Be strong and courageous.
God's charge to Joshua as he stepped into Moses' shoes.
The episode in a glance.
- 01Joshua took over for Moses — an impossible act to follow.
- 02'Strong and courageous' is repeated four times in one chapter.
- 03Courage is commanded, not summoned — it's a response to God's presence.
- 04'I will be with you wherever you go' is the real source of strength.
Read along.
Joshua had just lost Moses — the leader who had brought Israel out of Egypt, parted the Red Sea, and stood face to face with God. And now Joshua was supposed to step into his sandals.
Into that impossible moment, God speaks: 'Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.'
Strong and courageous is repeated four times in Joshua 1. Repetition in the Bible is emphasis. God is hammering it in because he knows Joshua needs to hear it that many times.
Notice that courage is commanded. You don't summon it from inside yourself. You receive it as a response to a promise: I will be with you.
That's where biblical courage always comes from. Not from being naturally brave. From knowing who's standing beside you in the moment that demands it.