Daily Devotional · Joshua 1:1–9
Be Strong and Courageous
Reflection
Moses was dead. The transition had come. Joshua stood at the edge of a river, looking at a land full of walled cities and experienced armies. He had been Moses' assistant for forty years — and now the whole weight of leadership had transferred to his shoulders. God spoke. Not once, not twice — four times in nine verses, some variation of the same command: "Be strong and courageous." The repetition is not accidental. God understands the human tendency to hear an encouraging word and then immediately forget it. He repeated it because Joshua needed to hear it more than once. But notice that the command is always paired with a reason. Be strong and courageous because "you will lead these people to inherit the land." Be strong and courageous because "the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." Be strong and courageous because the Lord goes before you. The courage God commands is not manufactured bravado. It is the natural fruit of a deep conviction about who goes with you. You can be afraid and still advance — that is courage. You cannot be strong without knowing who your strength comes from. And in the middle of the battle preparation, God's prescription was not military strategy — it was Scripture: "Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night." Courage is formed by the word of God, not just the will to be brave.
Background
Joshua's name in Hebrew is Yehoshua — the same name that in Greek form (Iesous) becomes "Jesus." Both names mean "the Lord saves." This is not coincidental: Joshua led God's people into the promised land of Canaan; Jesus leads God's people into the promised rest of salvation. The parallel is explicit in Hebrews 4:8.
Truth
God does not command courage and then leave you to manufacture it alone. He commands it and then provides the reason for it: His presence. The strength of God's command is only as powerful as your conviction that He is actually with you.
Application
What assignment or challenge have you been hesitating to take on? Write Joshua 1:9 on a card and place it where you will see it daily this week. Each time you see it, say aloud: "The Lord my God is with me wherever I go." Then take one concrete step forward.