“Be Strong” – A Promise for Every Hard Season
By Dr. Brandon Steenbock, Family Minister
Joshua 1:9 – Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.
Imagine you have been tapped to take over as head of your organization. You will be replacing a man who has been in charge for four decades, and he has a reputation for strong leadership, clear vision, and they say he can literally work miracles. He has guided this organization through all kinds of challenges, he has faced criticism and complaints without backing down, and everyone says that he knows God is on his side.
And now he’s gone. It’s up to you. Also, this is the ancient middle east, you are leading two million people who have spent their entire lives wandering in the desert, and you’re about to go to war.
This is Joshua – chosen by God, mentored by Moses, appointed to lead the Israelites into the Promised Land. We aren’t told how Joshua is feeling about all of this, but if we read between the lines, I think we can make some guesses. God tells him over and over again, “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid.” Maybe Joshua needs to hear these words because maybe he’s not feeling so strong. Or courageous. Maybe he’s just a little bit afraid.
Ever feel like Joshua? Big stuff is ahead. Maybe it’s a new role at work. Maybe you’ve just graduated and you’re heading into a new phase of life. Maybe you just got married, or just had a child. Or maybe you’re facing down more constant challenges, like depression, or money stress, or addiction, or a fractured relationship.
Maybe God is calling you to something hard. To rise up and start a new thing. Or to put an end to an old problem. Or just to lead when you haven’t led before.
You’re not Joshua, leading two million people into the conquest of the Promised Land. But the Lord your God is still with you wherever you go. And he has the same message for you that he had for Joshua: Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid.
Easy to say. But how can you be sure? Just before the battle of Jericho, late into the night, Joshua met a man in battle armor holding a sword. It wasn’t one of his soldiers. He knew in a moment that this man was from God. So he asked a simple question, “Are you for us or our enemies?”
“No,” the man answered simply. “I am the commander of the Lord’s armies, and I’m here now.” Then he told Joshua to take off his sandals, because he was on holy ground. A clear sign that this was not a man, but was the Son of God himself, coming to show Joshua one simple thing: God is with you.
Long before you faced whatever hard thing you’re going through, the Son of God himself came to earth. Not just a man, but God in the flesh, he came to defeat sin, death, and the devil for you. He conquered our enemies, triumphing over them by the cross, and breaking all chains by rising from death. Jesus, the Commander of the Lord’s Armies, won the victory.
And he gave his disciples – all his disciples, us included – a promise: “Surely I will be with you always to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:20). Jesus, God in the flesh, the Commander of the Lord’s Armies, is with you. You can be sure because he came, he died, he rose, and he promised. So be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid. The Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.