Joshua 1:9 is a verse that is cherry-picked very often. Recently, I had someone send a meme with it comparing it to COVID-19. I also saw a local church have this on their sign. I understand the allure and the hope this verse brings, but in these cases it is also being taken out of context. Just as much as we can’t just take John 11:35 and post it everywhere advocating that we all need to cry more, this verse isn’t just God generically saying “be strong and courageous”.

He is giving Joshua a pep talk here. One that reminds me of the pep talk He gives Cain after Cain brought the wrong sacrifice. Is it God getting onto Joshua? Not that I can see, but the content of the message does make one stop and thing what is going on here. At first glance if all we are looking at are 1:9 then we think Joshua is scared to take over for Moses. We then turn this verse into meaning overcoming our fears and letting God be God, fight the good fight, etc…

However, God is giving specific instructions to Joshua on what being “strong and courageous” means. He even sandwiches it between two statements of “be strong and courageous.” What does it mean to be strong and courageous? Obey His Torah, His Law, the Law of Moses. This is something that in my previous life, I would have never understood. Sure, I got persecution from random people for being a “holy roller” or because I went to church or believed the Bible. But I will tell you, it is nothing to what I have received, and have seen others receive, by following God’s commands.

Following His commands in today’s world, when everyone is convinced that they were for an Old Covenant, or done away with, or just for the Jews, or went away in 70 A.D. or a million other things, is hard. It is hard to see the looks you get, or words said from people you care about. It is hard to want to share everything you are reading and seeing in His Word and how it all fits together and is beautiful with those you love and know love His Word to for them to just brush it off like it is nothing. It is hard to see those doing all they know how to do and doing their best at it, and when you try to encourage them or show them maybe just a piece they are missing, totally reject everything you are saying.

I can’t imagine it is nearly as hard as what Joshua went through. We see from the different rebellions during the Exodus to the Land that everyone wasn’t all hip to Moses leading them. Now here is this Joshua that is taking over. He saw all those things, heard the things being said about Moses. I am sure as he was Moses’ second hand man, some of them maybe even went to Joshua to complain at times. But God reassures Joshua: do everything I commanded Moses in the Book of the Law, be strong and courageous. Don’t be frightened or dismayed. Do these things and I will be with you.

Can we use Joshua 1:9 to apply to our daily lives when we are fearful or dismayed? Absolutely, but we have to keep it in context of what God is saying here. If we expect Him to be with us through trying times, we do have to be on His terms, not ours.