Joshua 1:1

Joshua 1:1 says, Now after the death of Moses the servant of the LORD it came to pass, that the LORD spake unto Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ minister, saying,  Moses had died after the wilderness wanderings, and God chose Joshua to be the new leader.  Joshua was one of the spies who had said that the people of Israel should go into the Promised Land all those years ago.  The people were going to need a leader who had a strong faith in God.  Verse two states, Moses my servant is dead; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, thou, and all this people, unto the land which I do give to them, even to the children of Israel.  God had told Moses that even though the people of Israel would be allowed to go into the Promised Land when the generation that lacked the faith to do so had died, that Moses himself would not be allowed to.  Like Moses, no matter how close we are to God, our actions bring consequences in this life.  God told Joshua it was now time to go over the Jordan into the land that God gave them.  Verse three declares, Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you, as I said unto Moses.  God did not say that whatever land they could conquer would be theirs, but that everywhere they set foot God would give them.  We today do not have to fight to claim our heavenly home, but God has already giving it to us if we put our faith in Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord.  The battle is already won.  Verse four adds, From the wilderness and this Lebanon even unto the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and unto the great sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your coast.  God defined the land that was to be theirs.  I believe that this was so that Joshua would know when the people had claimed all the land that God had promised them.  Even though Joshua had been told that wherever their foot trod would be theirs, this was still under the guidance of God.  Defining the area kept them from not going far enough or from going too far.  When we follow Christ today, we must make sure that we are following where He directs us to go.  Verse five says, There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail, nor forsake thee.  God made a promise to Joshua, but this was based on Joshua remaining faithful to Him.  God would be with Joshua just as He had been with Moses, and no one could stand against Joshua as long as he lived.  God will be with us the same way today, and as long as we live by faith in Him, no one can stand against us to keep us out of the Promised Land, which for us is heaven.  Verse six states, Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them.  God told Joshua to be strong and of good courage.  Joshua had proven himself to be that way before, and he needed to continue to do so.  If we have been strong and of good courage in the past in our relationship with God, we need to continue to be so for as long as we live.  God said that He was going to fulfill the promise made to their fathers, and He will fulfill the promise made to all who believe in Christ when He declares the time to be right.  Verse seven adds, Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest.  God told Joshua to be strong and very courageous under the law that He had given Moses.  Joshua was not to turn from it in any way.  We today must be courageous through our relationship to Christ, never deviating in our faith.  God's law has not changed, and we are to be guided by it.  Verse eight continues, This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.  Like Joshua, we cannot depart from God's law if we are to be successful in our spiritual journey.  Also, like Joshua, we are to meditate on the law of God day and night so that we walk in His law.  When we do, we will prosper spiritually.  Verse nine concludes, 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 whithersoever thou goest.  Once again, God commanded Joshua to be strong and of good courage, because God was going to be with him wherever he went.  We today have that promise in an even greater way.  Wherever we go as followers of Christ, God is with us through the presence of the Holy Spirit.  If we are being obedient to God, we never have to fear anything in this world.