COURAGE (Part Two)

"Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them—to the Israelites. I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses.  Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the great river, the Euphrates—all the Hittite country—to the Great Sea on the west.  No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will 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 forefathers 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.  Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; 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 terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go."  (Joshua 1:1-9)

Courage is CONFIDENCE that God will always be with us, a confidence that grows as we make ourselves ready for God’s work by finding out what He wants for us and from us, and are careful to obey.  Notice that courage is a command.  God says, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous”.  Courage is a command, not just a really good suggestion.

If God has to remind us to be courageous, command us to be courageous, he probably already knows that what we’re facing might be scary.  And God says the way to ensure success is to be obedient to His Word.  If He says “Go”, then go we must.  He said to Joshua, “I will be with you…so BE courageous…and GO!”  I’m pretty sure we will never have need of courage if we do not act.  It occurs to me that courage comes when people become willing to ACT.