Overcoming Weakness and Fear

Joshua 1:1-9

After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ assistant, “Moses my servant is dead. Now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, into the land that I am giving to them, to the people of Israel. Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you, just as I promised to Moses. From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun shall be your territory. No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you. Be strong and courageous, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land that I swore to their fathers to give them. Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go. 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 have good success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

Joshua, the son of Nun, was Israel’s first military commander. He had been faithful through the years of wandering in the wilderness. He had led the first army of Israel against Amalek. Once he and Caleb presented the minority report when ten others had said, “It can’t be done.” Joshua and Caleb said, “. . . the Lord is with us, do not fear. . .” He had been with Moses on the mountain of God when the Ten Commandments were handed down. He was Moses’ right hand man from the earliest struggles until the death of Moses. Now Joshua no longer had Moses to look to. He now represented the “older generation.” Now he faced perceived weakness and real fear. What to do? God is very specific.

He had the promises of God.

God had given them the land. (Deuteronomy 11:24) It had been promised to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Moses. We are reminded by Samuel that God will not lie. The promises of God are true. He always keeps his word. Even if we are unfaithful he remains faithful. Praise his holy name!

He promised victory as Joshua had understood when he and Caleb had been part of the spy group who entered the land. (Numbers 14:6-9) Joshua and Caleb had seen what the others could not. The protection of the people of Canaan had been removed. The living God will always bring about his victory for his people. It is still true today. Don’t accept defeat instead seek the Lord – his will and his way.

God promised Joshua his presence. I remember a time in my own life when two bullies had taken my motorcycle (1950 Harley) without permission. I called my Dad and he said, “Stay right there”. In just a few minutes he was there. He asked where these guys’ car was. I pointed it out. He went to it raised the hood – did something — and closed the hood again. Then we sat on the bench and waited. In time they returned from their joyride. My Dad asked them, “Did you have permission to take the motorcycle?” They honestly said, “No”. Then my Dad pointed at me and said, “Give him five bucks.” Slowly and with a shocked look on his face one of the two reached in his pocket and handed by the money. Dad then handed him the rotor out of his distributor. It was good to have the presence of my Dad at that event. It is good to know we have a heavenly Father who also cares for us.

God’s word was with them.

It had given to Moses in the wilderness. There was no government handbook or military tactics manual like we might rely on today. There was only the word of God. Well, folks, that is sufficient.

Joshua was to bury it in his heart. Psalm 1:1-2 tells us: “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.” Joshua was to meditate on the “book of the law”. This would build his trust in the covenant keeping God that we serve. As the little boy is reputed to have said, “The Lord is my shepherd and that’s all I need.” It is enough to be faithful to God’s word – he will do the rest!

Joshua was not just read and meditate on the word he was to do the word. In Matthew 7:24-27, Jesus says: “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.” In order for God’s word to be effective in our lives we must do what he said!

God gives success.

God always has plans for his people and those plans are good. In Jeremiah 29:11 God told exiled Israel: “I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for wholeness and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” This not just for past believers it applies to us as well. All the promises of God find their “YES” in Jesus. What he wills for us he will do.

We are to trust God not our human strength. The Bible makes this very clear. Proverbs 3:5-8 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones.” When Gerald Ford was sworn in as President of the United States he had the Bible open to these verses. It was reported that later he said he could only get through the hard early days of his time in office by coming often to these verses and reminding himself that he must rely on God – not his own understanding. It worked for Joshua as he faced weakness and fear. It worked for our president and it will work for us.

We must always remember that victory belongs to God. Paul wrote to the Romans these encouraging words: “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, ‘For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.’

“No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:31-39

Every honest believer will admit there are times when we face weakness and fear. We are like Moses by the Red Sea just before he stretched out the Rod of God and parted the sea. When God asked the question, “Why do you cry to me? DO IT!” God said apparently because Moses did not know what to do. He did however know that God knew what to and would do it. We must live by promises of God – then and only then will we defeat weakness and fear.

“Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.” 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24