Strength + Courage
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” - Joshua 1:9
One of my favourite stories in the Bible is the story of Joshua. God assigned Joshua to lead the people of Israel into the promised land after Moses died. The leadership he was replacing was highly respected, and most times, when great leaders are replaced, that's when leadership tends to collapse. Joshua knew that the expectation ahead of him was not the easiest.
The thing is, God would not choose Joshua to be the new leader without giving him the right tools. So God gave him two commands: BE STRONG and COURAGEOUS.
Both are not feelings; they are abilities. They are decisions that turn into action. God didn't force them into Joshua's life; He commanded them from him. To be a leader of God’s people, Joshua would have to develop those abilities based on what he knew about God. He would need to take ownership of his feelings and emotions. The decision to be strong and courageous would then shape his feelings, not the other way around. But to keep those abilities moving in a healthy way, they demand a source, and that source needs to be the right one.
Our generation is a generation that has frequently been led by feelings and emotions. Our debates, arguments, and conversations are most of the time based on how we feel about something, not on facts and reality. We move around this life based on how we might be feeling, or not feeling, on that day. We say 'no' when things scare us or are too difficult for us. We quit things and relationships easily. And don't get me wrong, it has nothing to do with ignoring our feelings and emotions or looking after ourselves. It also has nothing to do with being vulnerable with our weaknesses.
It has more to do with how our bad and unhealthy feelings keep leading our decisions and actions. Feelings and emotions have the right place to be used, but they should rarely be our compass (Jeremiah 17:9). The right vulnerability comes from a place when we recognise we are weak, but we need God to be our source of strength.
The problem begins when the source of our strength and courage changes; when we are told that we should trust ourselves, or the things around us, or even popular opinion, instead of God.
I love what Bonhoeffer says in his book 'The Cost of Discipleship':
"But to deviate from the truth for the sake of some prospect of hope of our own can never be wise, however sight that deviation may be. It is not our judgment of the situation which can show us what is wise, but only the truth of the Word of God. Here alone lies the promise of God's faithfulness and help. It will always be true that the wisest course for the disciple is always to abide solely by the Word of God in all simplicity."
The moment we think that our wisdom is the source, our strength begins to die. When, as followers of Jesus, we stop reminding ourselves where our strength, courage, and help come from (Psalms 121), we are allowing our hearts to be deceived by our feelings. We seek them in human approval or opinion instead of what God has to say. We let our feelings take over, and we make decisions based on them.
Joshua could have said no. He was probably afraid; he had seen enough of how incredibly hard it was to lead the Hebrews into the promised land. He witnessed and watched Moses’ daily war with those people. His feelings probably encouraged him to say 'no', but the voice of God required strength and courage. Strength not only to lead but to be led by God. Courage to keep His commandments and to be obedient even when facing opposition. But both things would not come naturally from Joshua; they would have to come from 'the' source, and to receive them, he would have to keep himself close to God. And that is where we know we are well-established to lead and to bring about change.
These two words are essential in our walk with God. They produce a level of consistency in our faith that grounds our hearts and feelings in God. They allow us to lead our own life and others from the right place—strength to keep pressing on and never giving up. Courage to walk against the flow with the confidence of what we believe. Joshua's story as a leader is a powerful example of a life that reflected obedience to those commandments, and that's the kind of life we should seek to live if we want to stand firm.
For you:
Today, I want to encourage you to reflect on your journey in this season. Think of ways God might be telling you to be strong and courageous. Let His Holy Spirit be the voice in your heart and allow His word to be the compass that guides you.
