“6Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the LORD your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you. 7Then Moses summoned Joshua and said to him in the sight of all Israel, ‘Be strong and courageous, for you shall go with this people into the land that the LORD has sworn to their fathers to give them, and you shall put them in possession of it.’” – Deuteronomy 31:6-7 (ESV)
Verses 6 and 7 above remind to be strong and courageous. First Moses speaks to the people of Israel and then directly to Joshua, but the message is the same.
As he, Moses, was not going to be with the people when they cross the Jordan river into the promised land, he wanted them to know that it really mattered not. He wanted them to take comfort in that God would be with them and to assist in their acceptance of God’s grace and protection, he commissioned Joshua to take over the head position with them as they crossed into the promised land. And as he commissioned him, he gave the people and Joshua the same “pep talk” if you will. To be strong and courageous as they advanced for God would be with them every step of the way.
Thinking of how long the people of Israel were wandering and waiting to go into the promised land, I am sure that there was some apprehension as they got to this point. I know that I have waited for things and as they got closer and closer, I became a bit more anxious to get started and also to know if I was ready. I can only imagine the anxiety that was welling up with the Israelite people at this time. Here there leader, Moses, was letting them know that they would be completing the journey without him and although that would be the case, they should stand strong and courageously as they entered the promised land.
I think about myself and the journey that I am on and this passage reminds me to be strong and courageous as I move forward for God is with me and will protect and provide for me as I move on. Completing the journey for God is the end result and there is where my strength should be as I move forward. God has this in store for me and with that I should just move forward knowing that He will provide the result He has set in motion.
When you set out on the journey for God, how is your confidence? Are you feeling the anxiety of the journey and the unknown? What if you were to trust God and take the words of Moses to heart and be strong and courageous in the journey?
Trevor's Thoughts 