Strong and Courageous

Joshua 1

¹ After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ aide: ² “Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them—to the Israelites. ³ I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses. ⁴ Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the great river, the Euphrates—all the Hittite country—to the Mediterranean Sea in the west. ⁵ 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. ⁶ Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their ancestors to give them.

Four times in the first chapter of Joshua we see this phrase: Be strong and courageous.  Three times it is from God to Joshua.  The fourth time it is from the people to Joshua.  God and the people all reminding Joshua of the presence of God and that strength and courage are the mode in which we follow. 

In the opening of Joshua it is about the loss of Moses as leader and the beginning of Joshua leading the people.  Yet so many places where we see the encouragements to lead in Joshua, and the responses of faith and courage that come, have been used by many in the church to show how we live as households and congregations which follow Jesus.

I can still see the small plaque that often hung in the kitchen, over or near the door, which stated words of response from Joshua as he came to the end of his time of leading the people.  Joshua 24.15 – But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.

What do we need to get rid of so that we can follow the Lord well in our homes today?  What do we need to pick up so we can follow the Lord well?  Whatever we see as the way to following well, we can also remember that we have that place of strength and courage, and maybe stronger, as we have the Holy Spirit in us always to lead and empower us to follow well.