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Written by Alina Stout, volunteer with Iron Rose Sister Ministries in Oklahoma
Imagine a moment when you were scared, anxious, or nervous about what was to come. Was it a bad storm? A meeting with someone? A phone call? A news report? A new job? A move to a new place? At that moment, you might have felt both emotionally and physically stressed. It is difficult to face a challenge when you feel so apprehensive.
Joshua had one of these moments, too. Israel’s fearless and humble leader Moses led the people of Israel out of Egypt and through the wilderness until they were finally ready to enter the promised land. God appointed Joshua to succeed Moses, and this was a good choice because Joshua had proven himself faithful forty years prior. He was one of the spies who visited Canaan, and he had faith that the LORD would deliver the enemy into the Israelites’ hands even though the Canaanites were a military threat (Nu 14). However, Moses was a great leader, and it would be difficult to succeed someone like him.
Joshua was now in charge of an entire nation of people who did not have a home and who had to fight in order to settle down. He had trusted in his youth that God would deliver the Canaanites into Israel’s hands, but would he trust that God would deliver the Canaanites into his hands, the leader of Israel? The people of Israel certainly would not be courageous if Joshua wasn’t.
God knows the hearts of all, and He spoke to Joshua on this matter when He appointed him. God reiterates to Joshua five times to “be strong and courageous” (Dt 31:6, 23; Jos 1:6, 7, 9 ESV).
God is not just telling Joshua to be a good leader. There is a way for Joshua to actively strengthen his heart and mind so that he is ready to face the challenges that lie ahead. God tells Joshua to be “careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded,” to “not turn from [the law] to the right hand or to the left,” to not let the “Book of the Law… depart from [his] mouth,” and to “meditate on it day and night” in order to be “careful to do according to all that is written in it” (Jos 1:7-8). God makes it clear that this is the only way to succeed in their conquest.
God also ensures him of two promises: God will give Israel the promised land, and God will be with Joshua wherever he goes (Jos 1:3, 9).
When God gave His Book of the Law to Israel, His intention was for the law to inspire spiritual change in those who meditate on it. The law revealed a person’s sin and provided a chance for repentance. The law helped the listener understand God’s heart for the marginalized, such as foreigners, the poor, women, and victims. The law also helped the listener understand God’s insistence on giving justice to those who deserve it. Reciting and memorizing the law would help Joshua internalize God’s will. Obeying the law would affect Joshua’s daily personal choices and leadership decisions. Meditating on the words of God would help clarify Joshua’s vision, fortify his mind, and purify his heart.
How did Joshua respond to God’s command? He obeyed. Joshua might have still been apprehensive of what was to come, but he chose to obey God. Being strong and courageous was a choice that would lead to a positive outcome. In the following chapters of Joshua, we see how Joshua immediately continued forward with God’s plan. His faith in God when he spied in the land forty years prior had become the faith that he was living out.
So, in those moments where you feel scared, anxious, or nervous for what is about to come, remember God’s words to Joshua. You too can become strong and courageous by fortifying your heart and mind with God’s word. When you meditate on the Word, you begin to understand God’s heart, God’s justice, God’s will, and God’s promises. You grow in faith and will trust God in your every step into the unknown.
Think about your Iron Rose Sisters and their struggles as well. You might be able to help encourage each other as you walk this path with God.
For what do you need to become strong and courageous in your life?
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Written by Sadia Morales de Mendoza, volunteer for Iron Rose Sister Ministries in Mexico
God’s promises are wonderful and sustain me in a world that is upside down. What about you? Have they sustained you? When I have felt most alone, I have been told, "I am with you always, to the end of the age" (Mt 28:20b, ESV).
I remember when I arrived in Mexico, I was just twenty-one years old. Leaving our country of origin was not easy, but migration has always existed. Maybe you have left your city or your home for work or other plans without knowing whether everything would be okay, or thinking nothing would go the way you think. It is there that God's promises take on value and truth.
When I first arrived, I missed my family, siblings, and the church so much. It can be difficult to express what we feel when others think we are the happiest in the world because we are fulfilling a dream or a clear answer from God, but we are in a new place, scared and fearful. I remember this promise: "I sought the Lord, and he answered me, and delivered me from all my fears" (Ps. 34:4). It’s been twelve years in which His promises have been great and faithful, and they have sustained me. "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope" (Jer 29:11). I believe and trust Him.
The sisters, brothers, elders, youth, and children of the church have become my family. I see in them part of every family member of mine. But even with them, I have sometimes felt lonely, nostalgic, and scared, like a child in the dark of night, waiting for my mom to turn on the light and kiss me on the forehead. But since she can't because of the distance between us, even though I know she won't stop praying for me, I turn to the one true God who can be here with me as well as with her in Honduras. I am reminded of Psalm 121:4-5. "Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade on your right hand.”
And we are given another promise: "And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus" (Php 4:7). If He's done it for me, He'll do it for you.
So, even if your path is difficult—you are changing cities, you are leaving your home country, or you are starting over in a place to which you are adapting—the Lord Jesus will sustain you. He will guard your coming and your going from now until forevermore. And He'll fight for you. So do not turn away from Him, either to the right or the left. Keep on the path, and He will guard your soul. Believe in His promises! Be faithful, for He is faithful; and let us clothe ourselves in love, which is the perfect bond.
God can turn difficult situations into blessings and our bitterest experiences into a sweet testimony of His grace and power. Let us give thanks that His promises sustain us, and in them, we will forever trust.
His promises are many, but which one has been your favorite in the different stages of your life? Can you recognize any?
May the Lord bless your life. He will always keep His promises. Don't stop believing Him!