The Way of Courage
“Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.” Joshua 1:9
The above statement was the promise of the LORD God to Joshua after Moses had passed away. Joshua was now in charge of leading the people of Israel into the promised land. (As a side note, God made it clear to Joshua that the promised land encompassed the territory from the Mediterranean Sea to the Euphrates River, which flows through present day Syria and Iraq and empties into the Persian Gulf–Joshua 1:3-4 and Genesis 15:18). Thus, the land that Israel now occupies is only a small portion of that which God had provided for them.) To become a leader of millions of people would be quite a daunting task for Joshua.
Joshua had a very good mentor in Moses, but his new responsibility could not be handled alone. However, Joshua wasn’t alone. God told him to be strong and courageous and to follow His law without deviating from it, and he would be prosperous and successful. For the most part, Joshua was a successful leader, bringing Israel into the land that God had promised. There was some rebellion from a few, but Joshua handled it just like God told him and the people prospered. Joshua’s leadership set the example for all future leaders because of his dependence on God to give him the courage and insight to lead the nation of Israel.
Where are the Joshuas of today? Our country is divided by politics, race, and economics. Even though this COVID-19 pandemic has brought folks together to battle this unseen enemy, there is no guarantee that this current wave of compassion and caring will last. As we watch news on television or on line, we see that those in charge can’t agree on the path forward. Everyone seems to have their own agenda as to how things should roll out. Some are using the pandemic to profit from politically, but there is no politician or leader anywhere who has the “magic cure”.
What we need are leaders who are not afraid to be honest with the people and who are willing to work under the leadership of the Lord rather than by agendas which promote their ideologies. Who is willing to stand up and call the people to repent and turn to the Lord? There are a few, but they are mocked and ridiculed by multitudes of folks who reject God’s word and reject Him. As I have stated before, America is following the path that ancient Israel traveled time and time again: from peace to disobedience to punishment and then to repentance. The main reason that Joshua was successful was because he depended on God to lead him so that he could lead the people, and the fact that most of the people cooperated and trusted in Joshua’s leadership helped make his tenure as Israel’s leader successful.
The message to be of good courage and not to be afraid is for all of us who are believers in Jesus Christ because He is with us wherever we go and whatever we face in life. I know that things do get scary at times, mostly because we face the unknown from time to time, but nothing takes God by surprise. He knows our needs and our fears, and only asks us to trust Him. It is a real comfort to know that God is in control and whatever happens to us is first filtered through the fingers of His loving hands.