Why did God say to Joshua, “Be strong and of good courage”? For four reasons: (1) For Joshua’s own sake. God had a lot invested in Joshua; the future of an entire nation rested on his shoulders. And since God has a lot invested in you too, you must believe that it’s His will for you to succeed. If you grew up in a family or church where you felt unworthy of God’s favor and unentitled to His blessing, you must reprogram your mind with the Scriptures. “Then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success” (Jos 1:8 NKJV). (2) For the Lord’s sake. God told Joshua, “Do not be afraid…for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go” (Jos 1:9 NKJV). God’s reputation was on the line. The nations in Canaan had heard how He delivered the Israelites from slavery, drowned the Egyptian army in the Red Sea, and fed His people with food from heaven every day. Had Joshua failed to conquer the Promised Land it would have brought reproach to God’s name and made His people a laughingstock. The Lord had a bigger stake in Israel’s success than anyone else. His plan to bring forth the Messiah depended on their success. His desire was to turn a bunch of slaves into the greatest nation on earth—one that served the true and living God. And Joshua had a big part to play in it. Where did Joshua’s strength come from? This promise: “The Lord your God is with you wherever you go” (Jos 1:9 NIV).
Published on Sunday, November 27, 2011 @ 8:09 AM CDT