In order to encourage His people to go in and possess the land He had given them, the Lord graciously promised His unfailing presence, His strength and nearness to them in the conflict with the enemy. He knew that the giant sons of Anak still trod the land, and that those great high cities, walled up to heaven, were everywhere. So in His grace He would encourage His people to learn to measure these giants by His strength instead of their own, and the great walled cities by His power, not by their weapons of war.
“Be thou strong, and of a good courage,” He had told them. And we, as Christians, are called to “be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.” How well it is for us when we cease to look for strength in ourselves, when we realize that we have no might of our own, but find all our strength in God. The psalmist could say, “Blessed is the man whose strength is in Thee... they go from strength to strength.” (Psalm 84.)
Still again the Lord calls upon His people for strength and courage, but this time it is that they might obey all His Word, for obedience is always governed by the Word of God.
“Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses My servant commanded thee.” God says, as it were, All My power is with thee, Joshua; but there must be obedience.
“Turn not from it to the right hand or to the left.” They were not to deviate from it to even the slightest degree. One step aside will lead one astray altogether. As Christians we are called to walk a straight road, unlike the crooked paths of this world, where every man goes his own way, afar from God! Israel must confess that “All we like sheep have gone astray, we have turned every one to his own way; and thus John the Baptist was sent to proclaim, “Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make His paths straight.” Mark 1:33The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. (Mark 1:3).
God’s Word was not to depart out of their mouth; “It is written” was to decide everything. It was to be their meditation day and night. We need to meditate on the Word in order to obey. With the world against us, we need courage to obey. To do God’s will and simply obey His Word requires courage in the face of the world, courage within our own hearts—the courage of faith which looks to God. And this is the secret of success and prospering in the conflict. When we are in the path of God’s will, He will give us strength to go on in it, but we will not have His strength if out of that path.
In the Word of God we find His will made known to us. It keeps us in His presence and we learn from it His thoughts, His ways, His purposes and promised blessings — all His wondrous mind. We learn what He delights in, and so when we meditate in the Word, we dwell in the blessed atmosphere of His love and holiness.
“Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whitheoever thou goest.” What power the assurance of His mind gives! It would be impossible to obey His command unless assured of His blessed presence.
ML-01/30/1977