Archive for January, 2004

“Be strong and courageous…for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”  Joshua 1:9

The Lord gave this injunction to Joshua at the moment when Israel was ending their decades of wandering in the wilderness, and about to enter at last into the Promised Land.  They were encamped on the banks of the Jordan River. 

Why did a seasoned warrior like Joshua need encouragement?  Tremendous challenges awaited them—many battles against enemies with larger armies and superior weaponry.  Also, while the hardships of the wilderness wanderings would soon be over—the daily quest for adequate water, etc.—God’s miraculous daily provision of food, Manna, would also end the day they entered the Promised Land.  The Lord expected his people to take advantage of the abundant natural resources and produce of the land they would inherit, and this involved some responsibility for farming, working the fields and orchards, etc.  It was a great blessing to enter the land, but it involved a greater level of maturity and responsibility than previously required.   continue