Joshua 1:9 literally says, “Do not be struck with awe or terror, neither be shattered”. In Luke 1:37 in the ASV of the Bible, the angel Gabriel tells Mary, the mother of Jesus “no word from God shall be void of power.” God’s commands are His enablements, for He will not command that which He will not enable.
Every Christian should remember the promise that God is making to Joshua here; “For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” We might think we are in such a place right now, such a mess that we can’t see the end of it. Yes, but the Lord says that He is with us wherever we go. So, what are we afraid of? He has already promised that He will not leave us nor forsake us. Three times the Lord tells Joshua “Be strong and of good courage” which tells us two things:
1Joshua wasn’t strong and courageous.
2The Lord was going to supply what he needed.
The final encouragement from the Lord is that entering into the land of promise didn’t hinge completely upon Joshua and the nations’ faithfulness to the Word, but upon the Lord’s faithfulness; to go with them where ever they went. There are three questions we need to ask our selves:
•Am I obeying the will of God?
•Am I empowered by the Spirit of God?
•Did I serve to the glory of God?
If we can answer yes to these questions, then our life has been successful in God’s eyes, no matter what people may think.
It is important to realize that God was placing a huge responsibility upon Joshua, and it was right for him to be afraid and to feel that he was totally inadequate to hold this responsibility. Do you realize your own inadequacies? How great it is to realize that God will never call us to do anything that He won’t first equip us to do in His power. Do you feel as if you are not sufficient for the journey God has placed upon you right now? Are you just a bit afraid? Not to worry. Our Father won’t call us down a path without providing the strength to our feet of faith to walk the path of His calling. Our inabilities become our enablings in Jesus. Press on to what He has for you. It seems that the greatest obstacle the children of Israel would face was not an outward army or a geographical barrier. Rather it was the failure to:
1Magnify the Word of God with their mouths
2Encourage their hearts by remembering its truths
3Strengthen their steps by its application
The enemies and obstacles in the land would be nothing, because God would be with them wherever they went. The blessings of victorious Christian living come by invitation, but the receiving of those blessings comes by God’s command and power.
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