Be Strong and Courageous

 Let’s set the stage for the Bible reading for today. After 400 years of the Israelites being slaves in Egypt, God sent Moses to bring them out of their captivity and into the Promised Land. After sending 12 spies into the Promised Land and 10 out of the 12 saying they shouldn’t go it, God put the Israelites in a 40-year timeout wandering in the Wilderness. After Moses and the older generations died off, God appointed one of the two that said they should take the Promised Land. That man was Joshua. Right before Joshua and the Israelites take the Promised Land (finally), God gives Joshua some great instructions.

JOSHUA 1:7-9

⁷ (Only) (Above all) (Just)
  Be strong/determined and very courageous/confident/brave,
  that you may (carefully/faithfully) observe to do according to
  (be(ing) careful to observe/obey/do) all the (whole) law/instructions 
  (which) Moses (My servant) commanded/gave you; 
  do not turn/deviate from it/them
  (turning) (either) to the right (hand) or to the left,
  (Do not neglect any part of it)
  that/and you may prosper/succeed/be successful/have good success
  wherever you go/in everything you do. 

⁸ This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth,
  (Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips)
  (Study this Book of Instruction continually)
  (Be sure that the Book of the Law is always read in your worship)
  (This set of instructions is not to cease being a part of your conversations)
  but you shall meditate on it/study it/recite it/memorize it day and night,
  that you may observe/be careful to do/be sure to obey/carry out
  according to all/everything that is written in it.
  For/Only then you will make your way/be prosperous,
  and then you will have good success/be successful/succeed in all you do. 

⁹ Have I not commanded you?
  (This is My command) ((Remember that) I’ve commanded you to)
  Be strong/determined and of good courage/courageous/brave/confident; 
  do not (ever) be afraid/frightened (do not tremble),
  nor be dismayed/discouraged (do not panic),
  for (I) the Lord your God [Jehovah] [Yahweh]
  is/will be/am with you wherever you go/in all you do.
  (I am the Lord your God,
  and I will be there to help you wherever you go.)”

God instructs Joshua to:

1)    Be strong and courageous, to not be afraid or discouraged

2)     Faithfully obey the whole law

God promises Joshua that:

1)   He [God] would be with him wherever he would go

2)     He would be successful in everything he would do

I believe we can connect that because He [God] would be with him [Joshua] wherever he would go, he could be strong and courageous and not be afraid or discouraged. Knowing that God is with us wherever we go, we also can be strong and courageous and not be afraid or discouraged.

I also believe we can connect that if he [Joshua] would faithfully obey the whole law, he would be successful in everything he would do. If we faithfully obey the whole law, we will be successful in everything we do. CAUTION! This does not mean we will do anything we want to do, but we will be successful in anything we do for God.

As parents, we must saturate our children in the Word of God and teach them to obey God. We also need to make sure they understand that God is with them wherever they go. This will help them to be strong and courageous and not be afraid or discouraged. This will help them to be successful in everything that they do for God.