Joshua
Open Your Bible
Joshua 1:1-18, Joshua 23:1-16, Deuteronomy 31:6-8
BY Guest Writer
All the facts told me I could not be brave. I was twenty weeks pregnant, my unborn child had been given a fatal diagnosis, and I wanted to run away. I didn’t think I could answer God’s call to carry a baby full-term if that baby would not be mine to keep. I looked at the journey before me and the assignment God had given to me, and thought, “There is no way I can do this. I’m not strong enough.”
Have you ever felt like this? Have you ever lost sleep over the fear of a circumstance? Have you ever been afraid that God might ask you to do something you cannot do?
I believe that God wants to redeem our worries, and we would do well to learn from the story of Joshua. God had a very important assignment for Joshua. Moses was about to die, and it was time for the Israelites to finally stop their desert wandering to find a permanent home in the promised land. God wanted Joshua to lead them into their first battle at Jericho. He said to Joshua: “Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:9).
Joshua’s task was scary (think war and death), victory looked improbable (think impenetrable fortified city), and a whole nation hung in the balance (think no room for doubt). God knew all of this, and yet what did He say to Joshua? No matter what lies before you, “be strong and courageous” (Joshua 1:6).
How could God ask this of Joshua? How could God ask me to be brave and carry a child I knew would pass away?
It’s because of this:
The Lord will never leave us (Joshua 1:9). We might not know the twists and turns of the journey before us. But we can stand confidently, knowing the Lord will never ever leave our side.
It is the Lord God who fights for us (Joshua 23:3). God does the fighting! Joshua’s strength, my courage, your bravery—these do not come from within ourselves. No! They come from the Holy Spirit, and His power has no limits.
The Lord our God is worthy of our love and devotion (Joshua 23:9–11). God gave Joshua and his people many commands, but He gave clear emphasis to this one in particular. Jesus gives us a similar command: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself” (Luke 10:27). This is the call we’ve been given, and if our eyes are on the one who calls us, then no matter what life throws at us or what impenetrable circumstance lies ahead, we will be okay.
I named my son Gideon. And during those 90 minutes he lived in my arms, God proved all of His promises to be true. Our God will never leave us. He will always fight for us. And He delights in our love for Him.
Maria Furlough is a wife and a mother to one amazing 11-year-old daughter, three rambunctious boys, and one baby boy who lives in the arms of Jesus. Formerly a full-time youth pastor, Maria now teaches women’s Bible studies and works as the Missions Team leader at Lake Forest Church in Huntersville, North Carolina. Maria is the author of Breaking the Fear Cycle: How to Find Peace for You Anxious Heart and Confident Moms, Confident Daughters. You can find Maria on Instagram or Facebook @MariaFurlough or online at www.mariafurlough.com.
49 thoughts on "Joshua"
-
I buried my first baby at 2 weeks old. I will never forget leaving her one night in the NICU and telling her that if Man names Jesus came and wanted her to come with Him, it was ok because we trusted him. I never knew where the courage to say those words came from, but reading this passage this morning, I see that my strength and courage came from knowing God, His nature, His commands
-
We chose the name Joshua Paul for our youngest boy meaning “God is gracious and I am humbled.” We conceived after a period of infertility at a completely unexpected time. I buried my first baby
-
Thank you, Maria, for sharing your story of your little Gideon. Your words and insights have touched my deeply.
-
So many burdens shared here as well as encouraging testimonies. I am making notr of each need in my prayer book and will lift each of you up in my daily quiet time. Let us be strong and courageous together. Prayer is the oxygen tank of the believer. If your oxygen tank is running low, I’ll share mine. Let us keep each other afloat.
-
Amen!
-
-
I have a grandson with nephrotic syndrome (kidney disease). He just turned 5 and has been in remission since he was 2-1/2, taking a strong medication. Well, it’s time to stop the medication. I am trusting in God and His grace to do His will and for the best for Colin. It can be so hard to be strong and courageous. But, really, I do think it’s easier to put my trust in the Lord. He sure can do more than me.
I was diagnosed with cancer Christmas Eve of last year. Osteosarcoma (bone cancer) in the right femur. I had surgery to remove the tumor in January and am trying to walk now. It is long and arduous process. I also have a nodule in my left lung. Don’t know if that’s cancer or not. I sure cannot be strong and courageous of my own accord. If I didn’t have the Lord, I’m not sure how I’d get through these things. Still, it can be so difficult to not be afraid, and yes, I certainly have those times maybe more often than not. But, I have found, again, it is so much easier to be courageous when I give it to the Lord.
I am keeping you ladies in prayer. I love your testimonies of how God is fighting for you. And, when we pray for each other and lift each other up, God truly is glorified.
Happy Fourth of July. -
God had this message for me today. I recently found out that I carry a deterministic gene mutation that guarantees that I will develop dementia over the next 10 years. I am 37, and I will likely die before I’m 60. I also have 3 children, so in terms of probability, it’s likely that one of them is also carrying this gene mutation. I’ve been waffling between deep depression and improbable peace for a few months now.
I have to face the reality that victory over this is impossible in scientific terms. I agree with my Christ-loving friends who remind me that God can work a miracle, just as He did so many times in the lives of Moses and Joshua. But I also need to “be strong and courageous” in facing the reality that I am sick, and will only grow sicker and more lost in my brain. However, God has not called me to fight against this, or to worry. He only asks me to be strong and courageous. There are moments when I break down, and I simply can’t be, but there are many many moments where He gives me the power to be strong and to recognize that my life here is so much more than the way it will end. -MM -
Amazing! Thank you for sharing! Reminds me how thankful that I am His!
-
I’ve always read Joshua sort of thinking he was naturally strong, courageous, and unafraid; a mighty warrior and leader. Yet, if he already was so strong, why would he be commanded to be so by God, Moses, AND the people on multiple occasions? Maybe, like me, Joshua had a propensity to be afraid and to feel weak. Maybe it was only by the encouragement and commands to be strong, courageous, and unafraid, along with the presence and power of God helping him, that he was able to escape discouragement and fear and walk in courage and strength.
Post Comments (49)