Chapter 22
I AM of Good Courage
When nation of Israel was about to cross over into the promised land, Moses was not allowed to go with them. In his farewell speech to the people, he said, "Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee" (Deuteronomy 31:6).
Then in the very next verse, in his last minute instructions to Joshua, who would be leading the people from then on, Moses said, "Be strong and of a good courage ... And the Lord, He it is that doth go before thee; He will be with thee, He will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed" (Deuteronomy 31:7-8).
The Israelite people were terrified. And Joshua might have been fearful as well. He may have been feeling intimidated by the size of the task before him. The Israelite nation had proven to be a tough and rebellious group of people, and he probably wondered if they would even listen to him - much less follow him in place of Moses and Aaron. And they still had to conquer the enemies living in the land promised to them. He might have been more than worried or anxious - he might have been outright frightened.
Moses emphasized to both Joshua and the Israelite nation that the Lord would always be with them, and that He was their source of good courage. Moses knew people would not be able to live the abundant life that God had planned for them until they crossed over into the land that had been promised to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob — and to their descendants after them. And so Moses pushed Joshua to become more than he perhaps thought he could be.
And I am pushing you. Right now, you may be living in the desert like the people of Israel. You may not be living the abundant life, because your fears are holding you back. But Jesus said, “…I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly” (John 10:10).
The Lord is with you all the time, and offers everything you need to live a stress-free, worry-free abundant life filled with joy, peace, and good courage.
Continue to Chapter 22: Questions
