Joshua 1:5-6 "There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. (6) 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."
Moses was dead and now Joshua was being called to lead. He had been accustomed
to following Moses' leadership. And now, the responsibility was going to be
placed on him. Or, was it? The truth of the matter is that the only
responsibility that was given to Joshua was to continue to follow the
leadership of the Lord. Notice the words of the Lord to Joshua, "...
as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee..." These words have always
caught my attention because God is confirming to Joshua that although the human
leadership is changing, the Supreme Leadership is still the same. "As I
was... so I will be." These can be seen as the same words given to Moses
from the burning bush. "I AM THAT I AM." The unchanging God was still
in control and He was telling Joshua, "Be strong and of a good courage...
for.. I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee." Joshua, I'm still here.
I'm not sure if Joshua knew at this point that the fiery pillar of cloud (or
fire) would lift up away from them after they crossed the Jordan River. But God
was preparing him and assuring him that the Lord God would always be with him.
This would be the source of Joshua's courage and wisdom. "I will not fail
thee, nor forsake thee." How many times have you and I expressed this
promise in our prayers? I can't speak for you, but I know that I cannot count
the number of times that I have leaned back on the precious promise that is
repeated throughout the Bible: "I will never leave thee nor forsake
thee." Thank you Heavenly Father for the blessedness of this glorious
truth! We can know it is still true today because of the two declarations given
by our Lord. I AM THAT I AM. And, "As I was... so I will be with
thee." Thank you Lord that you are sovereign in power, wisdom,
honor, glory, and you never change. Just as Moses... Just as Joshua... we
still today rely upon this promise. He has said, "I will never leave thee
nor forsake thee." Yes, I repeated it and I hope to continue
repeating, reminding, and relying on this great truth. How about you?
1. Our God, our help in ages past,
Our hope for years to come,
Our shelter from the stormy blast,
And our eternal home:
2. Under the shadow of your throne
Your saints have dwelt secure;
Sufficient is your arm alone,
And our defense is sure.
3. Before the hills in order stood
Or Earth received her frame,
From everlasting you are God,
To endless years the same.