Quick question. What is the hardest job in the world?
Brain surgeon? Rocket scientist? Kindergarten teacher the week before Christmas break?
Nope. The hardest job in the world is following a legend.
Just ask Jay Leno. In 1992, he took over The Tonight Show from Johnny Carson, who had been the King of Late Night for 30 years. No pressure.
Now imagine following Moses.
The man who stood up to Pharaoh. The man who parted the Red Sea. The man who came down the mountain carrying the Ten Commandments. The man who talked with God face to face.
Then Moses died, and God turned to his assistant: “Okay, Joshua. You’re up.”
What came next was one of the shortest pep talks in history: “Be strong and courageous.”
Then God said it again. And again. Three times in nine verses. Then the people chimed in and said it a fourth time.
When a coach says something four times, he means it.
Why the repetition? Because God knew exactly what Joshua was walking into: walled cities, giants in the land, and a nation of grumblers who had given Moses fits for 40 years.
But look closely at where the strength and courage were supposed to come from: “…for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.”
You see, courage is not the absence of fear. Courage is the presence of God.
And how did Joshua do? Not bad for an understudy. The walls of Jericho came tumbling down, the Promised Land was conquered, and in his farewell address Joshua gave us one of the most quoted lines in the Bible: “But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.”
So, is there a job in your life that feels too big? Shoes that seem impossible to fill? God’s pep talk hasn’t changed one bit.
Be strong and courageous.
Prayer:
Dear Heavenly Father, thank-you for going with me wherever I go. Thank-you for giving me the strength and courage of Joshua, so that I can face the walls and giants in my life. Thank-you for reminding me again, and again, and again, that I am never alone. In the name of Jesus, Amen.
Wikipedia: Joshua, Moses, Battle of Jericho, Book of Joshua
Look-It Up:
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.
Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their ancestors to give them. 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.
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.
But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.
Free Bonus:
Joshua wasn’t always named Joshua. His original name was Hoshea, meaning “salvation.” Moses renamed him Joshua, meaning “the LORD is salvation” (Numbers 13:16). In Greek, the name Joshua becomes Iēsous, the same name as Jesus.
Joshua was one of only two spies, along with Caleb, who brought back a good report about the Promised Land. Forty years later, they were the only two adults from that generation who got to enter it.
Old-timers may remember the spiritual, “Joshua Fit the Battle of Jericho.” And the walls came a-tumblin’ down.