BE STRONG AND COURAGEOUS
Joshua 1:1-9
WE STAND ON THE SHOULDERS OF THE FAITHFUL
V:1 After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses\’ aide: 2 \”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. 3 I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses.
Every believer has a time and a place to serve the Lord. All believers in Jesus Christ
have been selected and called into service by the Lord. The time of our selection was
before the foundation of the earth (Ephesians 4:1)
Everyone has a season for service. Moses served for 40 years. He served from the
time he was 80 to the time he was 120 years old. Everyone has a time when
God trains them to serve. Moses was trained from a baby to 40 years of age in
the house of the Pharaoh of Egypt. After killing an Egyptian, he fled to Midian
where he was trained as a shepherd under the priest of Midian who became his
father-in-law. Under the Egyptians. He learned to be a warrior.
For 40 years, under the priest of Midian, he was trained to be a shepherd and peaceful family life. Most importantly he came to know the true and living God. Moses job
was to lead Israel out of bondage, shepherd, them, and teach them the Word of God.
When his 40 years of service was complete, God took Moses home to be with
him.
For 40 years Moses followed the command of the Lord. His leadership skills
and confidence in the Lord grew as he served. He received the law from the
Lord and administered it to Israel.
All of us stand on the shoulders of those who served before us. God places
people in our lives and positions us to be trained for future assignments. The
lesson learned is to serve with diligence and devotion and allow the Lord
to elevate you as He sees fit.
LIFE IS GOD’S TRAINING PROGRAM
Joshua trained under Moses as one of his generals for 40 years in the desert.
Joshua shows himself faithful to the Lord and Moses beginning as one of the
12 spies Moses sent into the Promised Land at the start of the 40 years in the desert.
10 spies came back and said the land was good but filled with giants that
it could not be conquered. It was Joshua and Caleb who came back with a
good report with the confidence of the Lord that the land could be taken.
Moses selected Joshua to lead Israel into battle against the Amalekites
(Exodus 17:13). Joshua established himself as who could trusted to
follow directions. He established himself as a man of faith,
Following God requires us to be ready to serve, follow His directions, and be
obedient to His commands. Following God comes with a promise of success.
Moses led Israel to the promised land. Joshua was assigned to take Israel into
the promised land. Joshua had 40 years of experience in Moses\’ obedience and
confidence in the Lord. What God did for others, He will do for you. While
your task is different from others, it is still important in God’s plan.
STAND, GOD IS WITH YOU
V: 4 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. 5 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.
We are all part of God\’s plan. We all have a place, a position, and a time to
serve. God’s plan does not change. 450 years earlier, God made this promise
to Abraham. 400 years of slavery then the promised land (Genesis 12:1, 13:14,
15:13). God’s plan of salvation will continue until the second coming of
Jesus Christ. Every believer is in this divine plan.
God makes both conditional and non-conditional promises to us. The
Promised Land is none conditional. Other individual promises are conditional
based on our obedience to God’s commands.
The promise of Joshua’s success in driving out and defeating all the nations
in the Promised Land was conditional on his obedience to the Word of the
Lord.
Believers are destined to be conquers not losers. As long as we follow God’s
commands, no one can stand against us. We will face opposition. We will have
enemies. But we will be successful following the Lord. He promised
to be with us at all times. He promised not to leave us or forsake us.
ENCOURAGE YOURSELF WITH GOD’S PROMISES
V:6 \”Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give them. 7 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 the left, that you may be successful wherever you go.
Be strong and courageous. This is a command, not an option. The enemy is not too
big for the Lord. To lead God\’s people you have to be the role model of commitment
and confidence. Someone needs to know from you that they have an inheritance
in the Lord. The world can’t give you eternal life and the world can’t take it
away. Your success while on earth is guaranteed by the Lord based on your
faith and obedience. God has given us His commands. They are not optional.
They are required for our success.
The steps of a good man/woman are ordered by the Lord. Success requires us
to submit ourselves to the guidance and directions of the Lord. We can\’t be
sometimes on and sometimes off. God wants total commitment. The road to
God\’s righteousness is straight and narrow. Looking to the left or the
right are distractions from the Lord. Success in life is in the narrow lane
of obedience.
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THE WORD OF GOD IS THE PREPARATION FOR SUCCESS
V:8 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. 9 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.\”
From Abraham to Moses, God’s leaders were directed by His voice. Joshua was
the first to be commanded to lead according to the written Law.
To know God\’s commands, you have to study God\’s Word. The will of God
for your life is found in the Word of God. Each believer in Jesus will find
his/her purpose in the Word of God.
2 Timothy 2:15-16
Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.
You can not know the blessings of God if you don\’t spend time studying. When you study God’s Word the Holy Spirit will guide your understanding. The Word of
God must replace all worldly knowledge. What you have learned from
the world, may be filled with lies and deceptions. It is important to know the Word
for yourself.
Psalms 119:99-101
99 I have more insight than all my teachers,
for I meditate on your statutes.
100 I have more understanding than the elders,
for I obey your precepts.
101 I have kept my feet from every evil path
so that I might obey your word.
Knowing God’s Word requires constant study on your part.
Following God’s commands takes work on your part.
You must be in the habit of listening to the Lord before any actions.
Before you open your mouth, the Word of God ought to be there.
Before you commit to anything it must be by the direction of the
Holy Spirit.
Moses and Joshua were constantly faced with decisions they had to make
in opposition to the desires of Israel.
GOD HAS A BLESSING READY FOR YOU
Joshua 11:16-20
V:16 So Joshua took this entire land: the hill country, all the Negev, the whole region of Goshen, the western foothills, the Arabah and the mountains of Israel with their foothills, 17 from Mount Halak, which rises toward Seir, to Baal Gad in the Valley of Lebanon below Mount Hermon. He captured all their kings and struck them down, putting them to death. 18 Joshua waged war against all these kings for a long time. 19 Except for the Hivites living in Gibeon, not one city made a treaty of peace with the Israelites, who took them all in battle.
Your leadership is important. What you do for the Lord affects others around you.
There may be times you will have to get rid of some associates that oppose the Lord.
You cannot be friends with the world.
Joshua and the men of Israel were commanded to go to battle to get rid
of the inhabitants of the Promised Land. No one was to be left standing. It
was not a pretty sight. There were many deaths of the ones God allowed
to hold the Promised Land for Israel.
With the Word of God in print, the majority of mankind will
die not knowing God. The promised heaven is reserved for those
who put their faith in Jesus Christ.
God\’s got a breakthrough for you that someone may be holding now.
God\’s got a job for you that someone may be holding. God\’s
got a house, a car that someone may be holding just for you.
Your success is dependent on your obedience. God blesses who He
wants and curses who He wants. You never know what God is
going to do to give you the desires of your heart
GOD OPENS DOORS FOR YOU TO WALK IN
Joshua 11:21-23
V:21 At that time Joshua went and destroyed the Anakites from the hill country: from Hebron, Debir, and Anab, from all the hill country of Judah, and all the hill country of Israel. Joshua totally destroyed them and their towns. 22 No Anakites were left in Israelite territory; only in Gaza, Gath and Ashdod did any survive. 23 So Joshua took the entire land, just as the Lord had directed Moses, and he gave it as an inheritance to Israel according to their tribal divisions.
Life is a struggle, but it is a struggle you can’t do alone. It is a struggle that
leads to success when God is in charge.
Your struggles for the Lord set others up for success.
Then the land had rest from war.
When your job is over, God has some rest in store for you. God has
some peace in store for you. God got some joy in store your you.
God has a place in heaven reserved for you.
When you stand for God, you stand for His success.
