Today's Scripture
Strong and Courageous – Joshua 1:1-9
After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord spoke to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ assistant, saying, 2 “My servant Moses is dead. Now proceed to cross the Jordan, you and all this people, into the land that I am giving to them, to the Israelites. 3 Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you, as I promised to Moses. 4 From the wilderness and the Lebanon as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, to the Great Sea in the west shall be your territory. 5 No one shall be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you. 6 Be strong and courageous; for you shall put this people in possession of the land that I swore to their ancestors to give them. 7 Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to act in accordance with all the law that my servant Moses commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, so that you may be successful wherever you go. 8 This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth; you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to act in accordance with all that is written in it. For then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall be successful. 9 I hereby command you: Be strong and courageous; do not be frightened or dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
RJ's Devotion
What the passage says
V.1-5a. After Moses dies, God commands Joshua to go and conquer the promise land. This is the fulfill the promise that everyone younger than Joshua, except Caleb, will enter the promise land.
V. 5b – 9 God continues to encourage Joshua to be ‘strong and courageous.’ God says this three times in the next couple of verses.
What does the passage say to me/us?
We are to live in this world, being strong and courageous. It is not because what we can do, but because of God being with us. We call it Immanuel, ‘God with us.’
It is connected with the covenant fulfilled through Jesus Christ. Through Christ’s resurrection, we can have a relationship with God. By Jesus becoming the atonement, a bridge between the broken relationship, we are called God’s children, with the promise of Immanuel.
However, we are caught up with the thoughts of the world, which keeps on beating us down. We are caught up in reality, which prevents us from seeing who we are. We are caught up in our own ways that pull us away from God’s will. All of these contribute for us not to be strong and courageous.
Probably, that is the reason why God commanded Joshua saying, “This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth; you shall meditate on it day and night” (v. 8 NRSV). Through the word of God, we are constantly reminded of who we are and how to live strong and courageous.
Lord help us to live according to your purpose.
Prayer
Lord, during the time of Lent, help us to realize who we are. Help us to hear your voice that is shared through the Bible. May we continue to be strong and courageous, following your purpose.
In Christ, we pray, AMEN
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