Do you get scared when faced with difficult or intimidating situations?

Joshua had an intimidating job ahead of him.

Moses was dead. For forty years, Moses had been the leader of Israel. He had confronted Pharaoh, led the people out of Egypt, received God’s Law, and guided them through the wilderness.

Now Joshua was supposed to take his place.

On top of that, Israel was finally preparing to enter the Promised Land. There would be fortified cities, hostile armies, difficult battles, and plenty of opportunities for things to go wrong.

It’s not surprising, then, that God repeatedly tells Joshua,

“Be strong and courageous.”

We often hear those words as though God were telling Joshua to dig deep and find some courage within himself. You’ve got this, Joshua. Believe in yourself.

But that’s not where Joshua’s courage comes from.

God tells him,

“The Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

Joshua could be courageous because he wasn’t going alone.

That doesn’t mean Joshua had nothing to do. In fact, God specifically tells him to be careful to live according to His Word. He is to meditate on it day and night so that it shapes how he leads and how he lives.

Joshua’s courage, then, isn’t reckless confidence. It is confidence rooted in God’s Word and God’s presence.

There is an important difference.

We all face situations that make us afraid. Sometimes fear is reasonable. Joshua wasn’t imagining the armies across the Jordan. They were real. And he was certainly being asked to fill some very large sandals.

Christian courage doesn’t require us to pretend the frightening things aren’t frightening. It means that those things are not the only reality we consider.

God is also there.

When you have to make a difficult decision, have a conversation you’ve been avoiding, step into an unfamiliar responsibility, or face something you never wanted to face, you don’t have to convince yourself that those things aren’t intimidating or that you’re strong enough.

You can listen to what God told Joshua.

Your confidence is not that everything will turn out exactly as you want. God never promised Joshua an easy road. Nor is your confidence that you can handle anything that comes all on your own. Your confidence is that the Lord who has claimed you as His own will not abandon you along the way and that His Word guides you in all wisdom.

In Christ, that promise becomes even clearer. The risen Jesus sends His disciples into a daunting world with a promise remarkably similar to the one Joshua received:

“I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

That’s where courage begins.

The God who created heaven and earth, who is also the one who defeated death and hell, is with you.

Let’s pray…

Lord God,

You know the things I face that make me uncertain or afraid. Keep me grounded in Your Word, and give me courage that comes not from confidence in myself, but from confidence in You. Thank You for the promise that, through Christ, I never face what lies ahead alone.

Amen.

As part of your devotion time, I encourage you to also pray for at least some of the following:

• Your family
• Your local church
• Your pastor
• Some of your fellow church members
• The people on your B.L.E.S.S. list
• Your country and her leaders
• Your community

After praying for these people, you may want to finish your devotion time with the Lord’s Prayer…

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. They will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power, and the glory, forever and every. Amen.