Be strong and courageous...the Lord will be with you always - Joshua 1:9

As we begin the book of Joshua, we know that Joshua's great leader and mentor, Moses, had just died.  The Lord  - as he spoke to Joshua - referred to Moses as "my servant".  Moses had faithfully been obedient to what God had asked him to do.  My Layman's Commentary said: "the idea of servant indicated faithful obedience to the covenant relationship and faithful leadership of the covenant people".  If you haven't done a Bible study of the word covenant, I strongly encourage you to do so. When you are in a covenant relationship with someone, it is like a contract between two or more persons to do or not do something specified.  This covenant relationship began with Abraham and all his descendants...which included Moses and Joshua.   God's part of the bargain included His protection of his people as He brought them into the land He had promised them.   Joshua's was to be the servant and be obedient to all that God asked him to do.  Galatians 3:29 says if we belong to Christ,  we are "heirs according to the promise".

We are God's covenant people when we receive His Son as our Saviour and begin a life of service to Him.  As He said to Joshua, so He says to us:

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous.

Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your

God will be with you wherever you go."

 

He is our covenant protector and we need not fear what we see in the world today.  We are His...He calls us by name...He redeems us...comforts us...loves us...is at work within us...we are precious to Him. In one of my favorite books we used to read to Andrew and Alex, THE RUNAWAY BUNNY, the momma bunny continually says to the rebellious little bunny, "If you run away, I will run after you.  For you are my little bunny."  She protected her own little bunny...this bunny was hers and she would fight for its safety.  They were in relationship with each other.  We are like the little bunny! 

 

If we are His, He will fight for us.  The question we need to ask is:  do we live by FEAR or do we live by FAITH?  If we will "be strong and courageous" in His strength, He will go with us wherever we go. That is living by faith.  No one is more dependable that our Lord...Joshua knew that and marched forward.  That's what I want to do...march forward.  How about you?

 

For further study:  Gen. 15, Psalm 32:7, Psalm 91, Isaiah 7:9, Isaiah 43:1-13, Isaiah 58:11, John 14:15-17, John 17:15, Galatians 3:29,  Ephesians 6:10-18, Hebrews 11:1, 6.

 

Be blessed in your understanding of God's word.

 

Love,

Holly