Stepping into God's Promises: Faith and Courage
Summary
Today’s focus is on the story of the Israelites entering the Promised Land, as told in the book of Joshua. This journey is not just a historical account, but a living picture of how God calls each of us to step into the promises He has for our lives. The land of Canaan, often misunderstood as a symbol of heaven, is actually a representation of the place of purpose, challenge, and victory that God wants us to occupy here and now. Just as the Israelites faced giants, battles, and obstacles, we too must confront the challenges that stand between us and God’s best for our lives.
The tragedy of Israel’s story is that an entire generation missed out on God’s promise, not because of overwhelming opposition, but because they neglected the most basic act of faith: trusting and believing God’s word. This neglect, likened to the simple act of not brushing your teeth, led to devastating consequences. The Israelites saw God’s miracles, yet refused to trust Him for the next step. Their fear, comfort zones, family beliefs, mental strongholds, and even religious traditions kept them wandering in the wilderness instead of inheriting the land.
God’s promises always require something from us. Believing God is not passive; it costs us comfort, demands courage, and calls us to challenge the status quo in our minds and families. Yet, the cost of not believing is far greater—missed destinies, delayed blessings, and lost opportunities for generations to come. Our faith is not just about us; it’s about God’s larger purpose, as seen in how Israel’s obedience was necessary for the coming of the Messiah and the fulfillment of God’s plan for the world.
When Moses died, God’s response was not to dwell on the pain, but to call Joshua and the people to focus on the promise. The principle is clear: pain is real, but God’s promises are greater. We are called to move forward, not by ignoring our pain, but by letting the promise of God define our direction. To possess what God has for us, we must be strong and courageous internally, and externally, we must meditate on and speak God’s word continually. The journey into God’s promises is not for the faint of heart, but for those who will fill their minds with His word, step out of their comfort zones, and act in faith.
Key Takeaways
- Neglecting the Basics Leads to Devastation
Just as neglecting a simple habit like brushing your teeth can lead to unexpected and far-reaching consequences, neglecting the basic act of trusting God’s promises can derail your spiritual journey. The Israelites’ failure was not in facing giants, but in failing to believe the God who had already delivered them. The smallest acts of faithfulness can have the greatest impact on your destiny. [08:35]
- The Promised Land Is a Place of Battle, Not Escape
Canaan is not a symbol of heaven, but of the believer’s calling to occupy, fight for, and steward God’s purposes on earth. Entering your “promised land” means facing opposition, discomfort, and spiritual warfare, not escaping from them. True spiritual maturity is found in embracing the battles that come with God’s promises, knowing that victory is part of your inheritance. [12:10]
- Faith Always Costs Something—But Unbelief Costs More
Believing God will always require you to challenge comfort zones, family patterns, mental strongholds, and even religious traditions. It’s not easy, and it will cost you. But the cost of unbelief is far greater: missed opportunities, delayed blessings, and the forfeiture of God’s intended future for you and those who come after you. [23:32]
- God Moves Us from Pain to Promise
God’s way is not to let us dwell in our pain, but to call us forward into His promises. Pain is real and must be acknowledged, but it is not meant to define us or our future. The key to moving forward is to let the promise of God become bigger in your heart than the pain of your past or present. [31:45]
- Possessing God’s Promises Requires Internal Courage and External Meditation
To inherit what God has for you, you must be strong and courageous on the inside, refusing to let fear or victimhood define you. Externally, you must fill your mind and mouth with God’s word, meditating on it day and night, and letting it shape your thoughts, speech, and actions. This combination of internal resolve and external focus on the word is the pathway to living in God’s promises. [45:15]
Youtube Chapters
[00:00] - Welcome
[01:10] - Introduction and Upcoming End Times Series
[03:30] - Overview of Joshua and the Promised Land
[06:00] - The Importance of Not Neglecting the Basics
[07:09] - The Consequences of Small Neglects
[08:35] - Israel’s Failure to Trust God’s Promises
[12:10] - What Canaan Really Represents
[13:52] - The Spies and the Power of Belief
[16:03] - The Cost of Unbelief and Influence of Others
[19:03] - Comfort Zones and Stepping Out in Faith
[22:11] - Breaking Family and Mental Strongholds
[23:32] - The Greater Cost of Not Believing
[26:19] - God’s Perspective: Generational Purpose
[29:04] - Moses’ Death and Moving Forward
[31:45] - Focusing on Promise Over Pain
[36:15] - God’s Two Instructions for Possessing the Land
[37:20] - Be Strong and Courageous
[40:38] - Meditate on the Word Day and Night
[45:15] - Internal Courage and External Meditation
[46:43] - Closing Prayer and Blessing
Study Guide
Bible Study Discussion Guide: Stepping Into God’s Promises (Joshua 1)
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### Bible Reading
Joshua 1:1-9 (ESV)
1 After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ assistant,
2 “Moses my servant is dead. Now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, into the land that I am giving to them, to the people of Israel.
3 Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you, just as I promised to Moses.
4 From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun shall be your territory.
5 No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you.
6 Be strong and courageous, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land that I swore to their fathers to give them.
7 Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good 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 be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.
9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
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### Observation Questions
1. What was God’s first instruction to Joshua after Moses died? (Joshua 1:2)
2. According to Joshua 1:6-9, what two things did God tell Joshua were necessary to possess the land?
3. In the sermon, what was the “basic act” the Israelites neglected that led to their wandering? [08:35]
4. How does the sermon describe the real meaning of the Promised Land (Canaan) for believers today? [12:10]
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### Interpretation Questions
1. Why do you think God told Joshua to focus on the promise instead of the pain of losing Moses? What does this reveal about God’s priorities for His people? [31:45]
2. The sermon compares neglecting faith to neglecting brushing your teeth. What are some “small” spiritual habits that, if neglected, can have big consequences? [08:35]
3. The Israelites’ failure was not because of the giants, but because of unbelief. What does this suggest about the real obstacles to living in God’s promises? [23:32]
4. God’s instructions to Joshua were to be strong and courageous internally, and to meditate on the Word externally. Why do you think both are necessary for stepping into God’s promises? [45:15]
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### Application Questions
1. The Israelites missed out on God’s promise because they didn’t trust Him for the next step, even after seeing miracles. Is there an area in your life where you’ve seen God work, but you’re still struggling to trust Him for what’s next? What’s holding you back? [08:35]
2. The sermon says Canaan is not a symbol of heaven, but of the place of purpose, challenge, and victory God wants us to occupy now. What is your “promised land” right now—a place or calling God is asking you to step into, even if it’s uncomfortable? [12:10]
3. Faith always costs something—comfort, family patterns, mental strongholds, or religious traditions. What is one comfort zone or family belief you feel God is asking you to challenge in order to move forward? [19:03]
4. The cost of unbelief is missing out on God’s best, not just for us but for future generations. How might your choices to trust or not trust God affect your family or others around you? [26:19]
5. God told Joshua to be strong and courageous. When you face fear or discouragement, what helps you find courage? Is there a specific promise from God’s Word you can hold onto this week? [37:20]
6. Meditating on God’s Word day and night was God’s second instruction. What is one practical way you can fill your mind and mouth with God’s Word this week? (For example: memorizing a verse, speaking it out loud, writing it on a card, etc.) [45:15]
7. The sermon says God moves us from pain to promise, not by ignoring pain but by letting His promise define our direction. Is there a pain or disappointment you need to stop letting define you? What would it look like to let God’s promise be bigger than your pain? [31:45]
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Close in prayer, asking God for courage, faith, and a renewed focus on His promises.
Devotional
Day 1: Trusting and Believing God's Promises Is Foundational
The children of Israel missed out on the promised land not because of a lack of opportunity, but because they neglected the most basic exercise of faith: trusting and believing God's promises. Just as neglecting something as simple as brushing your teeth can lead to disastrous consequences, so too can neglecting to trust God lead to spiritual loss and wandering. God had already shown His power by delivering them from Egypt with mighty miracles, yet when it came time to step into the land He promised, they refused to believe. This is a warning and a lesson for every believer: the simplest acts of faith—trusting and believing God—are the foundation for entering into all that He has for you. [08:35]
Numbers 13:30-33 (ESV)
But Caleb quieted the people before Moses and said, “Let us go up at once and occupy it, for we are well able to overcome it.” Then the men who had gone up with him said, “We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we are.” So they brought to the people of Israel a bad report of the land that they had spied out, saying, “The land, through which we have gone to spy it out, is a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people that we saw in it are of great height. And there we saw the Nephilim (the sons of Anak, who come from the Nephilim), and we seemed to ourselves like grasshoppers, and so we seemed to them.”
Reflection: Where in your life are you hesitating to trust God’s promises, even though He’s already shown Himself faithful in the past? What is one promise you can choose to believe today?
Day 2: There Is Always a Cost to Believing—and Not Believing—God
Believing God and stepping into His promises will always cost you something: you may have to challenge spiritual attacks, step outside your comfort zone, confront family beliefs, break mental strongholds, or reject religious traditions that hold you back. But the cost of not believing is far greater—just as the Israelites wandered for 40 years and died in the wilderness, missing out on God’s best. The choice is not between cost and no cost, but between the cost of faith and the cost of regret. God calls you to be willing to pay the price of faith so you can receive all He has for you, rather than settling for a life of wandering and missing out on your destiny. [24:49]
Hebrews 3:16-19 (ESV)
For who were those who heard and yet rebelled? Was it not all those who left Egypt led by Moses? And with whom was he provoked for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness? And to whom did he swear that they would not enter his rest, but to those who were disobedient? So we see that they were unable to enter because of unbelief.
Reflection: What is one comfort zone, family belief, or mental stronghold you need to challenge today in order to step into what God has promised you?
Day 3: God Moves Us from Pain to Promise
When Moses died, God’s instruction to Joshua was direct and clear: “Moses my servant is dead. Now therefore arise, go over this Jordan.” God’s way is not to let us dwell in our pain, but to move us forward into His promise. Pain is real and loss is real, but God’s promises remain unchanged. Nothing of God’s purpose dies when a person or season ends; His promises are still in play. The challenge is to shift your focus from what you’ve lost to what God has promised, and to move forward in faith, knowing that God’s plan for you is not over. [33:44]
Joshua 1:1-3 (ESV)
After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ assistant, “Moses my servant is dead. Now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, into the land that I am giving to them, to the people of Israel. Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you, just as I promised to Moses.”
Reflection: Is there a pain or loss in your life that you’ve been focusing on? How can you intentionally shift your focus to God’s promise and take a step forward today?
Day 4: Be Strong and Courageous—Victory Requires Internal Resolve
God’s first instruction to Joshua was to “be strong and courageous.” Possessing the promises of God is not for the faint of heart; it requires an internal resolve that refuses to be a victim and instead stands in the victory God provides. The enemy preys on weakness, but when you carry yourself with spiritual confidence—knowing that greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world—you become a threat to the enemy and a possessor of God’s promises. Strength and courage are not about your own ability, but about trusting in God’s strength within you. [40:38]
Joshua 1:6-7 (ESV)
“Be strong and courageous, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land that I swore to their fathers to give them. Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go.”
Reflection: What would it look like for you to walk in spiritual strength and courage today, especially in an area where you’ve felt like a victim or have been tempted to shrink back?
Day 5: Meditate on and Speak God’s Word Continually
The second instruction God gave Joshua was to let the Book of the Law never depart from his mouth, but to meditate on it day and night. The key to possessing God’s promises is to fill your mind and heart with His Word, speaking it over your life and circumstances. This is not about emptying your mind, but about filling it with God’s truth until it overflows into your words and actions. When you meditate on and declare God’s promises, you align yourself with His “yes and amen,” and you position yourself to step into all He has for you. [45:15]
Joshua 1:8-9 (ESV)
This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.
Reflection: What is one promise or truth from God’s Word that you can meditate on and speak over your life throughout today? How can you make this a habit?
Quotes
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