Happy New Year! Let's read Joshua 1:1-9. Many people enter this year with pessimism and worry. They see how the situation is still bad right now. They may also read or watch the news about the predictions for 2023, which are primarily pessimistic. For example, Bloomberg's Kristine Aquino reports why 2023 is a year for the pessimists: "Investors see a gloomy 2023 as slowing growth and rising inflation keep stagflation risks high, according to the latest Bloomberg survey." Global predictions for 2023 by Ipsos also states, "Following a very challenging couple of years in 2020 and 2021, many people around the world feel 2022 has been a little better. However, uncertainty about both short- and longer-term futures prevails. Global citizens are struggling to be optimistic about 2023 as most express concern about the state of the economy, the environment and world security." The statistic that you see on the screen shows the result of their survey among more than 24,000 citizens of 36 countries. How about you? Are you entering 2023 with worry and pessimism? God wants us to enter this year with an optimistic attitude, even though there will be many challenges that we will have to face this year.
When Moses died, the Israelites were not in the Promised Land yet. Therefore, God appointed Joshua to be the leader who would lead the Israelites to the Promised Land. The Bible doesn't tell us his response when God chose him the be the next leader. I am sure He might think, "How can I lead these people who are so stubborn and rebellious? Even Moses, their great leader, was frustrated with them because they didn't want to listen to him!" There is an indication that Joshua is worried and afraid. How can we know? Because three times in verses 6, 7, and 9, God told Joshua to be strong and courageous. Joshua must be strong and courageous to accomplish God's mission through him to bring Israel into the Promised Land. The question is, how could he be strong and courageous? The answer is not through self-talk: "everything will be alright,' or 'keep calm.' Nor through a Positive Thinking method either. Positive Thinking tends to ignore problems and rely on our strengths. The Bible teaches Realistic thinking, which tells us that sometimes life is hard and bad things happen to us, like the snowstorm on the East Coast that killed 37 people last week. Nevertheless, God is good, and He is in control of everything. As we enter the year 2023, there are three things we learn from this passage:
1. God wants us to be strong and courageous too. If not, we cannot carry on the mission and responsibilities that God gives us. Also, we cannot face challenges that we may face. But how can we be strong and courageous? The way for Joshua and all of us to be strong and courageous in this life is by believing in God! In V. 5 and 9, God promised to Joshua, "As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you," and "Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." The source of our strength and courage is not on us, others, or things but on God. Isaiah 40:28-31 says, "Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. 29 He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. 30 Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; 31 but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."
Our inner strength doesn't come from our age; Isaiah said even youths grow tired and weary of the problems they face. In the past two weeks, I read the news almost every day about young actors, celebrities, TikTokers, or YouTubers who were found dead because of drug overdoses or suicides. That is so sad. I wish they knew God, who loved them and could help them. Joshua paid attention to what God told him. He strengthened himself, knowing and believing that God would always be with him. Jesus also has promised us that He will always be with us. Let's read Matthew 28:20b – "And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Also, in Hebrews 13:5b – "God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." We don't know what will happen to us, our family, our job, our health, and our church this year. But faith means that even though we cannot see what will happen to us, we believe that God is in control of everything and will always be with us and take good care of us! He will help us even when we go through the valley of death. Therefore, by faith, we can say: "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Phil 4:13, "The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want…." Psalms 23:1, and "But my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus." Phil 4:19.
Our faith will enable us to defeat discouragement and empower us to live victoriously in Christ Jesus. Our faith in His love, power, and promises to supply every need that we will have this New Year will give us every reason to have hope and always rejoice in Him. Augustine said, "Faith is to believe what we do not see, and the reward of faith is to see what we believe." Faith in God will give us peace and courage, even amid the most challenging situations. Sir Wilfred Grenfell, a medical missionary in Labrador, found himself adrift on an ice flow, heading out to sea, and died. When his body was found, there was a note that he wrote, "There was nothing to fear. I had done all I could, the rest lay in God's hands."
2. God wants us to obey His word. In V 7, God also told Joshua to: 'Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go." God promised Joshua that He would be with him and that God would make him prosperous and successful. But to get that, Joshua must fully obey all the laws that Moses gave him. So, Joshua must do God's commandments, not turn from them to the right or the left. We also must make God's word our guide and source of truth. If you want to be successful this year and the rest of your lives, don't follow your heart because your heart is not always correct. Follow God's words. Obey His will even though you don't like it! Be careful in making decisions. Seek God's will seriously so your decisions are according to His plans. Be careful in making friends or socializing because your friends can lead you astray from God's way.
3. God wants us to meditate on His word day and night. In V. 8, God told Joshua to "Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it." Back then, Joshua only had five books of Moses, and God told him to meditate on them day and night. Why? Because through it, Joshua could understand God and His will better. He will not be deceived by worldly philosophies or opinions Like what Paul says in Colossians 2:8 - "Beware lest any man ensnares you trough philosophy and empty deception, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ." There are many kinds of worldviews today, and some of them are against God's word. Therefore, we must study God’s word seriously so that we can have a biblical worldview to guide us. Psalm 119:105 says, "Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path."
There are many distractions to meditating on God's word: business, hobbies, games, movies, social media, etc. We need to manage our time wisely and put the first things first. Paul warns us in Ephesians 5:15-17 – "15 Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is." Many temptations can distract our spiritual growth: laziness, worry, and life problems that make us focus on our problems. We will be reminded of God's advice and promises by meditating on God's word. For example, in 1 Peter 5:7-9, Apostle Peter says, "7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. 8 Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy, the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 9 Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings."
May God help us put into practice what God told Joshua to do: 1) be strong, 2) obey His word, and 3) meditate on His word day and night so that we can be successful in work, school, ministry, family, and in our spiritual life. Amen!
