Number 85:  December 7, 2006

God needs men and women of courage today. He desires people who will be strong and resolute regarding His truths. People willing to take a stand on His behalf; willing to do whatever is needed to promote Him over self. Joshua was like that.

When Joshua became the leader of God’s people, God told him three times to be strong and of a good courage. He was to lead Israel into the Promised Land. God kept reminding him of what it would take to accomplish this task. God also told him that if he would do what He had told Moses in the Law, that his journey into the Promised Land would be prosperous and he would have good success. The key to his success was to be strong and of a good courage to keep God’s commandments.  

Joshua 1:6-9:

Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them.

Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest.

This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.

Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.

The true measure of a man’s courage is not determined by how he responds to a situation in which he is given no choice but to act; it is determined by how he responds when he is given a choice. Joshua had to make a decision to trust what God was telling him or to try to do it on his own.

Courage is not a feeling. In fact, when doing that which one would describe as courageous you will seldom “feel” courageous — if anything, you may feel just the opposite. You are usually not aware of “being courageous” but rather you will inherently do whatever is necessary at the time if you have put courage in your heart. 

A strong belief in the accuracy of God’s Word, trusting God’s never ending presence and power, and the energy of your conviction in God’s faithfulness and justice, will allow you to do the things God requires of you in this day and time and hour. We need to be strong and very courageous because the truth of God’s Word is trying to be buried asunder again. Those of us who know the truth cannot allow this to happen. If you make the decision to be whatever God needs you to be, courage will be there when you need it.