“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:9
The Lord is calling Joshua to action by charging him to be Moses’ replacement and lead the people of Israel across the river Jordan into the promised land. This was no small or simple task that our Lord was calling him to do. Joshua was probably very scared, very anxious, and fearful at this point in his life.
Joshua had to be overwhelmed because several times in this first chapter, the Lord says to be strong and courageous. Therefore, I looked up the Greek for strong and courageous to see what additional insight I could gain. The Greek translation is "to fasten upon, hence, to seize, repair, obstinate, to bind, restrain, conquer and to be alert both physically and mentally".
The Lord was equipping and preparing Joshua for the task at hand. The Lord did not stop there; He then promises that He would be with him every step of the way to assure success.
I think about difficult challenges and hurdles in life that we face on a regular basis. These challenges might be related to family, health, the economy, a job or a combination of these. They may seem huge and overwhelming and you are anxious and scared.
As we face our challenges and hurdles, just as our Lord told Joshua, be strong and courageous. Know also our Lord is going to be there with you! Do you need to reach out and ask our Lord for strength and courage today? Do you realize the presence of our Lord is with you?
