By Ife J. Ibitayo
For Part 1, “Doubt”, click here.
Joshua was Moses’s successor. This was the same Moses parted the Red Sea (Exodus 14:21), spoke with God face to face (Exodus 33:11), built God’s first earthly dwelling place (Exodus 40), and led the Israelite community for forty years. And it was this same Moses who was not able to lead the Israelites into the Promised Land (Numbers 20:12). Now Joshua was being called to complete the challenge his predecessor never could. With Moses dead, a million eyes now locked onto the son of Nun. And he must have been petrified!
The Fear That Freezes Us
The Brown-Driver-Briggs lexicon defines fear as “dread, making one unfit for action.” We all know that feeling. Our heart races, our hands shake, and our knees tremble uncontrollably. In that grip of that powerful emotion, we find ourselves frozen, unable to save ourselves or anyone else. A fearful person will never make a good salesperson, spokesman, or soldier, let alone a good leader.
The Courage That Releases Us
That is why God commissioned Joshua with these famous words, “‘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’” (Joshua 1:9).
With this powerful message, God released Joshua from the clutches of fear. Because He knows a truth that we need to internalize as well: our emotions are tied to what we fix our eyes on. If we fix them on the wrong target–waves too high for us to crest, burdens too heavy for us to bear, or forces too strong for us to fight–we’ll tremble in the shadow of that looming giant.. But when we fix our eyes on God, we can remember that He shushes the waves (Mark 4:39) ,shoulders our burdens (Matthew 11:28); and topples giants (1 Samuel 17)!
It was in the strength of this word that Joshua prophesied to the Israelites, “‘In three days you will cross the Jordan River and take possession of the land the Lord your God is giving you’” (Joshua 1:11). And just as Joshua had promised, three days later, they entered the Promised Land (Joshua 3)!
Conclusion
We cannot live in fear and walk in God’s plan for our lives. We can only hold on to one or the other. We must let go of our fear of the future, of failure, and any other thing in this world that is not God if we want to conquer the Promised Land He has in store for us. Because entering the Promised Land is not the end of the journey; it’s only the beginning.
“‘Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.’”
(Isaiah 41:10)