Joshua 1:6

Letters to the Faithful - Joshua 1:6

Berean Standard Bible

Be strong and courageous, for you shall give these people the inheritance of the land that I swore to their fathers I would give them.

King James Bible

Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them.

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To all who are called by the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, sanctified by His Spirit and sealed by His promise, grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. May your hearts be strengthened in every good work as you persevere in the faith once delivered to the saints.

Beloved brothers and sisters, I write to you with a heart stirred by the Spirit, compelled to speak a word of encouragement and clarity in this present hour. The days in which we live are filled with uncertainty, and many hearts have grown faint. Yet, the Lord who is faithful has not changed, and His word endures, unshaken and sure, as an anchor for the soul. Today, I urge you to give your full attention to the Word of the Lord found in Joshua chapter 1, verse 6: “Be strong and courageous, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land that I swore to their fathers to give them.”

These words were spoken by God to Joshua at a pivotal moment in Israel’s history. Moses, the great servant of the Lord, had passed on, and the mantle of leadership fell to Joshua. A wilderness-worn people stood on the brink of promise. The desert days were coming to an end, and the land that flowed with milk and honey lay just beyond the river. But before there was possession, there was preparation. Before there was conquest, there must be courage. And so God speaks to Joshua—not first of strategy, nor of logistics, nor of warfare—but of heart. Be strong and courageous.

Strength and courage: these are not mere attitudes of optimism, nor are they rooted in human will or self-confidence. In the divine economy, strength is not the absence of weakness, but the presence of dependence upon God. Courage is not a denial of fear, but a declaration that fear shall not govern the steps of the righteous. What God commanded Joshua to possess was not natural to man, but supernaturally supplied. And the same Spirit that breathed courage into Joshua now lives in us.

You, dear believer, may not stand on the edge of Canaan with armies at your back, but you face your own Jordan crossings. You face battles in your home, your mind, your workplace, your relationships, and perhaps most of all, within your own soul. The promises of God stretch before you like a great land of inheritance—peace that passes understanding, joy unspeakable, purpose ordained before the foundations of the earth. And yet many of us live like wanderers, hesitant to enter in, because fear grips our hearts, or weariness clouds our vision. We are called to more. You are called to more.

Consider the context of this divine exhortation. God says, “You shall cause this people to inherit the land I swore to their fathers.” This reveals something crucial: the inheritance was God’s promise, but the human instrument—Joshua—had a role to play in ushering others into that promise. Likewise, you are not only called to stand firm for your own sake, but your obedience, your courage, your perseverance will lead others into their inheritance. Parents, your steadfastness will shape generations. Teachers, your faithfulness will plant seeds in hearts you may never see fully bloom. Workers, your integrity in a broken system becomes a testimony of the kingdom. Ministers, your tears and labor in obscurity are laying down roads in the wilderness.

The strength and courage required is not primarily physical. It is moral, spiritual, emotional. It is the strength to keep believing when results delay. The courage to love when bitterness seems easier. The fortitude to keep walking with Christ when compromise beckons with comfort. The bravery to speak the truth in a world drunk on relativism. The endurance to trust in God's timing when others have run ahead with their own plans. This strength is not of this world—it flows from abiding in the Vine, from walking in the Spirit, from feeding on the Word, from gazing on the face of Jesus Christ.

Let us not forget that God does not call us to courage without equipping us for it. Just as He was with Moses, so He promised to be with Joshua. And just as He was with Joshua, so He is with us. Our strength is not in numbers, nor in resources, nor in charisma. Our strength is in the presence of the Lord who goes before us, who hems us in behind and before, whose rod and staff comfort us, whose right hand upholds us.

Therefore, we must respond in faith. Do not wait for the feeling of courage to arise—step out in obedience, and courage will meet you there. Do not wait for the strength to be full before you begin—begin, and the strength will be supplied. For the Word of the Lord is sure: "My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness." When you feel the least capable, the least ready, the least worthy—those are often the very moments when God's glory is most ready to be revealed through you.

Dear saints, do not despise the small beginnings. Do not retreat before the giants in the land. Do not say, “Who am I?” when the Lord says, “I will be with you.” Do not look longingly back at Egypt when Canaan lies before you. The promises of God are yes and amen in Christ Jesus, but the path to them still requires a crossing of faith, a battle of prayer, a life yielded fully. Strength and courage are not for the heroes of history only—they are the inheritance of every believer indwelt by the Spirit.

Let this be a call to rise. Rise from complacency. Rise from fear. Rise from the wilderness of indecision. Lay hold of the promises spoken over your life. Begin again if you must. Return to your first love. Fan into flame the gift that is within you. Take courage, not because the way is easy, but because the Lord walks with you in it. You are not forsaken. You are not forgotten. You are chosen. You are equipped. And in the strength of the Lord, you shall cause others to inherit what has long been promised.

Therefore, beloved, be strong and courageous. Not in yourself, but in the Lord your God. The same God who called Joshua, who led Israel across the Jordan, who brought down walls with a shout, who stopped the sun in the sky, is your God still. He has not changed. His Word has not failed. His Spirit has not withdrawn. He is near. He is faithful. And He will do what He has spoken.

May the peace of Christ guard your hearts. May the joy of the Lord be your strength. May you walk forward into your inheritance with boldness and humility. And may your life lead others into the land of promise.

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Heavenly Father, Almighty God, Creator of the heavens and the earth, we come before You in the name of Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Savior and our King. We thank You for Your unchanging Word, living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, and we give You praise for the faithfulness of Your promises through every generation. Lord, our hearts tremble with reverence and awe before You, for You are holy, and Your ways are higher than our ways. Yet, in Your mercy, You have drawn near to us, called us by name, and made us Your own. What grace, that we who once were far off are now sons and daughters by the blood of the Lamb.

Today, O God, we anchor our hearts in the power of Your Word found in Joshua 1:6: “Be strong and courageous, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land that I swore to their fathers to give them.” And we pray, Lord, not as those who merely read the Scriptures, but as those who desire to live them—to receive them as life, as direction, as the voice of the Spirit speaking now to our generation.

Father, strengthen us. In our weakness, be our strength. In our weariness, be our rest. In our uncertainty, be our steady hand. We confess, Lord, that we are often not strong. We are tempted to retreat, to doubt, to linger on the edges of Your promise rather than stepping into the fullness of what You have declared over our lives. But we believe, O God, that You have not called us to wander aimlessly, nor to live in fear, but to walk in faith, to possess the promises, and to take our place in Your divine purpose for our time.

Raise up courage within us, not the courage of the flesh that boasts in itself, but the courage that is born of trust—trust in Your character, Your voice, Your nearness. When fear surrounds us, help us remember that You are the Lord who goes before us. When our hearts grow faint, teach us to rest not in our own might, but in the power of Your Spirit. Breathe fresh boldness into our inner man, that we might stand in obedience even when the path is unfamiliar, even when the cost is high, even when the battle seems too great.

Lord, we acknowledge that, just like Joshua, we have been entrusted with a task bigger than ourselves. We have been given influence, relationships, opportunities, and assignments that we cannot fulfill apart from Your help. You have called us to be lights in the darkness, to speak the truth in love, to carry burdens with joy, to shepherd others into the inheritance of faith. Let us not shy away from this calling. Let us not say, “I am too young,” or “I am too broken,” or “I am too late.” Let us not wait for a better moment. You, O Lord, are the One who qualifies the unqualified, who strengthens the trembling, who anoints the ordinary with divine power.

Let our lives be marked by courage that leads others into promise. Let our homes be places where peace and righteousness reign. Let our churches be communities of healing and holiness. Let our workplaces become platforms for integrity and compassion. Let our daily steps, however mundane they may seem, be guided by a sense of mission—that we walk with purpose because we walk with You.

Father, we know that there are still many who have not entered into their inheritance. Many have grown discouraged, disillusioned, or distracted. But You, Lord, are the God who restores. Use us as vessels to encourage the weary, to speak life to the hopeless, to pull others up from the banks of the Jordan and remind them that the promise still stands. Make us burden bearers, intercessors, encouragers, pioneers—men and women who build up what has been torn down and call forth what has been buried.

And God, we do not ask for courage only in public places, but in the private places where no one sees. Give us strength to obey in secret. Give us integrity when the world is not watching. Give us discipline when our flesh wants ease. Give us endurance when we are tempted to quit. Let us not grow weary in doing good, for in due time, we shall reap—if we do not give up.

O Father, burn away our excuses. Break every chain of fear. Silence the lies that say we are alone, unworthy, forgotten. Fill us instead with a renewed vision of who You are and what You are doing in this generation. Let Your fire fall on our hearts again. Awaken us from spiritual complacency. Let us hear Your voice calling, “Be strong and courageous,” and let us rise up, not because we feel ready, but because we believe You are with us.

Thank You, Lord, that You have not left us to figure this out alone. You have given us Your Word, Your Spirit, and one another. Let us be a people who contend together, who lift up one another’s arms when we grow tired, who speak life when death tries to creep in, who refuse to abandon their post, who fight not for personal gain, but for the fulfillment of Your will on earth as it is in heaven.

We pray now for those whose hands hang limp—revive them. For those standing at the edge of obedience—push them forward in love. For those in the midst of battle—cover them with Your peace. For those who doubt they have a role—open their eyes to see that they were born for such a time as this. And for the church as a whole—unite us, purify us, and empower us that the name of Jesus would be lifted high in every place.

All of this we pray, not by our merit or strength, but through Jesus Christ, who is our Joshua, our Deliverer, our Captain, our Savior. In Him we live, and move, and have our being. In Him, the promises of God are yes and amen. And in Him, we declare today: we will be strong, we will be courageous, for the Lord our God is with us wherever we go.

In the mighty, matchless, eternal name of Jesus we pray. Amen.