Joshua 1:3-9 

³ I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses. ⁴ Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the great river, the Euphrates —all the Hittite country—to the Great Sea on the west. ⁵ No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.

⁶ “Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give them. ⁷ Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. ⁸ Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. ⁹ Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

I love this passage of scripture. Young Joshua is now the leader of the Children of Israel after Moses. It is now his responsibility to lead them into the promise land that Moses never was able to do in his day. I think we all have these moments where God calls us to step up and lead the way. Sometimes we need to lead our family, other times at our job, ourself, a team, etc…

Let’s breakdown some lessons from Joshua…

Joshua 1:3 – ³ I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses.

Lesson #1: God Is THE Giver

We are called to move ahead and step out, but it is God who is the ultimate giver of all things. Without His power and His ability working in us and through us we are not able to accomplish anything. God is a giver of the impossible. When we set our foot out to do what He has called us to do, He will GIVE us all that we need. Wherever God guides He always provides. He provides us with power, strength, skill, knowledge, wisdom, and endurance.

Joshua 1:4-5 – ⁴ Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the great river, the Euphrates —all the Hittite country—to the Great Sea on the west. ⁵ No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.

Lesson #2: God’s Promises Never Fade Away

God promised Moses that the Children of Israel would enter the “promise land.” That promise still remained true for Joshua’s generation. God’s word and His promises stand the test of time. God is faithful today, just as He was long ago. We must not forget the promises of God by allowing them to fade away from our memory. What is a promise God has given you that you have possibly let go of? Maybe you have not seen it happen yet and it has faded away. Know that He is faithful to complete all that He started in you. Don’t give up.

Joshua 1:6 – ⁶ “Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give them.

Lesson #3: God Always Raises Up Leaders

It takes leaders and leadership to accomplish what God has set out. Could He have just “zapped” the Children of Israel into the promise land? Yes, but He always chooses to raise up leaders to carry out His purposes. Leaders are those that step up and have the courage to move ahead. You know you have a leader when the game is on the line, because they want the ball. Leaders are strong and courageous, not because they are perfect, but because they have a desire for something better. You are called to lead your life under the direction of God’s Word. Remember, courage is not the absence of fear, it is moving ahead is spite of your fear. All leaders can get fearful at times, but leaders don’t let fear control them. They believe in their future potential more than the believe in their current fears.

Joshua 1:7-8 – ⁷ Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. ⁸ Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.

Lesson #4: God’s Word Is The Path Of Success

When we allow God’s word and wisdom to guide us, we will always end up in the right place. ALL wisdom comes from the mouth of God. He is the source of all answers and all truth. Without His word in our life we will be lost. God’s Word is a map of who we are called to be and what we are called to do. Don’t let the Word of God depart from the way you talk. Think about His word at ALL times. Be careful to do everything written in it, not just some of it. Live your life on the Word.

Joshua 1:9 – ⁹ Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

Lesson #5: Stay Encouraged

If God has commanded it, don’t question it. Don’t let discouragement set in and steal your joy. God will be with us wherever we go. That means in our failure He is with us to pick us up and brush us off. Do not be terrified of the circumstances you go through, rather be strong and courageous in the midst of them. Our strength is not in ourself, but in the one who holds the universe in the palm of His hand. He is able to do more than we could ask, think, or imagine according to His power that is at work within us.