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Courage Under Fire (1)
'Be strong and of good courage...' Joshua 1:6
The Jordan River stretched out before them. Forty years of petty squabbles and backbiting. Forty years of wandering and wandering. Forty years of desert life; camping in the desert, waking early to see if God had sent manna from the skies again. Forty years. And now it was all about to end. A new life beckoned.
The other side of the river was the promise of milk and honey and meat and homes and land fit for growing fruit. A promised land. One snag: it was enemy occupied territory. Who were they to lead a revolution, an uprising, and drive the current occupants out of the land? And who was this kid to think he could lead the uprising? He was no revolutionary or SAS commander; he was a desert nomad.
Maybe, they should just turn back and find a smaller piece of land. A land where nobody had to be evicted. Maybe. But hadn't God promised the best? A land perfect for growing a mighty nation. If they settled for less, what would that say about the Jews? What would that say about God?
Here's a God who promised the best but delivered second, third best. As the fear fluttered like birds in Joshua's insides, a promise flashed to his mind. 'Be strong and of good courage'. The words rose in his chest filling his spirit with steel. God had promised to turn a crowd of slaves into a mighty, godly nation. Joshua had to act on it.
written by Bob Gass
'Be strong and of good courage...' Joshua 1:6
The Jordan River stretched out before them. Forty years of petty squabbles and backbiting. Forty years of wandering and wandering. Forty years of desert life; camping in the desert, waking early to see if God had sent manna from the skies again. Forty years. And now it was all about to end. A new life beckoned.
The other side of the river was the promise of milk and honey and meat and homes and land fit for growing fruit. A promised land. One snag: it was enemy occupied territory. Who were they to lead a revolution, an uprising, and drive the current occupants out of the land? And who was this kid to think he could lead the uprising? He was no revolutionary or SAS commander; he was a desert nomad.
Maybe, they should just turn back and find a smaller piece of land. A land where nobody had to be evicted. Maybe. But hadn't God promised the best? A land perfect for growing a mighty nation. If they settled for less, what would that say about the Jews? What would that say about God?
Here's a God who promised the best but delivered second, third best. As the fear fluttered like birds in Joshua's insides, a promise flashed to his mind. 'Be strong and of good courage'. The words rose in his chest filling his spirit with steel. God had promised to turn a crowd of slaves into a mighty, godly nation. Joshua had to act on it.
written by Bob Gass
