God says to Joshua, “Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you, just as I promised to Moses.”

“As He promised Moses.” He mentions His servant Moses repeatedly.

Abraham even gets a nod. God says, “Be strong and courageous, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land that I swore to their fathers to give them.”

Do you ever get the feeling God does all this for Israel because people like Moses and first, Abraham, were his friends?

Joshua has to be told four times in this one chapter to be strong and courageous. That means he wasn’t feeling strong or courageous. Even the people he was leading said it to him, so maybe he wasn’t acting strong and courageous, and they noticed.

He wouldn’t be commanded if it wasn’t possible. He could make the choice to be strong. He could make the choice to be courageous.

What did he need courage for? He was taking over for Moses, the friend of God. He had been Moses’ right-hand man. He had seen the heartache of leading a stubborn people. He knew of their failure the last time they tried entering the land.

He needed to get past all his human understanding and acknowledge God and His Word. He was to meditate on God’s law day and night so that he would be careful to do it.

He had wonderful promises of all the land given to him, wherever he goes, and how no one would be able to stand before him all the days of his life, and that God would be with him as He was with Moses.

You need to know the reality of the promise of God with us, of God with you. You need to know the reality that He’ll never leave nor forsake you. You need to know the reality of the fact that you no longer live, but Christ is living in you, and of being one with Him. How could you be separated from Him? His plans are good, so why should there be trepidation over the future? Embrace the truth of your life in Christ and be strong and courageous. Look at Israel and see what lengths God’s love will go for a friend.