Be Strong and Courageous: Move Forward in Faith

Joshua 1 opens with God calling His people to move out and move forward. God does not invite Joshua to negotiate the calling, stand still in fear, or wait until every detail makes sense. God says, “Get ready,” because the land ahead is not built on Joshua’s strength but on God’s promise: “As I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

Joshua stands at the edge of the promised land after forty years of wilderness wandering. Israel had seen God part the Red Sea, provide manna and water, lead by cloud and fire, and still griped, complained, and ran after idols. Joshua and Caleb had seen the same giants the other spies saw, but they believed the Lord had already given the land. Courage did not come from pretending the giants were not there. Courage came from knowing God was bigger than the giants.

God repeats the command to “be strong and courageous” because even faithful people need to hear it again. God’s presence is the reason Joshua can lead. Emmanuel means God with us, and the Holy Spirit is not some far-off idea in another galaxy. God is present in the storm, the conflict, the uncertainty, and the calling that feels bigger than human ability.

Joshua 1 also makes obedience critical to victory. God tells Joshua not to turn to the right or to the left, not to hunt for shortcuts, hacks, or the bare minimum. All means all. God is more concerned with holiness than temporary happiness, because obedience produces a deep joy and peace that does not disappear when the warm fuzzies fade away.

The Book of the Law is meant to shape thought, speech, and action. God tells Joshua to keep it on his lips, meditate on it day and night, and do everything written in it. Christ fulfills the promises and commands of Scripture, and all who profess faith in Christ belong to God’s family. God’s people need to read the Word, even one verse at a time, let it soak in, speak its truth, and ask the Spirit for courage to obey it.

Joshua’s “whatever, wherever” attitude becomes clear at the end of his life: “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” Culture may choose its false gods. Talking heads and popular voices may say whatever they want. Joshua’s house has made up its mind. God calls every age, from young people to the elderly, to leave behind wilderness complaining, move into faithful obedience, and take on new territory for His kingdom.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. God is bigger than the calling
  God does not always reveal how the next step will work out before He asks for obedience. Joshua’s call, like every God-given assignment, rests on the size of God rather than the confidence of the person being called. Fear shrinks when God’s faithfulness becomes bigger in the heart than the unknown ahead. [34:40]
• 2. Courage grows from God’s presence
  God grounds Joshua’s courage in one promise: “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” Strength is not self-made grit or acting like trouble is not real. Courage comes from knowing that God is present in the very place that feels too hard to face. [45:34]
• 3. Obedience has no shortcut route
  God tells Joshua not to turn right or left from His commands. Selective obedience is still disobedience, even when culture calls it wisdom or compassion. Holiness may cost comfort, but it brings the settled joy and peace that temporary happiness cannot give. [47:58]
• 4. Let Scripture shape thought, speech, action
  God tells Joshua to meditate on the Word, keep it on his lips, and do what it says. A single verse taken seriously can saturate the mind and expose false words that sound spiritual but do not line up with Scripture. God’s truth becomes steady ground when it is read, spoken, and obeyed. [49:35]
• 5. Choose whom the house will serve
  Joshua does not wait for culture to agree before he serves the Lord. His declaration is not arrogance toward others but settled loyalty to God. A house that serves the Lord refuses to let fear, mockery, comfort, or public opinion decide its direction. [57:59]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [32:26] - Stop Negotiating With God
• [35:25] - Joshua Called to Move Forward
• [37:10] - Joshua and Caleb See the Promise
• [39:17] - The Lord Saves
• [40:50] - Be Strong and Courageous
• [46:36] - Obey All God’s Commands
• [49:35] - Think, Speak, and Do the Word
• [54:33] - A Whatever, Wherever Attitude
• [56:43] - The Call to Follow Jesus
• [57:16] - As for Me and My House
• [1:01:11] - Leaving Complaint Behind
• [1:03:32] - Moving Into New Territory
• [1:06:32] - Prayer for Courage and Obedience

Bible Reading

Joshua 1:1-9
“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. 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. 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. 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. 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.” [35:25]

Joshua 24:15
“And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the LORD, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.” [57:59]

Deuteronomy 31:6
“Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the LORD your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.” [40:43]

Observation questions

1. What changes in Israel’s situation at the beginning of Joshua 1, and what specific action does God tell Joshua and the people to take?
2. What promise does God repeat to Joshua as he takes Moses’ place as leader, and how is that promise connected to the command to be strong and courageous? [45:15]
3. In Joshua 1:7–8, what are the three ways God tells Joshua to relate to the Book of the Law?
4. What kind of response do the people give Joshua in Joshua 1:16–18, and how does Joshua’s statement in Joshua 24:15 show the same settled direction later in his life? [54:54]

Interpretation questions

1. Why does God command Joshua to be strong and courageous more than once, even though Joshua had already shown faith when others focused on the giants? [44:26]
2. What does God’s promise to be with Joshua show about the difference between biblical courage and simply trying to be confident in oneself? [46:19]
3. What does it look like to “not turn to the right or to the left” from God’s commands in a culture that often looks for shortcuts, exceptions, or the bare minimum? [47:24]
4. Joshua 1 connects meditating on God’s Word with speaking it and doing it. Why are all three needed rather than only reading Scripture or only knowing what it says? [49:35]

Application questions

1. Is there an area of life where fear, uncertainty, or a need to know every detail has caused you to stand still rather than move forward in obedience? What might one faithful next step look like? [35:27]
2. What “giant” feels especially large right now—conflict, a hard conversation, a family concern, a ministry need, a habit to leave behind, or something else? How does God’s presence change the way that situation is faced? [45:34]
3. Where is there a temptation to obey God selectively—to follow the commands that feel comfortable while avoiding the ones that cost something? What would wholehearted obedience look like in that area? [47:58]
4. What is one verse or short passage that could be carried through this week? How could it shape thoughts, words, and actions in a specific situation you expect to face? [52:54]
5. Complaining can make it easy to forget God’s past faithfulness. What has been the tone of your words lately at home, work, school, or church? What would gratitude and trust sound like instead? [01:01:25]
6. Joshua chose a clear direction for his household even when others chose false gods. What practical choice could help your home, relationships, or daily routines reflect, “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord”? [59:11]