Daily devotional · February 11
Courage Is Commanded With a Promise
“Now after the death of His servant Moses, the LORD spoke to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ assistant, saying, “Moses My servant is dead. Now therefore arise, you and all these people, and cross over the Jordan into the land that I am giving to the children of Israel. I have given you every place where the sole of your foot will tread, just as I promised to Moses. Your territory shall extend from the wilderness and Lebanon to the great River Euphrates—all the land of the Hittites—and west as far as the Great Sea. No one shall stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so will I be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. Be strong and courageous, for you shall give these people the inheritance of the land that I swore to their fathers I would give them. Above all, be strong and very courageous. Be careful to observe all the law that My servant Moses commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may prosper wherever you go. This Book of the Law must not depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. For then you will prosper and succeed in all you do. Have I not commanded you to be strong and courageous? Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.””
Moses had died, and Joshua now had to lead a nation into a land full of unknowns. God's message is repeated three times: be strong and courageous. But notice it is never a demand for self-confidence. Each time it comes tied to a promise: I will be with you, I will not leave you. Courage in Scripture is not feeling fearless; it is acting faithfully because of who is present. God also gives Joshua a practical instruction: keep his word close, meditate on it, and do what it says. Confidence grows from that daily habit rather than from a single dramatic moment. Today, if you face something intimidating, a conversation, a new job, a diagnosis, write down the promise of God's presence. Read the passage once slowly, then take the first concrete step forward, however small.
Prayer
God, You go with me wherever I go. Make me brave because You are near. Amen.