Stand Firm and No Be Scared
do what you’re told and see god’s promises come true…
'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. Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their ancestors to give them.
“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. 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. 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.” ' Joshua 1:5-9
joshua was essentially moses’ 2nd in command. after moses’ death, God choose joshua to lead the israelites into the land promised to them. the problem was how the people had acted in the past and their the tendency to fall away. they needed a obedient, brave, and strong leader who would hold them all accountable to do the same; all of which was found in him.
the theme here is 2 parts, israel’s faith in God (obey all the law), and in return God’s favor (inherit the land I swore) to them. what was needed for this to really happen relied on a few things:
1) for joshua to be strong and courageous - repeated 4x (once with do not be afraid, do not be discouraged) in these 5 verses;
2) get in the Word of God, know and meditate on it, do what it says
like other passages that speak of following (listening and doing) the Book of the Law, these, too, come with great promises - a) our enemies will not overcome us; b) The Lord would always be with us; c) inherit what was promised (the land); d) we will succeed and prosper.
in our walk with The Lord, like joshua, we are asked to follow Him and do what He taught. if we do stand firm in His love, we have nothing to be afraid (be strong) of nor undaunted (courageous) to what’s ahead for God’s promises to come through. from there we need to get into The Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth so we can learn who we are in Christ, what His will and purpose for our lives are, to learn how to love God and others, for helping those around me, and so much more.
dear Heavenly Father, i want to live out my life with courage, faith, and obedience like joshua. may i learn to lead my family and those you’ve placed into my life to the best of my ability. i want to see the promises you speak of and have in store for us and need your help in every step of our lives. would you pour out your Holy Spirit to help us fulfill your will and purposes for our lives. teach us to be in your presence Lord Jesus. in your mighty and life-giving name we pray, amen!