from Israel My Glory, Vol. 62, No. 1
Joshua:
Profile in Courage, Part 2
by Bruce Scott
It is one thing to be told to have courage and quite another to possess it. Joshua’s courage was not predicated on wishful or positive thinking. It was predicated on the immutable promises of God.
Performance
With Courage
Joshua was subsequently filled with
courage because in the immediate context
he began to act. He delegated
responsibility (v. 10). He prepared the
people (v. 11). And he followed up on
his promise to remind the tribes east
of the Jordan to help their brethren
fight (vv. 12–15).
The tribes expressed loyalty, but with
qualifications. The Israelites wanted a
strong, courageous leader who evidenced
God’s presence in his life: “Only
the LORD thy God be with thee, as he
was with Moses. . . . Only be strong
and of good courage” (vv. 17–18). Such
qualifications would commend any
godly leader in any age.
We also know that Joshua was filled
with courage because of his actions
throughout the rest of the book. He led
the children of Israel into the Promised
Land, defeated their enemies, and
apportioned the land among the tribes.
He had courage, indeed; and his
courage was based on the faithful Word
of God. As he reminded the people of
Israel years later, when an old man, “Ye
know in all your hearts and in all your
souls, that not one thing hath failed of
all the good things which the LORD your
God spoke concerning you; all are come
to pass unto you, and not one thing hath
failed thereof” (Josh. 23:14).
Principles
of Courage
Like Joshua, whatever personal
struggles we face, whatever battles
loom in our lives, we can be strong
and have courage—not because we
are inherently brave, but because as
believers, our courage is rooted in
God’s unchanging promises.
We can be strong and courageous
because “in all these things we are more
than conquerors through him that loved
us” (Rom. 8:37). Jesus promised, “Lo, I
am with you always, even unto the end
of the age [world]” (Mt. 28:20). Truly,
God has promised, “I will never leave
thee, nor forsake thee” (Heb. 13:5).
In our modern world of terror and
uncertainty, we still can be like Joshua
and fix our courage in the bedrock of
the Word of God and in the certainty
that whatever God calls us to, He will
give us the resource to accomplish:
“Faithful is he that calleth you, who
also will do it” (1 Th. 5:24).
 Bruce Scott holds a B.A. in Bible from Grace College of the
Bible,
Omaha, Nebraska and a M.Div. from Central Baptist
Theological Seminary
in Plymouth, Minnesota. He is a Bible teacher and preacher
with The
Friends of Israel in Minnesota.
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