Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.  Joshua 1:9 ESV

Our Scripture passage today is God telling Joshua to be strong and courageous. God tells him this several times in the first few chapters. Moses has died and Joshua is being appointed to lead the Israelites into the Promised Land.

How cool is that right? They are finally about to go in and take possession of these lands. It sounds great, doesn’t it? But even though these lands are beautiful and fertile and well-watered, there are some problems. There are fortified cities, armies, and even some giants they must contend with.

With good, there always seems to be some bad doesn’t there. If only the Promised Land was just a land flowing with milk and honey and no problems in it. Unfortunately, on earth, I’m afraid this doesn’t exist.

This is why life can be one big emotional roller coaster. Solomon said in Ecclesiastes 3:4 there is a time to weep, a time to laugh a time to mourn, and a time to dance. Life is a series of ups and downs. One day we are flying high and on top of the mountain and the next day we may find ourselves at the bottom of a dark pit.

For many years, I lived on an emotional roller coaster. I was on top of the world for a brief period, then I would sink low. I was up and down. This can wear us thin very quickly.

Just imagine if you actually lived on a roller coaster. Every day going up and down and up and down and being exposed to the elements. Having no control over when you were up and when you were down.

If we think about life’s circumstances, this is how we all live, isn’t it? We have no control over our circumstances. God has sovereign control over all things. This should give us comfort, not fear.

When we don’t put our trust in God and focus on Him and Him alone, it can be frightening. It can even be nauseating at times.

With God’s help, we can ride the waves like skilled surfers with the waves beneath us and the wind in our hair.

God is about to bless the Israelites with the Promised Land. After all these years, this is great news. But they have work to do. They have to fight some battles. God will hand their enemies over to them as long as they are obedient, but if you keep reading you will see that they are frequently obedient and find themselves handed over to their enemies.

God got this whatever you may be facing.  When we realize this, it helps us not to fear the hard times. It helps us to remain steady in the storm. The other important thing we must remember is the importance of obedience. In Joshua 1:7, God tells Joshua “Above all, be strong and very courageous to carefully observe the whole instruction My servant Moses commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right or the left, so that you will have success wherever you go.”

The advice God gave Joshua is good advice for us today. If we want to be successful do not stray from God’s instructions. Live your life according to His holy word. Trust in Him. Be strong and be courageous knowing He is big enough to handle any problem you may be facing.

If we live our lives according to our circumstances, we will be tossed about like rag dolls. We must live according to our faith. We must give all we are facing over to God and trust in Him.

If you are still being thrown about on the roller coaster, why not step off and let God take care of you? I can assure you; it was the best move I ever made.

Have a great day!