Be Strong and Courageous — Joshua 1:9

"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." (Joshua 1:9) Moses had just died, and Joshua was about to take up the enormous task of leading all Israel. Ahead of him lay the Jordan River, fortified cities, and a promised land full of unknowns. Any of us in his sandals might feel our knees go weak. It is precisely at this threshold that God speaks to Joshua, telling him three times over to "be strong and courageous." God knows that what we most often need to hear is, "Do not be afraid." Notice the ground of the courage God commands. He does not say, "Be strong because you are capable enough," or "because your enemies are weak." He says, "for the Lord your God will be with you." Joshua's courage was never built on Joshua. It was built on the presence of God. Real bravery is not the absence of fear; it is trusting, in the face of fear, the God who goes with us. This also means courage can be commanded. God is not asking Joshua how he feels; he is issuing an order. Why? Because courage is finally not an emotion but a choice, the choice to believe God's word over our own fear. Your heart may still be pounding and your palms may still be sweating, and you can still act on what God has said, because you know he is right beside you. Today, perhaps you are standing at the edge of your own Jordan: a difficult conversation, a new responsibility, a road whose end you cannot see. The word God spoke to Joshua reaches you as well. Do not be afraid, and do not be discouraged, because he will be with you all the way to the end of the road. Courage is not something you must summon from within your own reserves. It is something you receive from the God who promises never to leave you. Look less at the size of the obstacle and more at the size of the One who stands beside you. Lord, when I am afraid, remind me that you are with me. Make me strong and courageous. Amen. Today, read Joshua 1 in the free BiblePro 主内圣经 app, and let the presence of God make your heart strong.