I Am With You
“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…” Joshua 1:9,17
By the time Moses passed the torch to Joshua, a lot of things had changed. For 40 years Joshua had been taught to navigate and survive in a wilderness, but now it was time to enter the Promised Land.
And what worked in the wilderness wouldn’t necessarily work in the Promised Land.
If we can hear Joshua’s thoughts, it would go like: ‘I know a lot about wandering, but not much about warfare’?
So God told him, ‘Be strong and courageous…for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.’
Why would God tell Joshua to be strong and courageous? That’s because he must have felt anxious!
Everything about his new situation reeked of uncertainty. The only thing Joshua knew for sure was that God had said, ‘Go.’
So, ‘Joshua commanded the…people, saying, Prepare…yourselves, for within three days you are to cross this Jordan…[and] possess the land…’ (vv10-11.
If you can imagine the people’s thoughts, the Question in their minds will be: ‘But Joshua, how are we going to get across the river?’
And the Answer will be: ‘I’m not sure, but in 3 days be ready to go.’
Question: ‘But Joshua, what are we going to do when we get to the other side?’
Answer: ‘I’ll tell you when we arrive. Just be ready to move out.’
Are you getting the picture?
As a leader, you will always be uncertain about many things, especially when you go into new territory. But you can never afford to be unclear or in doubt about your calling, your vision, and your ultimate victory. And such confidence comes only from God’s promise, ‘I am with you.’