I began a series three weeks ago examining principles from the life of Joshua, specifically from Joshua 1:1-11 to provide keys to living victoriously.
An entire generation of Israel wandered 40 years—longing for the Promised Land, but they died wishing and wandering. However, Joshua nurtured a victory within himself, during the desert years.
Have you ever wondered, what caused Israel to wander? Fear. Grumbling. Complacency. Lack of faith and trust. These attributes robbed the people of the courage to possess what God had already promised and given them.
Are you wandering? If so, what is robbing you of confident faith and trust in God? Are you anxious? Fearful? Grumbling? Complaining? Distracted?
But Joshua was becoming what God declared and promised. When God commissioned Joshua, he responded in faith and turned others’ dreams into land, cities, homes, and possessions—the inheritance for generations to come. Your breakthrough affects generations that follow—your marriage, your family, the Church, and society.
Joshua succeeded because his heart was confident in God, not in the circumstances around him. Joshua’s worldview was anchored in God and His promises.
- He wasn’t swayed by the news or circumstances. That’s the difference between what happens for some people and what doesn’t happen for others. Your success is in God, His Word and how you apply His promises for yourself—not in your circumstances. God is your greatness! His word is sure, He watches over it to perform it!
Moses dies, and God directs Joshua to “cross over.”
The Jordan is at flood stage, a mile wide, a raging, daunting river to cross. In the natural, it didn’t seem to be the right time to cross over.
But what had God promised Joshua? “From the wilderness … to the going down of the sun, shall be your territory.” (Josh. 1:4 NKJV) For Joshua and Israel, the only land remaining to be possessed was what Joshua made up his mind to have. It was theirs by faith. And it happened when he decided.
God had already gone before Joshua and Israel! The Israelites had to cross the river Jordan, and seize the gift offered. God expected Joshua to act in faith on what had been revealed to him. Revelation apart from action is powerless!
A dream is only a dream unless you act upon it—otherwise it is just wishful thinking!
With Jesus, obstacles become opportunities when he is leading. Recently while praying, I saw blank pages in a journal and heard the Lord say, “I’m waiting for the Church to write the pages!” God is directing you and I; He expects us to act confidently so that His story can be written!
Remember, “for all things are possible with God.” (Mark 10:27 NASB)
When God directs, faith ignores the natural circumstances and sees the opportunity to live in promised inheritance. Faith flows from an intimate relationship with God.
Living a life of faith is not about achieving results. True faith lives from a loving relationship with the Creator that obeys, not out of duty, but as a lover who trusts the One who guides. True freedom and joy is discovered in a life surrendered to Jesus!
Your ability to trust Jesus confidently amid the uncertainties of life will determine how much you abide in God’s peace, joy, and victory.
Courageous faith sees opportunity in contradiction. It is a faith, which can deflect chaos and release God’s peace in a turbulent world. It’s a faith that grasps God’s promises to realize dreams and inheritance.
The river is raging and at flood stage, perhaps a mile wide. “Cross over Joshua!”
You have a word from the Lord, “Cross over.” What do you do? Do you obey God? Or do you rely on your “sense knowledge” of the situation and play it safe?
God’s promises are intended to provoke you to action. What has God promised you? How much of His Kingdom is available? How much have you made up your mind to have? There are realms in God’s kingdom that will only be realized as you determine to possess and occupy with God.
Circumstances in this life are rarely perfect, often opposite to God’s leading. Great achievements and personal victory is realized through assertive faith and obedience. Like Joshua, you must believe God’s word and act upon it! Be strong, and courageous!
What is the vision God has given you for your life, your family, your church?
Faith sees the promise as realized, and then acts to cooperate with God. Your faith in Jesus enables you to see His vision for your life, but it unfolds over time through intimate relationship with Him. You must “lean into” God, expect to hear and see!
“The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.” Deut. 29:29 NKJV
Vision isn’t automatic—if you aren’t looking, leaning into God, you won’t see. “Come follow Me” must mean something to the believer, more than mental agreement! Our life in Christ is an active participation in the Spirit, with an expectation for communication and direction from God.
Like Joshua, believe that God is with you as much as with anyone.
To Joshua, God said, “I will not leave you nor forsake you.” (Josh. 1:5 NKJV) One “unbelief” some have is that God is with some people greater than with others. He promised this to Joshua and repeated the same statement 1,300 years later by the writer of Heb. 13:5, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” (NKJV)
- God is with us not because we are good or because we have great faith; He is with us because He has committed Himself irrevocably to us.
If God was with us only when we had success, success would never come. Don’t wait for the right circumstances, God is your circumstance. He is with you!
You are valuable to God, and He has placed His Spirit within you and wants to empower you to fulfill His vision and purposes in your life. Grace empowers you to become!
The Lord told Joshua three times to, “be strong and of good courage.” God was giving Joshua instructions how to be strong (Jos. 1:8-9), but the command also imparted strength to him. The phrase “be strong” is from the Hebrew châzaq, which means: courageous, valiant, strengthened, established, fortified, obstinate, and mighty.
God gave a “grace” to Joshua to be strong and courageous. The command “to be strong and courageous” also imparted the strength and courage to obey and realize the promise. Prophetic declaration releases God’s power to do the impossible.
Grace is much more than being forgiven, grace empowers you to be who you are not. You are becoming like Christ because of the power of the Holy Spirit, the agent of grace. Grace infuses life and power to become your identity and to do what God has asked you to do.
Paul writes in Ephesians to, “…be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might” (Eph. 6:10 NKJV). The phrase “be strong in the Lord,” could read, “Strengthen yourself in the Lord.” Your strength is found in Christ, in his greatness, authority, and victory. God’s grace restores your relationship with Him (Eph. 2:8-9), but grace also transforms you.
God’s empowering grace by the Spirit empowers you for good works, and to fulfill dreams and destiny. (Eph. 2:10) His grace empowers you to overcome the challenges in your journey.
Joshua learned how to, “strengthen himself in the Lord.” This concept is vital for us today. He was intentional in his relationship with God to walk in his victory as an overcomer. To complete your assignment and fulfill your destiny, you must learn how to stay strong in the Lord as you move forward in life.
Last Thoughts
Your greatness is in God. Cast off feelings of inferiority.
If you think you are a grasshopper, you are; because as a person “thinks in his heart, so is he” (Prov. 23:7). But in God you are not a grasshopper—ever!
You are never alone, never abandoned, and never out matched in God! A renewed mind sees the impossible as the environment for God’s miracle power to be displayed. We should live from our identity in Christ, inherit.
Believe God’s promises, get His strategy, and act obediently.
That’s why Joshua succeeded—because the same God who was with Moses was with him. He’s the same God who is with you and will never leave you nor forsake you!
