“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” (Josh. 1:9)
It is quite normal for us to experience fear, but we must not be controlled by it. We are approaching the end of the Church Age; this is a time to be strong and courageous. The Lord’s message to one of the churches in Asia Minor was: “Do not fear any of the things which you are about to suffer.” (Rev. 2:10). We would all like to think that we can be like the church in Philadelphia, which would be kept from “the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole earth” (Rev. 3:10). We forget, however, that the reason they would be kept from tribulation is because they had already been faithfully persevering. “See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name.” (Rev. 3:8). It is good to trust God to keep us from some of the suffering that is coming upon the earth, but it is a false sense of peace to assume that we will be kept from all of it. To suffer for Christ is not a punishment, it is the pathway to glory. “This is a faithful saying: ‘For if we died with Him, we shall also live with Him. If we endure, we shall also reign with Him. If we deny Him, He also will deny us.’” (2Tim. 2:11,12). The believers in Philadelphia persevered because they had “a little strength”. We also can overcome if we receive strength from God.
The words quoted at the start of this article were spoken to Joshua as he prepared to lead the nation of Israel into the promised land. It was not the first time the Lord had spoken these words to Joshua. They were first spoken to him through Moses; and not only to him, but to the entire nation of Israel (Deut. 31:1-6). We are all commanded to be strong and courageous, regardless of our position in the army of the Lord.
One thing I have found with the Lord is that He speaks and continues to speak. We do not always recognize His voice at first, but when we do, we can exercise our faith to receive the grace that comes with it. Jesus said that the words He speaks are spirit and life (Jn. 6:63). With the command comes the grace to obey it. When God created the heavens and the earth, “the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.” (Gen. 1:2). God the Father spoke through His Son, and the Spirit carried out the words. We must receive God’s spoken words in the same manner. “Receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.” (Jas. 1:21). The Word is alive (Heb. 4:12). When it is planted in our hearts by faith, it will grow and bear fruit. The condition of the soil of our hearts is also important. “But the ones that fell on the good ground are those who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience.” (Lu. 8:15). Religious pride will direct us to attempt obedience by human effort, but humility recognizes that without Christ we can do nothing.
We are told of an occasion in David’s life when everything seemed to be going wrong. (See 1Samuel, Chapter 30). The town which he and his army used as a home base had been attacked by the Amalekites and their families had been taken prisoners. “Now David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of the people was grieved, every man for his sons and daughters. But David strengthened himself in the Lord His God.” (1Sam. 30:6). The Hebrew word used for “strengthened” in this verse is the same word used in Joshua Chapter one. Some translations use the word “encouraged” but “strengthened” is more accurate. He strengthened himself by turning his eyes onto the Lord, then he inquired of the Lord about pursuing the enemy. It was not enough for him to place his faith on some general promises of blessing; he needed to know the mind of the Lord for the situation. David used the priestly ephod to inquire of the Lord, but today we have the inner witness of the Spirit to guide us. (1Jn. 2:20,27). When we face a crisis, we should, in like manner, turn our eyes to the Lord as we meditate on His goodness and His promises. The Spirit will impress on our hearts what God’s will is in the situation. Then, through faith in His Word and patient endurance, we will obtain what has been promised. (Heb. 6:12).
The trials we face are never pleasant, but if we walk humbly through them in faith, God will use them for our good (Rom. 8:28). The Lord is always looking for people whose hearts are loyal to Him so He can work on their behalf (2Chron. 16:9). The spoils David received from defeating the Amalekites that day were enough to send presents to the elders of Judah. Shortly after that, he was received by Judah as their king.
Jehoshaphat is another king of Judah who trusted in the Lord and experienced a great victory. We read in the chronicles of the kings that “the people of Moab with the people of Ammon, and others with them besides the Ammonites, came to battle against Jehoshaphat.” (2Chron. 20:1). When hearing the report, Jehoshaphat was not as strong as required, but he knew where to find strength. “And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.” (2Chron. 20:3). While seeking the Lord in prayer, the Word of the Lord came through a prophet, giving them the needed instructions for the battle. The result of believing and obeying the Word of the Lord was a great victory.
The return of the Lord is at hand; gird up your mind for the battle ahead (Eph. 6:13). “You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus…You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.” (2Tim. 2:1,3).
Highway in the Wilderness 