Strong and Courageous

Inspired by a sermon done by Dr. Charles Stanley

Written By: Amy Adams

Joshua 1:5-9 says: “No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so will I be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their ancestors to give them. 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.”

The most important activity in the life of a believer is your personal, private meditation with God. When God tells you something 2 or 3 times in a row, you better listen. I have come to find the most important things He tells you to get reiterated in various ways. One of the definitions for meditation is thinking carefully, deeply, and personally about something God is saying to you. Five things you need to do in order to meditate on His word is: reading the scriptures, believing what you read, absorbing what you read, applying it to your heart, and obeying God. Obeying God is very important. He wants obedience over sacrifice, something I have had to learn the hard way and I’m certain I’m not the only one. Godly meditation is when you focus your heart on God and shut everything else out. There should be more listening than talking. I had a very informative conversation with God last night and He has sent me various signs today that line up with what we talked about last night.

Another meaning for the word meditation is focusing on something you hear and applying it to your life. In Joshua 1:9, “Be strong and courageous…” courageous means the quality of mind and spirit that enables one to meet danger, opposition and the challenges of life with fearlessness, calmness and firmness. It also means to set your mind, heart and spirit to be strong and courageous or fearless. God’s willing to help you if you’re willing to listen to Him. In life, you are eventually going to face something that is going to challenge you. Courage is the absence of fear or at least not letting fear deter you from moving forward while determination is resolute, having endurance and perseverance. Set your mind and heart on what God is and what He can do in your life. Set your mind on God and know He’s here to face these struggles with you. Actions, dispositions, and attitude change for the better when you meet life with a more zealous outlook.

God doesn’t make promises that He doesn’t keep. The basis of our courage is trusting in God, which should eliminate the fear. “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.” 1 John 4:18. God is the one who determines our life and gives us options on how to face every circumstance in life with confidence and fearlessness. The Israelites knew they were going into battle but Joshua said God would get them through this. “For the Lord thy God is with you wherever you go.” Who is God in your life? What is He like? If you have a poor understanding of God, you leave little room to trust Him or have faith in God. Nothing is too great for God. He understands our fears and He is here to help us alleviate our fears and conquer them.

When they crossed the line into the land, they expected battle. God honored their faith by being able to fight those battles. The walls at Jericho fell down just by them marching around it for seven days and blowing their trumpets on the last day. God is Holy, Mighty, Omnipotent, Omnipresent, etc. Don’t go trying to figure out what God is going to do. If God has given you a command, just do it and obey Him. Be strong and courageous. You can choose to think positively or negatively about what He said. You obey God on the basis of who He is and what He says. “The Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9.

God cautions us not to doubt. The Israelites ancestors were looking through the eyes of doubt and unbelief and failed but the new generation was looking through the eyes of faith and were successful. When we are walking by faith and trusting God, you just obey Him. Living a godly life, a successful life, a joy-filled life is possible only when you trust in God. You have to ask yourself, “Am I trusting God and really believing?” “Am I willing to do exactly what He says and how He said to do it?” “Are there any exceptions to being strong and courageous?” What more do you need than knowing God is with you wherever you go? An amazing God, who never lies whatsoever, gives us the promise that we should be strong and courageous.

God will not fail you. He can’t because He’s God. Meditate upon the word of God day and night. Whenever you and I turn to God, He will be with us no matter what, fighting battles in our name that we don’t even know about. The only thing Joshua and Caleb had to fight with was their faith. We are so blessed to have God living on the inside of us. When you think about challenges that you face in life, think about Joshua 1:5-9.