Strong and Very Courageous

“Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give them. Be strong and very courageous.”  —Joshua 1:6-7

Summer has arrived, schedules have changed, and I am enjoying the opportunity to get together with a group of young adults at my house. Last week, we looked at a study entitled, “Uprising,” Erwin McManus related a near death experience he had while white water rafting on the American River in California. He describes how his survival instinct kicked in, and he fought for his life to climb out of the rapids.

I asked each member of the group if they had ever been in a life or death situation. None had. A couple of us were in car crashes, but no one was really injured. Once last summer when losing weight, I had a fainting spell. My blood pressure was much lower than usual and I was working outside in 90 degree temperature. Dehydrated, I thought I was having the big one. Mostly though, we never felt our lives at risk. We’re a pretty tame bunch. We love adrenaline rushes but the safe kind, amusement park rides, 3-D movies, and virtual reality games. Like most Americans, we stay in our safe little world of friends and conveniences.

I remember going on my first mission trip with my wife and seeing her nervously shake in bed as we tried to sleep the night before taking off for Honduras. I was too young or naïve to realize the risks we were taking, riding on foreign airlines with a group of strangers into the third world. I simply didn’t think about it, but Darlene did and was scared to death. She mustered her courage and went anyway. Which of us had more courage? I love the quote attributed to John Wayne, “Courage is being scared to death and saddling up anyway.” True courage is when you see the giant or challenge before you but move forward anyway in faith to face it.

God had just appointed Joshua to replace Moses and lead the children of Israel into the Promised Land. You may remember how the children of Israel, after spying out the Promised Land, allowed fear to turn what should have been a couple month journey of faith into what Mike Slaughter called, “a forty-year waste of a lifetime for a whole generation.” Joshua and Caleb alone were voices of courage. They reported to Moses and the rest, “We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it” (Numbers 13:30). When the others were paralyzed by fear, Joshua and Caleb courageously urged them, “The land we passed through and explored is exceedingly good. If the Lord is pleased with us, he will lead us into that land … and will give it to us. Only do not rebel against the Lord. And do not be afraid of the people of the land” (14:7-9). It should come as no surprise that God’s words to Joshua as he took over leadership from Moses forty years later were, “Be strong and courageous…Be strong and very courageous” (Joshua 1:6-7).

What risks have you taken lately for God? Where do you know God is calling you that might cause a risk for you, your family, or your church? Christianity is not for cowards. If you want to play it safe, live for yourself, and do what is comfortable and convenient, then you have decided to live like the rest of the world. God calls His people to move forward in the power of the Holy Spirit. God never promised the Christian life would be easy, but He did promise He would never leave or forsake us. God promised that as believers we have the same power that Jesus had. So, what are you waiting for? Move forward in faith, face the giants, tackle the challenges, and take the land for Jesus.