Strength and courage to those who seek God
Then Moses and the leaders of Israel gave this charge to the people: “Obey all these commands that I am giving you today. When you cross the Jordan River and enter the land the Lord your God is giving you, set up some large stones and coat them with plaster. Write this whole body of instruction on them when you cross the river to enter the land the Lord your God is giving you—a land flowing with milk and honey, just as the Lord, the God of your ancestors, promised you... “O Israel, be quiet and listen! Today you have become the people of the Lord your God. So you must obey the Lord your God by keeping all these commands and decrees that I am giving you today.” Deuteronomy 27:1-3; 9-10 NLT
Repetition is a principle of learning; Moses did not hesitate to return once more to remind the Israelites before they enter the Promise Land to take heed of God’s command. He knew the result of the disobedience of the former generation that did not enter the land instead wandered for forty years. Joshua now was asked to lead this new generation of Israelites. He will be facing an awesome task. He would follow the great Moses as the leader of a nation that did not yet possess any land! And the people he was called to lead were not known for being cooperative! Joshua would have collapsed in despair if he had been called to face this monumental challenge alone, but he was not alone. The God of Moses was with Joshua. Being obedient to God’s command is what is expected of those who claim they are followers of God. The fundamental principle that binds us to the covenant we made with God when we place our trust in Him is our obedience to His Word. Joshua was exhorted to “Be strong and of good courage” (Deuteronomy 31:7). The task before him was very demanding. The encouragement for the task was to be found in the Lord and the promise in His Word. “Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you... Do this so that your children who have not known these instructions will hear them and will learn to fear the Lord your God” (Deuteronomy 31:8, 13). The grace and wisdom that comes from the Word of the Lord are sufficient for us as well, no matter what our situation or circumstances may be. The God who calls us can be trusted to enable those He calls. But He does not provide for them apart from them being faithful to seek Him and His will.
Blessings