From the book, Jordan River Rules, by Robert Morgan.
Experiments show that lost people do not walk in a straight line, but almost always walk in circles!
In Joshua 1, God speaks for the last time in the wilderness. God speaks directly to Joshua and the people about what they will need to do... to stop circling, and move forward. God’s first command is...
1. Be strong and courageous.
“Be strong and courageous, for you shall give this people possession of the land which I swore to their fathers to give them.” -Joshua 1:6
• “Above all, be strong and very courageous.” (1:7)
• “Haven’t I commanded you: be strong and courageous?” (1:9)
• “Above all, be strong and courageous!” (1:18)
• “Be strong and courageous, for the Lord will do this to all your enemies.” (10:25)
“Strong faith glorifies God because it treats Him as God.” - Charles H. Spurgeon
“... but the people who know their God will be strong and take action.” - Daniel 11:32
“A cowardly spirit is beneath the lowest duty of a Christian.” - William Gurnall
2. Walk According to God’s Word.
Joshua 1:7, “Only be strong and very courageous; be careful to do according to all the Law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may achieve 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 achieve success.”
“You can’t conjure up strength like a wizard summoning a genie. As you [meditate on God’s Word] you’ll learn our Lord is all powerful. There’s no exhausting of His might, no diminishing of His power, no ebbing of His fortitude... One of the secrets of amassing strength is reminding yourself God requires it -- and He provides it.” - Robert Morgan
• Only four hikers in the experiment did not walk in circles. They were the ones who could see the sun or the moon. They had a fixed and true point of reference, beyond themselves and their own senses that would easily fool them.
• That fixed light for Joshua to move forward, and for us as Christians, is the Word of God.
What does God mean by promising prosperity and success?
• God does not mean we will be the wealthiest people on the block. Biblical prosperity is not about how much stuff we have or how healthy we are.
• Biblical prosperity is walking in step with God, even when our plans don’t work out.
• Think of Joshua. His plan was to enter the Promised Land 38 years before this. God’s plan was for him to wander 38 more miserable years, and lead Israel across the Jordan.
• It’s God’s law that provides the marching orders.
• It’s courage that puts those orders into action.
• That’s success.
• When we memorize Scripture, God’s Word is in our mouths, we are meditating on God’s Word, and thinking God’s Word, and that means we are more likely to be -- doing God’s Word – and that means success in God’s eyes.
3. Do not be afraid or discouraged.
Joshua 1:9, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not be terrified nor dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
• Don’t be terrified, do not fear or tremble.
• Don’t be dismayed, or discouraged, or shattered.
Why would God bring this up again and again? Because, God knew, Joshua was afraid!
• God does not ignore fear and discouragement, like we try to do. God knows fear and discouragement will cripple a leader and the people and keep them from spiritual victory.
• The issue isn’t so much whether or not we are afraid and worry. Scripture assumes that we will be afraid and anxious at times. What is important is where we turn, or to whom we turn when we are afraid.
“A fearful child wants to sleep with their parents ... Fear calls out for a person bigger than ourselves.”- Ed Welch, Running Scared.
• It’s important to identify your fears, and expose them, because that fear wants to boss you around. Don’t let that fear be bigger than God.
• Joshua’s success did not depend solely on his strength, or his courage, or his ability to keep God’s Word. It depended even more on God’s presence with him.
• Is it wrong to fear?
• Only if that fear is bigger than God, or causes us to run from God.
• Fear and discouragement should make us run to God and again to God’s Word that says, “He is with us wherever we go.”
“When I am afraid, I will trust in you.” - Psalm 56:3
CONCLUSION
Rule #2 – Say NO to Discouragement, Yes to Strength
• What are your fears?
• What are you discouraged about?
• Don’t hide them. Let God deal with them.
• Say NO to fear and discouragement.
Say YES to STRENGTH
Strength comes to us through the Word of God and the Spirit of God, and the presence of God.
• Find a Scripture verse to memorize and meditate on this week.
