Scripture to Read: Joshua 1:6–9
God gave Joshua three more reminders of His command in Joshua 1:6, 7, & 9 to “be strong and courageous.” God had spoken these same words to Joshua through Moses in Deuteronomy 31:6 & 8, and then again in Deuteronomy 31:23 when God commissioned Joshua. The strength and courage Joshua needed came from the Lord and not from himself. God clarified for Joshua how to be strong and courageous. First, God told Joshua in Joshua 1:6 to be strong and courageous because he would take possession of the land God had promised to give them. Second, in Joshua 1:7, God clarified that the strength and courage Joshua needed would come from his willingness to walk in obedience to God and His Word. Third, in Joshua 1:9, God commanded Joshua to be strong and courageous because God was with him. God tells us in Ephesians 6:10, “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might.” God reminds us that the same strength and courage He commanded Joshua to walk in is the same strength and courage we must walk in daily. We’re not facing adversaries in flesh and blood, but we’re facing spiritual adversaries, as God points out in Ephesians 6:12. Just as God prepared Joshua for the physical battles he and the Israelites would face as they began to take possession of the promised land, God prepares us for the spiritual battles we face each day as we daily crucify our flesh so that we walk in obedience to Him and His Word and not our fleshly desires.
Challenge & Application
What were the three reasons God told Joshua to be strong and courageous?
What does God reveal to us about where our strength and courage come from as His children?
Don’t forget to pray using the A.C.T.S. (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication) method!