““Be strong and courageous, for you are the one who will lead these people to possess all the land I swore to their ancestors I would give them. Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the instructions Moses gave you. Do not deviate from them, turning either to the right or to the left. Then you will be successful in everything you do. Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do. This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.””
Joshua 1:6-9 NLT
“God is with us!” should be the primary battle cry for all believers but it is not a simple truth. It is nuanced. Here we see God sharing that nuance with Joshua. God will be with them, and mightily so, so long as they remain with him. So long as they delight in his revealed words and keep them the light to their path out of the wilderness and into the promised land, then they can count on God to show up for them in their battles and daily lives. Too many Christians have the slogan but without the nuance. They expect that God is a genie they can call on, despite his edicts and character. They don’t live boldly, they live foolishly. We are to be bold and wise in our boldness. When we see the upcoming trials in life, we are to take great solace in our hearts that if we keep our minds upon God, he will lead us through them in the best way possible and that he will never leave us or forsake us. It is in this context that Jesus is our Immanuel, and our returning victor in this life.
JOSH McGARY. COM 