When facing the impossible or navigating something difficult, it’s natural for your mind to start calculating. You begin running all the scenarios, weighing the chances of success or failure, and trying to figure out what combination of effort, timing, and circumstances will produce the outcome you want. It becomes almost like solving an equation in your head, which can look like:
- 10 Hours of Studying + Going to office hours = Passing the exam
- More networking + a perfect résumé = Getting the job
- Therapy + Time = Overcoming anxiety
- Consistent date nights + Better communication = Saving the marriage
- Working harder + Befriending the right people = Opening the right doors
Wouldn’t it be nice if life was so simple? Yet, the reason why we worry and ruminate is because our desired outcomes are never guaranteed, no matter how hard we try to perfectly line up the variables. The world does not abide by our calculations, and God does not operate by our equations. This is why, when Joshua and Israel were facing the impossible task to leave the wilderness and claim the Promised Land, God said, “Haven’t I commanded you: be strong and courageous? Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:9 CSB).
God did not ask Joshua to calculate his odds of accomplishing this gargantuan feat. If he did, he likely wouldn’t have tried to leave the wilderness and cross the Jordan River. Just a generation before, the Israelites were slaves in Egypt, not a great nation with military prowess. How were they to cross unfamiliar terrain, break unbreakable walls, and defeat impenetrable armies?
And yet, God made His commands clear. Be strong and courageous. Don’t ruminate, overthink, or control. Don’t quit because the odds are against you. Don’t lean on your own understanding. Don’t assume just because the optics look bleak. In giving this command, the Lord wasn’t insinuating that Joshua must ignore the gravity of the challenge ahead. Rather, He was asking Joshua to trust the variable that changes everything: the Presence of God. The deciding factor in their victory was not going to be who Israel were, but rather, whose they were.
The Variable That Changes Everything
God’s command in Joshua 1:9 comes with an invitation to trust His Presence. If Joshua and the Israelites only went by the calculations of what they saw and heard about the land ahead, they would have stayed put. They would have made plans to bypass the inevitable risk of faith and do what they could do by their own abilities.
Today, that can look like avoiding change because it makes more logistical sense than to take the step toward a missional assignment that God has placed on your heart. It can look like refusing a leadership position offered to you by the community because you feel like your life is managed just perfectly at the moment. Perhaps you feel called to give generously to someone in need,, but you end up refusing to take the chance on your well-thought-out budget. Everyone wants a blessing until they actually have to step out in faith with the One who blesses.
Strength and courage weren’t virtues that Joshua had to conjure up on his own. You aren’t disobedient if you tremble before a leap of faith. You aren’t lacking faith just because your heart races before facing the unknown. Strength and courage are the fruits of continually, tenaciously, and unapologetically following a God that is good, able, and near.
This isn’t about being the perfect Christian that valiantly leaps over every challenge. It’s about obeying Him even after you fail, following Him through the fire, and trusting Him amidst lack.
Why?
Because the loyal company of our Savior changes everything. It’s the variable that guarantees the grace to do what we cannot accomplish on our own. It allows us to draw confidence from God’s wisdom and power.
Obeying the Lord Is Both Possible and Worth It
Now, does this mean that we have the assurance to boldly do whatever we want? No, when God commanded Joshua to be strong and courageous, it was a command to choose wholehearted obedience into the Promised Land. Although the Israelites were created for the Promised Land, they were not created to live for it. Instead, they were created to love and follow God. Joshua 1:9 is not an inspirational hurrah for you to go grab a hold of the things you want. Instead, it is an assurance that obeying Him is both possible and worth it. After all, the battle belonged to the Lord long before Joshua ever lifted a sword.
The same is true for any of us who struggle to believe that obeying God will help us get through our mess. Maybe you are tempted to make compromises to alleviate your worries. Maybe you want to skip out on the Bible study and prayer time because it feels pointless. Anxiety and rumination can feel like wise friends when we are faced with unprecedented battles. However, when God told Joshua to be “strong and courageous,” it wasn’t a gentle suggestion. It was a command, and that command came with a promise: the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.
Strength and courage do not come from perfect planning, airtight strategies, and favorable circumstances. They come from the empowering Presence of God Himself. This changes everything! Now you know that divine strength and courage are no longer something you earn, but instead, it’s something you step into with obedience.
You don’t have to wait until you feel ready, capable, or confident to do the difficult things. What are God’s marching orders for you today? What does the battle ahead look like for you? Be strong and courageous. He’ll be with you.
Step into courage, faith, and victory by studying the Book of Joshua.
Are you ready to leave behind fear, doubt, and uncertainty to embrace the promises God has for your life? In Joshua: Be Strong and Courageous, Faith Eury Cho leads you through this powerful Old Testament book, equipping you to navigate life’s challenges with unwavering trust in God.
Author of Experiencing Friendship with God, Faith Eury Cho has been a gospel preacher since she was 19 years old and now holds a Master of Divinity from Liberty Theological Seminary. Alongside her husband David Cho, she is the co-founder and co-lead pastor of Mosaic Covenant Church of NJ. The mission of her life is for all to know and enjoy the gift of the gospel, which is the Presence of God.
