5. “No one will 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 never leave you nor forsake you.” 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.”
Joshua may feel that he doesn't have the skills to lead Israel and he is right. But, if God calls him to a task, He will provide the resources to carry out that task by His power. Did you get that? If God calls you to a task, then He will provide what you need, to do what He wants, not for your glory but His.
Joshua's first conflict after crossing over Jordan was Jericho. Now you tell me where Joshua's power was in that story? They walked around the city seven days, and then seven times one day and shouted, and the walls fell down. Wouldn't you like that type of power? Obviously, God did it.
Along with the realization that God has a plan is the awareness that He most certainly has the power to carry out His plan. The God of the universe and all-powerful being, certainly doesn't need us to carry out His will, but He chooses to do so. Remember what Jesus said when people were praising Him when He was coming into Jerusalem? “If these people do not praise me, God will raise up rocks to sing those songs." No man will be able to stand against God’s power. No nation will. No dictator will. Not even Satan himself can.
Now I ask a similar question: Why does God tell us to be courageous? Frankly, it is because we get scared a lot. We fear the process and the consequences and fear can paralyze us. God wanted Joshua to rest in His power so He can be courageous to obey and lead. We need not be afraid.
Part of receiving the power is yielding our control. Have you ever wondered why Christianity has so little impact on the world? Many recent studies have shown that the values and ethics of professing Christians are not at all that different from those in the world. Too many Christians can lie, abuse their families emotionally and physically, steal, drink, cheat ..etc with the best of them. As one pastor put it, the reason is really far too many Christians have only gone, "almost" with God.
The story of the Israelites, after they moved into the Promised Land, did not keep in tune with the power of God. They had been delivered from bondage, a much more deadly and more powerful bondage, than Egyptian slavery is the bondage of sin, whose wage is death - eternal death. When we read the accounts of the early Christians, about how they were joyful in spite of what to us seems like unbearable circumstances. How did they do it? Were they better than us? Did God care more about them? Is God unable to do for us what He did for them? Is Jesus not able to do for us what He did for Paul, to give us the strength to endure any and every circumstance? Is our God running out of power or just losing concern for His people? The answer to all of those questions obviously is NO! The problem is not with God. The reason many like Joshua experienced the presence, and power of God to carry out His plan is that he met the prerequisites. He learned through experience to trust in the power of the Almighty God.
Application: By faith, He could do what God wanted him to do and let God do the rest. Throughout today say, "I trust You Lord"
Prayer: Lord, give me this kind of faith and courage as I walk with You in Your Word.
