the case. But what about for you and me? Does this advice stand up to the test of the current day and age?
I believe that we all, as Christians, are to be both strong, AND courageous. Here in America, we live in a world that can easily be described as "decadent". All around us are enticements to compromise that which we know to be good, pure, and true. Those things, that just a few short years ago would have shocked our parents, are commonplace and "accepted" by the majority of the world today. In order to be a Christian in 1996, it is almost a given that we must be strong. We must find that spiritual strength that comes only from the Lord, in order to survive against the pressures of this world. The Word says we are in this world, but not of it.
And as far as courage is concerned, I have preached for years that we, as Christians, must be bold about our faith in Christ. We must not be ashamed of the Gospel of Christ, but rather, we must boldly proclaim it as being the ONLY way to succeed on an eternal basis. Anything less is vanity, and total uselessness.
I think it goes without saying that in this day and age, when taking a stand for Christ can bring about all manner of troubles and hardships - an element of courage is necessary. The good news is that God enables us to lift our heads high as we proclaim all that is true! Truly, He is the provider for all of our needs!
Now, ask yourself the question: "why?". Why is it that God would have us (or Joshua) be strong and courageous? Is the answer not found in the end of the verse? God was equipping Joshua to deliver on a promise... the promise of the land God swore to their fathers. So, too, we are to be strong and courageous in order to fulfill the promises of the Lord in our lives, and in the lives of the others.
Remember - NOTHING the Lord asks us is beyond our ability to accomplish. He is not some cruel puppet master that enjoys seeing us get into messes we cannot get out of. He WILL provide! So, be strong... and very courageous. Go forth in confidence, friends!
Copyright © 1996 Eric S. Reamer, all rights reserved