Strong and Courageous

The Bible makes clear that God knows every detail about each of us. Because of this intimate knowledge, He can pinpoint the assignments He gives us, and provide everything we need as individuals.

From His comments, it seems clear that Joshua lacked courage and felt somewhat inadequate for the challenges he faced. After all, he was Israel’s new leader. Preparing to cross into the Promised Land, his people faced monumental challenges and unknowns. Many must have wondered what kind of leader he would be. Was he up to the challenge?

God knew everything about Joshua. He knew that he was able and prepared. What he really needed was to “be strong and courageous.” This message was repeated twice. Then, the people stated that they will obey him, but only if he was “strong and courageous.”

Joshua needed the strength and courage to lead the people, and the strength and courage to obey God and keep His Word, in every situation. He needed to be firm and resolute, with the conviction to fasten on to what he knew was right and what God wanted him to do, regardless of his opinions or how others would react.

These are important characteristics for all of us. To serve God, we need mental strength, physical strength, emotional strength, and spiritual strength. We are in a spiritual war and can be defeated if we allow the enemy to influence our minds and hearts. We need to be prepared and equipped with God’s strength. Confident and bold.

Make sure that you are depending on God, that you draw on His strength. Because of Him you can be strong and courageous.