Courage helps us #movewithGod.

Perhaps the most important function of courage in our lives is the fact that courage gives us what we need to join God, walk with God and, if we have been away, return to God.  Once we are with God, it helps us to stay faithful to God.

And to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh Joshua said, "Remember the word that Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you, saying, 'The LORD your God is providing you a place of rest and will give you this land.' Your wives, your little ones, and your livestock shall remain in the land that Moses gave you beyond the Jordan, but all the men of valor among you shall pass over armed before your brothers and shall help them, until the LORD gives rest to your brothers as he has to you, and they also take possession of the land that the LORD your God is giving them. Then you shall return to the land of your possession and shall possess it, the land that Moses the servant of the LORD gave you beyond the Jordan toward the sunrise." (Joshua 1:12-15 ESV)

This is important because there are benefits and blessings that are only available to us when we walk together with God.  We cannot get them any other way.  There is no self-help book, no business strategy, no fad, trend, or new discovery that can provide what God provides.  We need courage because we are surrounded by a world that tries to convince us to move away from God.  But with courage, we can see God, join God, and walk with God each step of our lives.

And Joshua commanded the officers of the people, "Pass through the midst of the camp and command the people, 'Prepare your provisions, for within three days you are to pass over this Jordan to go in to take possession of the land that the LORD your God is giving you to possess.'" (Joshua 1:10-11 ESV)

How about you?  Do you have the courage to #movewithGod?  God is on the move.  Are you?

Courage from God brings success.

Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go. This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. (Joshua 1:7-8 ESV)

God tells Joshua that he must have the courage to follow the Covenant, the terms of the Covenant (Ten Commandments), and the Law.  When he and the Israelites do this, God says twice that they will have success.  This should cause us to pause for a moment and think about the offer here.  God offers success when they follow God’s commands.  God does not offer success if they rebel from God.  Does God make the same offer to us?  The answer is, “Yes.”

Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. (James 4:7 ESV)

Over and over again God offers success to us under the new covenant, too.  God does all the heavy lifting, but we still have our part to play.  When we choose to draw near to God and walk in His ways, God promises to provide certain blessings.  When we do not, those blessings are withheld. When God provides us courage, it will bring us close to God and give us God-defined success.

How about you?  Do you have the courage to draw near to God?  Does it give you success?

Courage takes strength.

When God was preparing Joshua to lead the Israelites into the Promised Land, God knew that it would take both courage and strength.  So, God said:

Be strong and courageous, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land that I swore to their fathers to give them. (Joshua 1:6 ESV)

When we get frightened, angry, or depressed, it is easy to feel like not getting up in the morning.  We can find ourselves not wanting to talk to people or face the world in any way.  That’s when it’s good to remember that courage takes strength and that we don’t need to manufacture that strength.  Later in Israel’s history, God told Nehemiah:

And do not be grieved, for the joy of the LORD is your strength. (Nehemiah 8:10b ESV)

When God tells us to be strong and courageous, it is important.  In fact, it is so important that God repeated the phrase three times in His message to Joshua.  Be strong and courageous.  Be strong and courageous.  Be strong and courageous.  When God told Joshua (and tells us) the same thing, God isn’t leaving us alone to fight that battle.  He gives us the strength.  The joy of the LORD is our strength.

How about you?  When you are struggling, do you hear God’s call to be strong and courageous?  Is the joy of the LORD your strength?

Building Courage

After the death of Moses the servant of the LORD, the LORD said to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses' assistant, "Moses my servant is dead. Now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, into the land that I am giving to them, to the people of Israel. (Joshua 1:1-2 ESV)

Moses has gone home to be with the LORD and Joshua has taken on the mantle of responsibility and leadership for Israel.  Over 2 Million people are looking to him for direction and God is calling them to go into the land that terrified their parents.  Not only that, they will need to cross a large, quickly flowing river just to get into that land.  To lead these people into this land, it will take courage.  So, God builds Joshua up.

Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you, just as I promised to Moses. From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun shall be your territory. No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you. (Joshua 1:3-5 ESV)

We need courage, too.  We face our own big scary giants in our lives.  We have deep, fast-flowing rivers in our way.  We struggle because the things we face seem far too big to overcome.  So, we need courage.  These things may be too big for us to handle, but they are never too big for God.  And, like Joshua, God will never leave us or forsake us as long as we choose to walk together with Him.

How about you?  Do you have frightening “giants” that you face in your life?  Do you need to overcome obstacles that seem to block your way?  Do you need courage?