Leading in Tough Times
Joshua 1:5-9
Leadership Team Devotional
April 9, 2002
5 No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. 6 "Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give them. 7 Be strong and very courageous. 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. 8 Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go."
I. God’s Commitment to Joshua (verse 5)
A. God’s commitment of conquest
1. God promises victory
a.) God tells Joshua that no one will be able to stand up against him. Literally this means that every battle that he faces will be an easy victory because the enemy will fall before him. This is a great confidence booster. It tells Joshua that literally he can’t lose.
b.) This means no enemy will ever defeat him. God is giving Joshua a promise of being victorious over every enemy that he will ever face
2. God promises life long prosperity
a.) God gives the duration of the promise. Joshua has the promise of victory in his life from this point until the day that he dies
b.) God promises success for Joshua each and every day of his life. Wow. This is incredible!
B. God’s commitment of closeness
1. Relationship
a.) God promises a strong relationship
1.) As I was with Moses so will I be with you. This is a powerful promise because Moses had a close relationship with God. The bible tells us that Moses spoke with God as a friend, face to face.
2.) This would have immediately given Joshua an image of this close relationship between God and Moses
b.) God promises a strong support
1.) God was the source of Moses’ strength and support through all of the years in the wilderness
2.) God promises to be the strength for Joshua as well
2. Presence
a.) God promises His presence. God says that he will never leave and never forsake. This means that god will always be by Joshua’s side as a source of support
b.) Joshua will never face the battle alone. God is telling Joshua that no matter what he faces and no matter what comes up; He will never face the challenge alone
II. God’s Charge to Joshua (verses 6-8)
A. God’s charge for courage
1. God tells Joshua to be strong
a.) God knew that Joshua would need great strength to lead the nation into the Promised land
b.) Kinds of strength
1.) Strength of heart
2.) Strength of spirit
3.) Strength of stamina
2. God tells Joshua to be courageous
a.) Clearly Joshua is afraid. Joshua was down this road before and the people turned tail and ran.
b.) Joshua was one of the spies that first scouted the land 40 years before and he knows the odds that were against them.
B. God’s charge for character
1. God tells Joshua that he is to lead
a.) God charges Joshua to lead the people. This is a huge task and a difficult one. Can you imagine following Moses as a leader? This would intimidate almost anyone
b.) Joshua is to be the leader of the people and he is to literally to lead them to do the impossible.
2. God calls Joshua to advance the nation
a.) This was not a new position for the nation of Israel. They had been in this same position 40 years before and refused to follow God and take the land
b.) This was a new nation. The entire population of Israel, with the exception of Caleb and Joshua, died out in the wilderness. Now the second generation of a free Israel was ready to conquer the Promised land
C. God’s charge for compliance
1. God did place a condition on His assistance
a.) God wanted Joshua to obey Him. The only thing that would separate Joshua from God’s help was Joshua
b.) God wanted Joshua to be an example for the people to follow. The covenant relationship with Israel began with the leader.
2. God wanted them to follow Him
a.) God’s desire for Israel and for us is to give us the very best in life but he cannot do that if we will not follow Him
b.) God’s desire is to have a dynamic relationship with his people and to work miracles in their lives
D. God’s charge for completion
1. God will finish what was started
a.) Every good work that God has His hand in will be completed. God promises to finish what he starts and Joshua needed the commitment to see the task through to the end
b.) God was starting a new chapter in the life of Israel and it would be a miraculous time in the life of the nation
2. Joshua needed to trust and obey
a.) God is telling Joshua that he will indeed make Israel successful but they need to follow His direction
b.) God wants and expects us to follow him and His direction during the good times and the tough times
c.) God is the source of strength and courage for the tough times of our lives
III. God’s Commission to Joshua (verse 9)
A. God’s commission for Joshua’s attitude
1. Joshua was not to lose hope
a.) God puts this into a command, “be strong and courageous.” It was no longer optional to wait to move into the land. God was telling him to go
b.) God was the source of hope for Joshua. God’s promise was the source of strength for each new day.
2. Joshua was not to lose sight of the goal
a.) The goal was to follow God wherever he would lead.
b.) This one goal would lead them to success
B. God’s commission for Joshua’s action
1. Joshua was to move forward
a.) There was no time to waste. Israel had waited for this for forty year and the time to move was now
b.) This was the appointed time of God. God had prepared Joshua for this role, for this time and for this task. He was ready and God’s time had come for him to lead
2. Joshua was to focus on God
a.) The odds were against them. These were large armies with trained soldiers, better equipment and weapons and fortified cities. This was an impossible task for a rag tag bunch of shepherds and herdsmen.
b.) Joshua was to keep His eyes on God no matter what and do as he commanded and then he would have great success
C. God’s commission for Joshua’s acceptance
1. The reason for Joshua’s courage
a.) God gave one last promise that imparted courage to Joshua. “I will be with you wherever you go.”
b.) Whatever you have to do I will be with you and you will never stand alone
2. The strength for each new day
a.) If God is for us who can stand against us.
b.) God will give new strength for each new day for those who will follow Him
