Joshua Inspires Faithfulness

Be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go (Joshua 1:9). Scripture reading: Joshua 1-9

On the eve of taking authority over the Promised Land, Joshua was challenged four times to be strong and courageous (Joshua 1:6,7,9 and 18).

Assurance of God’s presence by faith enables us to be courageous in both believing and doing what God has spoken. The Lord gives us the same assurance given to Joshua: He will never leave us or forsake us. (v.5). The Lord Himself encourages not to fear, but to be strong and courageous. Many times, I have read these scriptures when needing strength to press in.

Verse 7,8 tells us not to turn from God’s Word so you may prosper wherever you go and if you meditate on it day and night you will have good success. Reading God’s Word gives us the foundation on which we can learn to walk by faith. Joshua knew God’s Word, believed it, and acted upon it in faith. His life began in Egypt and at the end of a long life, he could say that all of God’s promises had come to pass. Joshua and Caleb were the only two of his generation to enter the Promised Land. Joshua, like Moses, was a type of Jesus, who leads all the faithful into the ultimate land of promise, the cathedral of God.

God’s Word will impact our lives as we apply it by faith. Knowing God’s Word, but not knowing how to apply it is futile and doesn’t help us in life just knowing about God’s Word. Joshua’s life reveals to us, by applying faith and relying on God’s strength and wisdom, and not our own, brings triumphant living to our lives by trusting in God during times of uncertainty.

By the time of his death, Joshua was known simply as “the servant of the Lord” (Judg.2:7,8). For all his heroic accomplishments, nowhere does Scripture describe him as a man of extraordinary might, intellect or talent. What made him extraordinary was his obedience, and when you’re a servant of the Lord, that’s all you really need.

Pastor Greg Volich