by Pastor JR Cuevas

Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.
~Joshua 1:9

As one might expect, the verses that mean most to me are those verses that strike the very core of my greatest struggles. The biblical texts over which I find myself journaling the longest in daily quiet times with the Lord are the passages that both expose my greatest weaknesses as well as inspire me to wage war against them. In all honestly, courage has never been the strongest asset for me. My walk with the Lord and attempt to run the race of faith has often been beset by a lack of confidence in Him and thus riddled with pessimism. Often have I found myself handcuffed in ministry – and in life in general – because I have often allowed my fears to control me. Though I have done much work on my part to fight it, in light of an up-coming church pland and an up-coming birth of our first child I had recently found myself again wallowing in pessimism. Too many transitions, too many unknowns. Simply put, my lack of trust in God mixed with a number of up-coming transitions has produced a not-so-encouraging attitude to those around me. Resolved I was to fix this, I decided to study the book of Joshua, for the Spirit of God has much to say to those who call themselves followers of God yet do not have confidence in Him.

I realize that far am I from being alone in this struggle. It’s everywhere. It exists in so many good people, and in so many good churches. Many Christians are simply afraid – afraid to lose their comfort, afraid to lose their security, afraid to lose their children, afraid to lose their families, afraid to lose the approval of peers, afraid to lose their lives. The more tragic part is that many have given into these fears. The responses along the lines of, “it’s too difficult,” and “it’s too dangerous” have been so prevalent amongst many whom the Lord has called to do do ministry, and their belief in these responses has prevented many from investing in the kingdom of God. Many would rather flee than fight – they’d rather run away than race. Safety and comfort are premiums in our society, while riskiness and agonizing labor are not.

I can only think that perhaps Joshua was tempted to flee as well, upon God’s commissioning him to lead the Israelites across the Jordan to possess the land that God had promised them. Their great leader – Moses – was dead, and God has chosen Joshua to mobilize the nation to participate in what would be perhaps the most significant battles of their history. A humble man in his own right, Joshua could not have possibly seen himself as the one who would be most fit for the task. And so the Lord commissioned him with these words in Joshua 1:9: “Be strong and courageous!” Anyone who reads Joshua slowly will find that this is a thematic command from the God to Joshua – to be strong and courageous upon faithfully running the course that God had set before him. And in the end, Joshua did what Moses was not able to do – lead the people across the Jordan to possess the land that God had promised them.

Learning from Joshua’s courage is not only inspiring; it is instructive. From him, we see that courage is not oblivious or ignorant over-confidence. Neither is it bravado nor boastful arrogance. Neither is it blind faith nor self-confidence. Rather, courage is the quality of pressing forward towards God and being faithful to His will in the midst of jeopardizing circumstances. It is not the lack of initial fear, but rather having the resolve to both face it and fight fear for the glory of God. Courage is that very virtue that undergirds faith. It is what strengthens the feet of a believer to take the step of faith. Talk to every great champion in any sport, and they’ll tell you that they’re not exempt from fear and pressure – especially if they persevere. But ask any of their competitors, and they’ll tell you that what makes those athletes champions is their unflinching resolve amidst the pressure. The same is true for Christian warriors. While the reality remains that Satan and the world are dangerous opponents, the courageous Christian does not flinch or flee before them. Rather, by the strength and knowledge of God, he valiantly proceeds and fights.

How does one then develop courage? It does not happen over night, but rather is developed over time. All who struggle with fear ought to be disciplined, then, both realization and resolution. Realization – the awareness that God will not forsake His children, nor will He fail them. Courage can never be separated from a knowledge of God – both objectively and subjectively. The most courageous people are those who are aware – aware of God’s power and God’s faithfulness to His people. Courage starts the realization of God’s ability to overcome any and all circumstances and opponents, and continues with the realization of God’s promise to fight for those whom He has chosen. After realization, then, comes resolution – the resolution to step forward and participate in the fight of faith. There is no “secret,” in this sense. One must simply believe, and do. It’s simple – hard, but simple. As I have continued reading through the book of Joshua, I have realized two recurring themes – God’s constant reminding of Joshua that He is with him, and Joshua’s direct obedience of all of God’s commands. May it be the same with me, you, and the church. Let us be aware of God, believe in God, and obey Him in running this rocky yet rewarding race of faith.