Read: Joshua 1-4
Focus Verse: “Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their ancestors. Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:6-7).
Devotion: Joshua has BIG shoes to fill. Moses has handed the people off and it’s now his time to get to work. The task before him is leading hundreds of thousands of people into wars to capture the promised land. I can imagine Joshua was scared, or at least nervous. I can imagine he didn’t quite know what to expect. But Joshua trusts God, so he goes. This gigantic challenge before him, even with God on his side, I think prompts the theme of this first chapter, and of Joshua’s life. This statement ‘Be Strong and Courageous’ is repeated throughout the first chapter (1:6, 1:7, 1:9, and 1:18). Four times in the first chapter Joshua is commanded—and reminded—to be strong and courageous. With the chaos of life around you, will you be strong and courageous? God is on your side. God loves and is always fighting for you, and present with you. With Jesus fighting our battles in this chaotic time, I say to you, be strong and courageous!
Pray: LORD help me be strong and courageous in the face of all the turmoil around me. Amen!
Additional Scripture: “I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.” (Phil. 4:13)