It’s easy to understand Joshua’s fear and anxiety. One, he was following in the following in the footsteps of the legendary Moses. Two, his “army” was as awe-inspiring as a ragtag band of school children. Three, the land before them was filled with fierce tribes of people who were not exactly going to lie down and play dead. God recognized these concerns in Joshua. How else do we explain the repeated attempts by the Lord to comfort Israel’s new leader? Four times in the very first chapter of the book of Joshua we hear the words “Be strong and courageous.” But these weren’t just empty exhortations. God gave Joshua solid reasons why he didn’t need to fear. “I’m going to give you the land,” God promised. “I’ll never leave you,” God declared. “You have my law to guide you,” God reminded. In short, Joshua faced the same decision we all face every single day of our lives. “Am I going to trust what God has said, and am I going to obey what God has said?” That was, and is, the bottom-line issue for the people of God. Are you feeling anxious or afraid today? The solution lies in doing what Joshua did: Remember the promises of God, and respond in faith. If God is with us and we’re with him, we have nothing to fear.

What is God saying to you right now? Jot down those thoughts and pray them back to Him.

This devotion was taken from: The One Year Life Lessons from the Bible; March 10; by Neil S. Wilson