On Your Mark, Get Set, Go! Series

For those willing to accept the challenge, for those willing to take the big steps of faith and follow up with more steps of faith, God offers even more promises. Look at v. 5… The final line of v. 5 can be translated, “…I will never drop you or forsake you.” The writer of Hebrews quotes this verse in Hebrews 13:5-6 “I will never desert you, nor will I forsake you” then follows up with “The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid. What shall man do to me?”

We need that kind of reassurance, don’t we? So did Joshua. Look at what God tells Joshua repeatedly in the next several verses…God tells Joshua 3X just in vv. 1-9 “Be strong and courageous…” (vv. 6,7,9) (Also compare Deuteronomy 31:23)

God understood what Joshua was feeling.

But, you know something?

GOD NEVER GIVES A PERSON A JOB TO DO WITHOUT GIVING HIM ALL THE RESOURCES TO CARRY OUT THE JOB. (Repeat)

God had called Joshua to do a job, and He reassures Joshua that He would be with him.

That’s so reassuring to me. As I look at the tremendous responsibility ahead of me, I confess that sometimes questions flood my mind, similar to the ones I think Joshua had. Yet, I realize that GOD has brought me here, HE called me here, and HE will accomplish HIS will. What has God called you to do? Are you afraid? Do you have lots of questions for God?

Rest assured, that when God calls you to do something, He obligates Himself to see you through to the end. He will fulfill His purposes in us!

There are some conditions, however. God not only reassured Joshua of His presence and power, He also gave Joshua some specific conditions for successfully taking the land.

So God gives 5 direct commands (all similar) which are God’s conditions for success:

(1) v. 7b “Be careful to obey all the law…”

(2) v. 7c “do not turn from it to the right or to the left”

(3) v. 8a “Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth”

(4) v. 8b “meditate on it day and night” (suggesting an almost inaudible murmur. God’s Word is to be chewed, swallowed, and digested so that become part of his thoughts and actions.

(5) v. 8c “so that you may be careful to do everything written in it”

If you do these things, God said, then… (v. 8d)

“Then you will be prosperous and successful”

What, then, was Joshua’s real challenge and responsibility?

(And what do I see as my primary responsibility?)

(1) Joshua had to make sure he knew and understood the Law. How was he to do that? Study, meditation, memorization, “day and night” As your pastor, I see one of my responsibilities to be to study God’s Word.

(2) Like Joshua, I must put into practice what I learn (see v. 7 “do not turn from it to the right or to the left”

Just as Joshua couldn’t lead Israel into obedience to God unless he himself was obedient, so it is for me. I must practice what I preach.

(3) Maybe most important, Joshua was to boldly and with confidence communicate God’s Word to the people. Just as Paul gave the command to Timothy, the command to all pastors is to, “Preach the Word”

Warning: you might not always like what God’s Word has to say. But I have the responsibility and obligation to still preach the Word. I can’t always speak with confidence and authority when voicing my own opinions, but when preaching God’s Word, I can be confident when I know that God has spoken.