JOSHUA 1:9

Three times in the passage, Joshua, Moses’ successor, is commanded to be strong and to be of good courage. For this to be repeated three times implies it was certainly a message the Lord was attempting to hammer home to Joshua, and He wanted it deeply etched within his spirit. So often, the enemy tries to intimidate us even before we assume the responsibility as leaders or before we begin any designated challenge. The number one tactic of the enemy is to first paralyze us with fear and to overwhelm us with the enormity of the task. He attacks the mind. He plays mind games with us.

However, it is so interesting to note that before the Lord embarks upon the task of commissioning Joshua, He first assures him of His promised presence. He reassures him “. . . As I was with Moses so I will be with thee” (Joshua 1:5). He gives him his word. He gives him his infallible, inalterable promise “. . . I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee” (Joshua 1:6). Today, may we never forget that the divine commissioning does not come without divine empowerment.

What God had called Joshua to do was foreboding. You could just imagine, if Moses couldn’t do it, how could Joshua then be expected to do it? It was a task that seemed humanly impossible. It was monumentally stressful. It called for unusual spiritual strength and uncommon administrative skills and capabilities. It would rightfully scare anyone in their right mind to take the mantle of leadership, especially after seeing some of the changes through which they had put Moses. Yet God firmly says to Joshua, “Get up and finish what Moses had started”. He commanded him “. . . Now therefore arise . . .” (Joshua 1:2).

The command to Joshua is not only to cross over the Jordan and to take possession of the land promised to their forefathers, but before he does, Joshua is first commanded to prepare his mind for action. He must first deal with mental clutter. His mind must be adjusted for the challenge. He is called upon to start thinking like a warrior, to speak strength, to move forward with courage, to reject fear, not to be dismayed and in fact not just to be courageous but to be very courageous (Joshua 1:6-9).

Knowing that the Almighty has promised us the constant availability of His sacred presence and power every step of the way, from every now to every then, from every here to every there, and even, all the way over – we refuse then to be pessimistic and negative! Assured of His victorious presence journeying with us all the way, we choose to obey the Almighty when He commands us to “Be strong and of good courage …” (Joshua 1:6,7,

Brethren, the enemy loves it when we see ourselves as weak, pitiful, and as mere grasshoppers, with a grasshopper mentality (Numbers 13:33). According to the divine infallibility Scripture, “We are more than conquerors through Him that loved us” (Romans 8:37). We are not small and insignificant. We stand backed up by the heavenly hosts (Romans 8:31). We declare “Greater is He that is in us that he that is in the world” ( John 4:4). We cast aside every feeling of weakness and emphatically declare “. . . let the weak say I am strong (Joel 3:10). We find it true “. . . for the Lord thy God is with thee whither soever thou goest” (Joshua 1:9). Weakness is not an option!