Walk on!

‘Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.’ Joshua 1.9

What a thrilling promise! The Lord Himself shall go with us. That is a cause for rejoicing, as it’s a motivation for courageous living. It’s a promise, though, which comes after a command. In fact, it comes after a series of commands, in verses 7-8: ‘be strong, be careful to obey, don’t turn aside from the Law, don’t set it aside, reflect on it day and night.’ God is pledging His serious, covenant commitment to His servant. He promises that He will be with him, always, and in all places. But Joshua must take His Lord seriously. The Word he has been given must be the Word which he commits to his heart and life. Do this, and he will know the Presence of the Living Lord. So will we.

Some wisdom from Dale Ralph Davis on these three verses:

‘This command is given specifically to Joshua as the leader of God’s people. Can we definitely assume that it also obligates every Israelite or Christian? Yes, If we don’t like Joshua 1.7-8, we still have to face Psalm 1.2, which describes what should be true of every godly believer (ie ‘but His delight is in Yahweh’s Torah, and on His Torah he meditates day and night……..’). There is no escape! Indeed the Torah should be our delight. Life in the Kingdom of God must be lived out of the Word of God. Joshua 1 and Psalm 1 alike tell us that a life pleasing to God does not arise from mystical experiences or warm feelings or from a new gimmick advocated in a current release from one of our evangelical publishers; no, it comes from the Word God has already spoken and from obedience to that Word.’

‘Joshua: no Falling Words’ p.20.