God’s Charge to Joshua
1 Now it came about after the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, that the Lord spoke to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ [a]servant, saying, 2 “Moses My servant is dead; now therefore arise, cross this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them, to the sons of Israel. 3 Every place on which the sole of your foot treads, I have given it to you, just as I spoke to Moses. 4 From the wilderness and this Lebanon, even as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and as far as the Great Sea toward the setting of the sun will be your territory. 5 No man will be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I have been with Moses, I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you. 6 Be strong and courageous, for you shall give this people possession of the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. 7 Only be strong and very courageous; [b]be careful to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may [c]have success wherever you go. 8 This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may [d]be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will [e]have success. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
There is one obvious theme here, “Be strong and courageous!” And the why is quite plain also, because God is with you wherever you go. It is as true today as it was for Joshua. God is with each of us wherever we go. Everything we encounter is part of His plan, everything that happens, does so as part of a massive symphony, played out by the entire universe.
We choose what we will do with it, we are in that unique position in all of creation, we choose. Trust Him, be strong, be courageous, or hold back, be filled with fear, do w hat is comfortable and easy.
In life, the worthwhile road is rarely the easy one, but the challenging path is what God calls us to travel. Take up your cross daily, and follow Him. If you’re following Him, then it follows very obviously that He will be with you always. It may seem more like “off-roading” than following the path, but there is at least one who has experienced everything you will in this life, and His name is Jesus. Choose His path, and you won’t have to settle for second-best.