Have I not commanded you to be strong and courageous? Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”Haven’t I commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Don’t be afraid. Don’t be dismayed, for Yahweh your God is with you wherever you go.”Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of good courage; be not affrighted, neither be thou dismayed: for Jehovah thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.
6 sermons cite this verse
… so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous, and then you will have success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and what? Courageous. Do not be afraid. Do not be discouraged. For the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go. I want to preach a message today. Write down the title. It's called No Chance. No Chance. And I'm just telling you that there are things in your life that you have no shot, you have no chance at walking in without the grace of God. And until you obey his commands and following his footsteps, you don't have a shot, you don't have a chance at doing what God's called you to do or becoming who God's called you to become. Have you ever been in this scenario before where you're up against something and you're like, I have no chance. Like, I have no shot. I remember when Julie and I first started dating, I was like, I got no chance. But tomorrow we're celebrating 18 years of marriage. Holler at your boy. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Yes, sir. Look at what the Lord has done. Do you remember the 21st night of September? …
… and then you will have good success. 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. okay when you read this passage deliberately there are immediately a couple of phrases that stick out aren't there there's two phrases that are repeated three times in these verses that we just read and so so see one one is a command it's the command for Joshua to be strong and courageous you see it in verse 6 You might underline it in your Bible. Be strong and courageous. Then verse 7, only be strong and very courageous. And then verse 9, have I not commanded you, be strong and courageous. So three times you see that command. And then the other phrase that's repeated three times is a promise. It's the promise that God is going to be with Joshua. So you see it twice at the end of verse 5. God says, just as I was with Moses. …
… Verse 9. Have I not commanded you, be strong and of good courage. Do not be afraid. Do not be dismayed. for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. How many of you have ever become so anxious over something, it kept you up at night, and you just had that thing going through your brain all night long and you couldn't sleep? Put your hands up. All right. So we know that we know how to meditate. so now we just have to change the subject matter all right this passage of scripture gives us like how many times does he have to say it be strong be courageous be very strong be very courageous did you hear me I said be strong be courageous don't be dismayed don't be fearful don't become anxious he gives all these commands in there but not one time does Does he tell you how? he just says be strong very courageous and then he says you're going to make your own way prosperous you're going to make your own way successful and then he gives one little sliver extremely profound sliver of advice not advice a command a sliver of instruction that makes everything else in the verses possible he says but you shall meditate on this word day and night I think this is biblical meditation is probably the most neglected area of Christian discipline in the body of Christ in our country. …
… Keep this book of the law always on your lips, meditate on it day and night so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded you, be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid, do not be discouraged. Here's the underlining thought again, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go. Be careful to obey all the law. It's interesting that if you go and just go and Google it and look at the journey the Israelites went on when they were delivered out of Egypt and they went into what is now Saudi Arabia, and they're out in a desert for 40 years, part of the place they went through is actually called the wilderness of sin. Not sin as though I disobeyed God, but that was just the name of it. They're going through the wilderness of sin. Why? Because they weren't willing to obey what God had said when he said, go in, look at the land, and then go into the land. Now, going back to that question, why did God send the 12 explorers into the land? Why didn't he just say to Moses, hey, tomorrow go in? Why did he say send 12 guys in and then take a vote? Because he wanted to know if they were willing to participate in faith and by faith in the promise of God. …
… on there we're not going to have time to turn to all these but i want you to remember joshua chapter 1 verse 8 and 9 says do not let this law book of the law depart from your mouth because in it you will find prosperity and success you will be prosperous and successful that is not material prosperity or material success let's not be so americanized that we look at success and prosperity just through material eyes. It's talking about success and prosperity in your life and your family. Even if that means difficulty, the Word brings prosperity and success. Psalm chapter 19 says, the Word converts our soul, makes us wise, gives joy to our hearts. It gives joy to our hearts. It makes wise the simple, enlightens our eyes. Psalm 19 goes on to say it is everlasting, It is true. It is righteous, invaluable, and sweet to the taste. Psalm 119, 105 says the Bible, the word of God gives guidance and direction for the future. Your word is a lamp unto my feet and a light into my path. You want to know God's will, God's purpose for your life? Go to the word. It gives guidance and direction for your life. Isaiah chapter 40, verse 1 through 11, comfort and strength in our troubles. Comfort, comfort, my people. That's how Isaiah 40 starts, and it comes to the in and it says you will mount up with wings as eagles. You will run and not grow weary. You will …
… Verse 9. Have I not commanded you, be strong and of good courage. Do not be afraid. Do not be dismayed. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. How many of you have ever become so anxious over something, it kept you up at night, and you just had that thing going through your brain all night long, and you couldn't sleep? Put your hands up. All right. So we know that we know how to meditate. so now we just have to change the subject matter all right this passage of scripture gives us like how many times does he have to say it be strong be courageous be very strong be very courageous did you hear me I said be strong be courageous don't be dismayed don't be fearful don't become anxious he gives all these commands in there but not one time does Does he tell you how? he just says be strong very courageous and then he says you're going to make your own way prosperous you're going to make your own way successful and then he gives one little sliver extremely profound sliver of advice not advice a command a sliver of instruction that makes everything else in the verses possible he says but you shall meditate on this word day and night I think this is biblical meditation is probably the most neglected area of Christian discipline in the body of Christ in our country. …