Be Strong and Of Good Courage

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Oct 11, 2017
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Joshua 1:1-9


In every great and tremendous tasks ahead, God assures us His victory. In the face of surmounting predicament, God promises never to leave us or forsake us. He never abandons us in the battle alone but instead, strengthens us, and vows of being with us always. It happens now. It happened before. He is not a respecter of persons; He is not partial either. All who comes to Him believing, God will not cast them out.

Joshua, after the death of Moses, was in a quandary. The leadership was passed on his shoulders. The task of leading the people of God into the Promise Land rested on him, bare and heavy. His mind had been filled with fears and uncertainty. It might have weakened him. In moments like these, God speaks in one way or another. And He always gets through, no matter what. When God’s people are following His will, God is never silent. His voice is always clear, rich and strong. God spoke to Joshua, and he heard Him loud and clear.

Amidst the great loss of a great leader, God reminded Joshua again and again and again, “Be strong and courageous”. The baton was his to carry. It was time for him to be in charge. But fear sometimes exaggerate things, darkens the blackness of night, puffed off flickering lights and weakens even more tottering knees. God repeated His promises to him, stamping it permanently on his mind. Like Joshua, most of the time, even though we already knew the promises of God for us but somehow its reality and efficacy didn’t seem to stick on our minds. Repetition is always needed. We often forget that our God will fight for us. He is still undisputed, undefeated and incomparable. And all we have to do is just be strong and courageous.

God reminded Joshua that mourning is over; it was time to arise and go, and enter the Land. The land is already theirs. Their part was to enter, claim and take it. As for us, let us not wallow on our losses because the assigned tasks are still ahead of us. Let us continue doing, keep on accomplishing and finish the tasks apportioned for us. Our Promised Land is ahead, God already mapped out what is ours. He measured all what is already ours. The master plan is finished. God had already seen it. This is faith in operation, seeing the unseen and touching the invisible. It’s already there. All we have to do is arise and enter, take and claim, conquer and win.

When God gives His word, stamped it with His promises, there is always a condition for us to do as our counterpart for its fulfillment. God has requirements for Him to operate freely on our lives. God, also, gave Joshua some stipulations which are applicable for us today.

1) Follow His commands (v.7). This meant an unwavering, steady adherence to the Laws of God. It includes the one-direction look on Him alone. This involves an undistracted, decisive following in our Savior. Any selfish, self-centered motivations are set aside.

2) Meditate on God’s Word day and night (v.8). We must not only obey God’s commands but also study His word intently. There is no other way of knowing His will in the absence of reading, meditating, pondering and ingesting His Word. God speaks in so many ways, and one of the most crucial sources of His instructions is His Word. How can one know His command without meditating on the Bible? How can one understand if he is ignorant of what God requires?

3) His Word must always be in our hearts, mind and mouths (v.8).

God never comes short of His promises. With each conditional promise emanate results far above we can ever think or imagine. First, there will be success in everything we do in accordance with His divine will and commands. Secondly, He will make our way prosperous – an open, wide, and accessible path. Since we are in His will, we are walking in His light; there is no darkness in Him. The path will be clear; we will not walk in darkness, groping for security and stumbling in the sharp edges of life.

God’s Word emboldens us to do His work. As part of His promise, if we meditate and study His Word, He will encourage us; increase our faith with His faith. It will be His faith in operation. He sees the invisible; He knows the future. He sees what is yet visible; He knows what the reality in the unseen is