These were some of the final words Joshua heard from God as he was about to lead the people to conquer Jericho. Perhaps he was a little timid or afraid, so God offers him some powerful advice. I'm guessing these words rang in his ears when the task before him seemed impossible or daunting. It took years for them to conquer the land, and it wasn't all conquered in Joshua's lifetime. I wonder if the warrior leader clung to these words often, especially when he felt his knees going weak... "Oh yeah! God said to be strong and courageous."
Here's the thing... now is not the time for us to be timid or weak either. As we've witnessed this last week, the enemy is moving with greater power than we've ever seen. Such boldness from our arch enemy. He knows his time is running out, so he is on a mission to do as much damage as possible. "I will silence the voices who speak truth. I will take down those who are committed to Jesus. I will eliminate the ones who pose the greatest threat for my evil plans." And he is using his pawns to do it.
Courage is something we really need, but sadly it's hard to find in the church. One pastor said that Charlie Kirk had more courage than most pastors who stand at the podium on Sunday mornings. I agree. The Bible says Satan's days are numbered, but he ain't going down without a fight. Since he will only get stronger the closer we get to Jesus' return, so should we. We need courage to stand up in the dark places and reflect the light of Christ. We need courage to stay in alignment with the Bible when the culture boos at us. We need courage to proclaim salvation to a generation who are indoctrinated by ungodly ideologies. We need courage to stand and face off with huge giants.
Courage. Where does it come from? Right after God spoke these words to Joshua, He said: "Be careful to obey all the instructions Moses gave you.... study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night" (Joshua 1:7-8). So, courage is found in the Word of God. In fact, courage is one glorious benefit from letting God's Word pour over us. And if you feel you are lacking in courage, then simply ask. Let's run hard after courage and finish the race before us strong. Let this encourage you today.