Strong and Courageous

We all know strong and courageous people in our lives. We admire them. We wish we could be like them. And yet, more often than not on a bad day, we come to the conclusion that strength and courage will forever elude us. But you don’t have to give up and think, “Oh well…”

It’s entirely possible to believe in God and yet still feel weak, powerless, and afraid. I did a search through the Bible on my PC for the phrase “do not be afraid.” Would you like to know how many times it pops up? Sixty-five times.

That tells us something. Sometimes what’s going on inside our heart is so different than what we allow people to see of us on the outside. And it doesn’t matter who you are, or how you appear to others—some days life is going to be tough. 

When Moses died, his second-in-command, Joshua, had to take over the leadership role of a million of God’s people who’d been on a forty-year journey through the wilderness. They’re about to cross the Jordan River and then have to take the Promised Land, battle by battle. 

Scary? You bet ya! But this is what God said to Joshua:

“Remember, I commanded you to be strong and courageous. Don’t be afraid, because the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:9). 

In fact, in those first nine verses of that book, God tells Joshua three times to be strong and courageous. 

But on what basis? When you have to lead your people into life-and-death situations, into battle after battle, attacking fortified cities, what basis does God give Joshua for this command to be strong and courageous? 

“… because the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.” 

It doesn’t get any better than that. 

Life Application Questions

• Who comes to mind when you think of people in your life who are strong and courageous? What is it that you admire about them?
• Do you ever feel you have to maintain a façade of strength when you’re afraid or down? Or that strength and courage are always a little out of your reach?
• Read through the story of Joshua in chapter one again. How do you think you would’ve responded in his shoes?
• Meditate on God’s promise to Joshua in Joshua 1:9 that He will be with him. Speak it out loud that “the LORD your God will be with you.” Ask your Heavenly Father to cement that same promise in your heart today.