Bible Reading

I have been trying to get caught up on my Bible reading.... I'm not there yet, but I sure enjoyed reading Joshua. Here is what jumped out at me as I was reading over the past couple days.... We all know the well-known verse Joshua 1:9.

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

God began encouraging Joshua in Deuteronomy, before Moses died, getting Joshua prepared for the role he would play in taking Isreal across the Jordan River.

Deuteronomy 31: 6 Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”

Deuteronomy 31: 7 Then Moses summoned Joshua and said to him in the presence of all Israel, “Be strong and courageous, for you must go with this people into the land that the LORD swore to their ancestors to give them, and you must divide it among them as their inheritance.

Deuteronomy 31:8 The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.

When I began seeing this pattern in Deuteronomy I started underlining and jotting down these verses....then I got into Joshua and there again, not just in Joshua 1:9, but over and over I saw God telling Joshua do not be afraid, do not be discouraged.

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

Joshua 1:7 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.

Joshua 1:18 Whoever rebels against your word and does not obey it, whatever you may command them, will be put to death. Only be strong and courageous!”

Joshua 8:1 Then the LORD said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Take the whole army with you, and go up and attack Ai. For I have delivered into your hands the king of Ai, his people, his city and his land.

Joshua 10:8 The LORD said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid of them; I have given them into your hand. Not one of them will be able to withstand you.”

Joshua 11:6 The LORD said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid of them, because by this time tomorrow I will hand all of them, slain, over to Israel. You are to hamstring their horses and burn their chariots.”

I love that God kept reminding him to be strong, to not be afraid, to not be discouraged, that he will not leave him. How many times do I need to be reminded. It is nice to know that God was willing to keep reminding someone like Joshua. Even with all the miracles and all the battles he won with God's help, Joshua still needed to be reminded to not be afraid, to not be discouaged.

Then, Joshua was able to encourage those around him.

Joshua 10:25 Joshua said to them, “Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Be strong and courageous. This is what the LORD will do to all the enemies you are going to fight.”

So...be encouraged, God will never leave you!