This year I’ve been reading Paul Tripp’s devotional book New Morning Mercies, and the entry for
June 25 was about Deuteronomy 1, where the Israelites were reminded of their
history of looking into the Promised Land but being too fearful to enter it.
Moses had told the Israelites, “’The Lord your God who goes
before you will Himself fight for you, just as He did for you in Egypt before
your eyes, and in the wilderness, where you have seen how the Lord your God
carried you, as a man carries his son, all the way that you went until you came
to this place.’ Yet in spite of this word you did not believe the Lord your God”
(Deut. 1:30-32). Then after Moses died, God spoke to Joshua and commanded him
three times, “Be strong and courageous” (Josh. 1:6, 7, 9).
I can think of times when people have tried to tell me, “Be strong!
Be courageous! Don’t worry! It will be fine!” Whether it was during childhood
or as an adult, statements like that have never helped me one bit. It feels
dismissive and condescending, and makes me want to say, “You have no idea what
I'm going through, so don’t tell me how to feel!”
But it changes the whole picture (or at least it should) when
God is the One encouraging us to be strong and courageous. He is the only One
who knows our thoughts and feelings better than we do. He knows what we desire
and what we fear (whether true or false). He also knows the real dangers and He
has the authority to defeat every enemy. He will never leave or forsake us.
Only One who is omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent can truly be trusted in
each and every situation we face.
That doesn’t mean it is easy to be strong and courageous. We
don’t know exactly what God is going to do or what struggles He may allow us to
go through. There will be plenty of things that get our heartrate up or make us
wonder where the exit is. There may even be times when we say, “No thanks, God,
I can’t face that right now.” But God isn’t exasperated with our timidity or anxiety.
He knows why we react the way we do and all the life experiences that have
shaped our nervous system and personality. And He keeps saying “I love you with
all your faults and fears.” Then on those occasions when we do step into the
unknown in spite of our fears, God says, “I’m proud of you, My child.” That’s a
reminder I need frequently, as perhaps we all do.
Society tells us we need self-esteem and self-confidence, but
that’s not what God was saying to Moses and Joshua. He wasn’t trying to
convince them they had what it took
to lead the people, but that He did.
He doesn’t need people who are self-confident and independent. He uses people
who know they are weak and needy, who will rely on Him for each small step,
holding tightly to His hand. As Tripp notes,
“Don’t be discouraged. God has
you exactly where he wants you. He knows just how he will use what makes you
afraid in order to build your faith. He is not surprised by the troubles you
face, and he surely has no intention of leaving you to face those things on
your won. He stands with you in power, glory, goodness, wisdom, and grace. He
can defeat what you can’t, and he intends these troubles to be not enemies that
finish you but tools of grace that transform you.”
So when the path ahead looks too hard, may we learn to pray,
“God, I can’t do this, but You can. Will You carry me?” and then trust that the
answer is always “Yes!”
“Be
strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the
Lord your God is with you wherever you go” (Josh. 1:9).
Text and image © 2026 Dawn Rutan. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture are ESV. The opinions stated do not necessarily reflect the views of my church or employer.
