Power Moves: A 7-Day Reading Plan to Rediscover Your Inner StrengthSample

Day Four: Power Move: Take Courage

God said to Joshua, “Be strong and of good courage, for to this people you shall divide as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go” (1:6–7).

Right before God gave Joshua this command, He let him know that one season had ended and a new season was beginning. Joshua, who was the assistant to the deceased leader, was being positioned to take command. In order for him to shift from servant to servant-leader effectively, he would need a new set of values.

Joshua had been a trusted, loyal servant, which means he must have placed value on serving his leader with intention and dedication. Now that he would lead, Joshua heard God say that his success would depend on being strong.

The Hebrew word for strong is châzaq, khaw-zak´, and its primitive root means to fasten upon; to seize. As a part of his new value system, Joshua could no longer value being an obedient servant but rather a relentless leader fastened to the promise that God had given.

Unpacking the book of Joshua reveals that the territory promised to Joshua’s people would be contested many times. There were moments when the people he’d been tasked to lead were frustrated and overwhelmed by the magnitude of their opposition. If Joshua didn’t learn how to sieze he could not teach those he was influencing how to do the same. Alternatively, if he did not demonstrate strength, his values could be swayed, and he would surrender to the whims of the people instead of leading them with confidence.

If you truly believe that God is all-knowing and all-powerful, then when you lean into His vision for your values, you are being positioned for what will grant you access to the version of yourself with the most power for the task at hand. What you value determines how you show up, and how you show up determines what doors are open to you.

Respond:

Reflect on the values that guide your actions. Are they aligned with courage and strength for the journey ahead?

Prayer:

God, would you help me fasten on to the courage; You are faithful and good to provide, which will sustain me today. Amen.