Over the next couple of days I will be surrounded by a few thousand people, approximately 7,000 actually. To let you know how this verse is important to me this week, out of the 7,000 people roughly 200 are men.
The idea behind the verse is for Joshua not to think too much on the battles ahead because if he thought about those battles he would become afraid and be discouraged. God told him three times not to be afraid or be discouraged, but to be strong and courageous. The verse applies to us in that we cannot think too much on the troubles we are in or any storms on the horizon. Go forward with your head held up.
I could leave it there, but there is no hope in that. The hope in the verse is God is always with us. When the disciples were on a storm tossed ship they lost sight of the fact that the Word of God was in the boat with them and they panicked.
They became afraid and dismayed. He was physically present with them and they focused on the storm instead of the one who can bring peace and calm. Right before Christ ascended to his father he gave us the Great Commission. At the end of the commission he said, "Lo, I am with you until the end of the age." That is the hope and encouragement for you to stay strong and courageous.
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