Courage

Courage

Be strong and courageous, for you will lead my people to possess all the land I swore to give their ancestors. Be strong and very courageous. Obey all the laws Moses gave you. Do not turn away from them, and you will be successful in everything you do. Study this Book of the Law continually. Meditate on it day and night so you may be sure to obey all that is written in it. Only then will you succeed. I command you—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.

Joshua 1: 6-9

Fear is a common human emotion. When we were children, we may have been afraid of the dark. In junior high and high school our anxieties were probably more social—we were afraid of doing anything that would cause us embarrassment. And as we mature, our fears become more sophisticated; we tend to fear things like illness, financial ruin, or abandonment.

In the verses above, Joshua is commanded three times to “be strong and courageous.” Sandwiched in the middle of this command are some instructions about the Law—God’s word to Israel: “Obey . . . do not turn . . . study continually . . . meditate.” The passage ends with the promise of God’s presence.

Joshua was facing what an earlier generation of Israel had been too frightened to confront—conquering the overwhelming might of the people in the Promised Land. The Israelites’ fear led them away from God into disobedience. Because of their lack of faith, God prevented that generation from entering the land. Now, forty years later, Joshua was facing the same anxieties. God didn’t minimize Joshua’s fear, but he promised strength through his very presence—“For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

All of us face fears as we walk through life—fears that might trouble us, paralyze us, or even prompt us to disobey what we know to be right. God calls us to confront our fears, not by pretending to be brave, but rather by finding what Joshua found: God’s Word to give us strength and his presence to give us peace.

Lord God,

Thank you that I can find the courage I need to face my fears through your Word and your presence. I know that you will never leave me or forsake me. In the name of Immanuel—“God with us”—amen.