STRENGTH AND COURAGE

The first chapter of Joshua is on my short list of favorite chapters in the Bible.

Joshua was about eighty years old when he became the leader of the Jewish nation—certainly not a young man. He had spent his life as a trusted associate to Moses, one of the most dynamic leaders in the Old Testament. Joshua followed Moses out of Egypt, through the Red Sea, and into the wilderness along with a couple million escaping Jews.

Joshua was there when God gave Moses the Ten Commandments; he was there when Moses got angry and didn’t follow instructions and then struck the rock instead of speaking to it. He was there through good times and bad and he proved himself over and over as a loyal and competent associate. Joshua was a skilled military commander who led the Jewish army to victory under the oversight of Moses (Exodus 17:8-16).

Joshua was as complete a number-two man as any nation could wish for. But then Moses died and God put Joshua in charge!

The first nine verses of Joshua 1 are God’s encouraging instructions to Joshua as he stepped into the shoes Moses had filled for so long. Among the wonderful promises and instructions God gave to Joshua in these verses is his admonition to him to “be strong and courageous” (verses 6, 7 and 9).

These first nine verses are a prescription for success in leadership and in all areas of life. The message God poured out for Joshua is applicable to you and to me . . . with no exceptions!

Recently I have spent considerable time attempting to understand the command to “be strong and courageous” and why it was repeated as it was.

First, let me tell you what this “strength and courage” message is not.

The attributes that God is speaking of do not include the phony, tough guy image so prevalent today among segments of the entertainment world. This is projecting an unreal image and, sadly, it has found its way into the Christian world. The “tough guy” image of some Christian personalities is very unChristlike!

So if strength and courage for a Christian are not cultivated images, then what are they?

When the Bible speaks of a person being strong, it is not referring to physical strength; it doesn’t mean looking muscular or tough. God’s instruction to Joshua was not to join a gym and begin lifting weights. No, “be strong” is speaking of the inner attitude, the character of a man/woman of God. This is a person who has allowed the character of Christ to be formed in him, and that has nothing to do with visual images. It has everything to do with allowing the “solid Rock” to become the core of your life and it takes time for this to happen.

I was privileged to know David Wilkerson for forty-eight years. Brother Dave, as he liked to be called, was a small man in physical stature. But spiritually he was a giant—a strong man. When he died, he left a legacy that will not be matched by very many others in recent history. His legacy includes nearly 1300 Teen Challenge Centers around the world; a megachurch with an attendance of about 8,000 located at 51st and Broadway in the heart of New York City; The Cross and the Switchblade book that has been read by nearly 20 million people; The Cross and the Switchblade movie seen by over 50 million; and a very successful crusade ministry that led hundreds of thousands to faith in Christ. And this is only a portion of the legacy.

To be strong is to allow faith to become your heart and life!

Courage speaks of the outward behavior that flows from the inner attitude of strength. In our vernacular, courage finds its expression in “faith with works” (see James 2:17).

Courage gets a message from strength. Strength says to courage, “You can do this!” Courage says, “I’m not sure I’m ready; I’m not sure I have enough experience.” Strength says, “I know you can do this! I am fully confident that just as God has provided everything needed in the past, He will provide again in this. He is faithful and we are to be obedient.” And courage replies, “You’re right and I’m going to step out, believe God, and do what He says!”

I love the story from the biography of David Wilkerson regarding the purchase of the building in Manhattan that is now the home of Times Square Church.

Gary Wilkerson (David’s son) tells the story:

My dad and Bob Phillips (one of the associate pastors) had begun taking walks together through Times Square, and one day during the negotiating period, Dad stopped in his tracks. “Bob,” he said out of the blue, “I need you to believe God with me on this. I don’t know where the money is going to come from for this theater.” Bob answered, “Okay, of course, I’ll believe God with you.”

They walked another block, and Dad stopped again. “Bob, I mean it,” Dad said. “I really need you to believe with me on this. I need you to stand with me.” “Okay, yes, I will,” Bob answered. Dad did the same on the next block. “David,” Bob finally told him, “I’d love to believe with you. I’ll do everything I can to believe. But how can I believe for fifteen million dollars? I’ve never done that.”

Bob remembers that Dad’s face turned stern. “It was not hardness,” he says, “it was resoluteness of purpose. David was that way in everything he did. He asked me, ‘Have you ever believed for five dollars?’ ‘Yes.’ ‘What about five hundred dollars?’ ‘Absolutely, over the years I’ve had to believe God for five hundred dollars for ministry.’ He said, ‘That’s the same faith you believe with for fifteen million. You believe it is in God’s hands, and the amount is not a problem for him.’”

            (The Cross, The Switchblade and the Man Who Believed, page 266).

David Wilkerson’s ministry bought the building that now houses Times Square Church for sixteen million dollars in cash that God had miraculously provided.

That’s an example of strength and courage. “Be strong and very courageous” (Joshua 1:7).