BE STRONG AND COURAGEOUS (I)

 

How the World Interprets "Be Strong and Courageous"

People have often times described  “Be strong and courageous” in a broad way. The words “strong” and “courageous” take on various meanings in our culture. Now consider this scenario,  to voice your own opinion and shut down others is considered strength and courage. To promote or pursue a lifestyle that is against the teaching of Scripture is often labeled “brave” or “courageous”.

Thus, what is God saying or have said about being strong and courageous!

In  Joshua 1, God appointed Joshua as Moses successor and the person, He will use to lead Israel into the Promised Land. Remember, this promise was made during Moses time.

Joshua 1:6 tells us who God is addressing and tells us one of several instructions given to Joshua, but it’s still not enough to give us 100% of God’s instructions

'Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.' (Joshua 1:7-9)

What is God asking Joshua to do here, aside from emphasizing that He really wants Joshua to be strong and courageous? He’s telling Joshua to:

1.     Obey His commands, whether he wants to or not because it is the only way Israel will prosper (Joshua 1:7).

2.     Think about God and His Word every minute of every day (Joshua 1:8).

3.     Combat discouragement because discouragement will come by remembering that God will be with him wherever he goes (Joshua 1:9).

The theme of this talk is that despite the repetitions of “be strong and courageous”, it’s not truly about Joshua’s strength or courage. It’s about Joshua being told, rather, commanded, to seek God first above all else and make sure Israel does the same. Why? Because Joshua can only be strong and courageous if his strength and courage come from the Lord and not his own power.

What "Be Strong and Courageous" Means for Us

God was addressing a specific person in this passage, so what does it have to do with us?

 Again, in  study of Joshua 1,  Joshua is asked to model three behaviors, which apply directly to modern Christians:

1.     REMEMBER GOD’S PROMISES (Joshua 1:6):

God promised to deliver Israel from Egypt and give them a land of their own, and that’s exactly what He did. There was a 40-year gap between the Exodus and Israel’s entrance into the Promised Land, but time is incapable of weakening the promises of God.

2.     REMEMBER GOD’S PRINCIPLES (Joshua 1:7-8):

God wants to be in a relationship with us, but relationships are, by definition, Mutual and not one sided. A single person does not build relationship. As such, we need to put effort into that relationship by getting to know God through Scripture and applying what we learn from it. We obviously won’t get it right, but God knows that and is more than powerful enough to compensate for everything we lack.

3.     REMEMBER GOD’S PRESENCE (Joshua 1:9):

God may be a God of justice, but He is also a loving father who doesn’t want His children to feel alone. This verse reminds us that even if our families don’t agree with our faith, even if our friends turn their backs on us, even if we become martyrs for our love for God, He will stay at our side when every last person abandons us.

Conclusion:

God has brought to us his life giving blessings and we just need to remain strong and courageous, build relationship with him, study and abide with Him and then we can be saved. God told Joshua, “Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their ancestors to give them”. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go (Joshua 1:9).

Note:

"God commissions people for a task and does the commissioning himself at every step, what's our duty as Christians; only be strong and courageous, don't lose focus, God is every step ahead of you!".