Course: Faith Over Fear
January 27, 2022 | Dave Rueter
Passage: Joshua 1:9
Strong and Courageous
After a generation in the wilderness and following the death of Moses, God has just lifted up Joshua into leadership over the people of Israel and now speaks to Joshua to inspire and give him confidence. In the midst of God’s message to Joshua, God reminds him of a prior command to be strong and courageous.
If you are familiar with the section of Scripture, you will recall the many times that this phrase “be strong and courageous” is repeated. God reminds and through Joshua reminds the people again and again that due to His presence they have every reason to be both strong and courageous.
Yet, the idea of this as a command still may sound strange in our ears. Over and over, we see recorded in the Bible the direction of angels to those they are delivering messages to, to not be afraid. What do you mean, don’t be afraid? Isn’t it perfectly rational to be afraid at times? Joshua was about to lead God’s people into the promised land. It would have been natural for him to have been a bit trepidatious. For this reason, God speaks to Joshua, reminding him in v. 5, that just as God was with Moses, God would not leave Joshua.
This is a promise that we can rely upon as well. The writer of Hebrews instructs us to “hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful” in Hebrews 10:23. God is faithful and because He is faithful, we are able to be strong and courageous.
Thoughts for Reflection
How does God’s faithfulness bring you comfort?
In what areas of your life does God’s command to be strong and courageous have the most potential impact?
Course Information
There are a great many things that a capable of causing us to fear. Yet, God instructs us many times in Scripture to "fear not." In this series, we will explore how it is that God casts out our fear, enabling us to live lives of faith over fear.
