Courage.

I envision Joshua… freshly appointed leader….
Moses has passed on and the Lord has charged Joshua to step up…

And what is beautiful is this.. the first words from the Lord to Joshua is this..

“I promise you what I promised to Moses – You will have the land of wherever you set your foot upon. …For I will be with you as I was with Moses. I will not fail or abandon you.”

The Lord’s charge was simple, before leadership duties and conquering of land.

The Lord told Joshua – “Take baby steps, step up, take small but sure steps…Because I will help you, I will lead you and I believe in you..”

In essence, the Lord was saying – “Joshua, small steps are still steps forward.. I’m right beside you. So be bold and take the steps forward”

Three times the Lord said – “Be Strong and Couragous..” Three times…why three?

I dunno…maybe daddyGod, Jesus and the Holy spirit all took turns to whisper encouragement to young Josh…

I remember Jesus saying it to the disciples, ‘Take Courage, It is I, Don’t be afraid.” Two instances, in Matthew and Mark..and the moment He said that, violent storms died down…hard gales cease…

Take courage imm…

I wonder what that meant to Joshua… Be strong and couragous… only be strong and couragous… be strong and VERY couragous…

Is it because there is an impending war?

Is it because there’s something to fear about?

Again.. I do not know…but what I know is that… We all need courage don’t we?

      Courage to face the future, 
      Courage to move on from the past, 
      Courage to let go, courage to take hold… 
      Courage to sit and rest… 
      Courage to stand for what you believe in. 
      Courage to believe.

For Joshua, He heard the call for courage SEVEN times… three times from the lips of God, two times from Moses, two times from the tribes..

Now isn’t seven a number representing rest and completion?

The Lord invokes Courage that arises from rest.. Before Joshua became leader to lead the tribes into the promised land…Moses spoke about this…

Then Moses went out and spoke these words to all Israel: “I am now a hundred and twenty years old and I am no longer able to lead you. The LORD has said to me, ‘You shall not cross the Jordan.’ The LORD your God himself will cross over ahead of you.

He will destroy these nations before you, and you will take possession of their land. Joshua also will cross over ahead of you, as the LORD said.

And the LORD will do to them what he did to Sihon and Og, the kings of the Amorites, whom he destroyed along with their land.

The LORD will deliver them to you, and you must do to them all that I have commanded you. Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”

Then Moses summoned Joshua and said to him in the presence of all Israel, “Be strong and courageous, for you must go with this people into the land that the LORD swore to their forefathers to give them, and you must divide it among them as their inheritance.

The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” Deuteronomy 31:1-8 (NIV)

The Lord himself will go before us to prepare safe passage, and Joshua would follow closely behind…

And the promise to Joshua is rest. Courage arising from rest.

An assurance from daddyGod that He’ll will go before me and go WITH me…

I can be…no, I get to be couragous today, right now.. facing the giants at my face, and seeing daddyGod slaying them before my eyes…

I wanted to run away today…again…

But I can’t deny and insult my descent…

I’m born again into the tribe of the Lion of Judah..I’m the Lion cub of Judah…
How can lions be anything but brave and couragous?

I know I’m weak…I know my abilities are come to naught…

But grace is like that isn’t…It’s always always like that…

Grace works best when my works are useless…Grace works best when I can’t work no more…

Be strong and couragous imm…
Strong in the Lord… Couragous in His presence…

Wow, what a moral booster when I’m bombarded with lies and rubbish…

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