“Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their ancestors’” (Joshua 1:6). Last time I discussed that strong and courageous leadership starts with submission to God. This time, I want to discuss how strong and courageous leadership means standing strong and being courageous in the face of adversity.
To recap, God forbade an entire generation of Israelites from entering the promised land because of their unbelief and lack of faith. They wandered in the desert for forty years until that generation passed away. At the end of that period, the Lord called Joshua to lead the next generation into the land promised to their ancestors. (I covered this in more detail in my previous post, so I encourage you to read Part 1 if you haven’t already.)
It’s important to consider the kind of people Joshua “inherited” as a leader. Their parents had been known for complaining, doubting, and repeatedly showing a lack of faith—and after forty years of wandering with that generation, some of those attitudes undoubtedly rubbed off on their children.
After the Lord instructed Joshua to lead with strength and courage, and to keep the law given through Moses on his lips day and night, Joshua gathered the entire assembly of Israel. He shared with them what the Lord had commanded him. Their response was:
Just as we fully obeyed Moses, so we will obey you. Only may the Lord your God be with you as He was with Moses. Whoever rebels against your word and does not obey it, whatever you may command them, will be put to death. Only be strong and courageous. (Joshua 1:16-18).
“Only be strong and courageous.” Jericho was the first city the Lord told Joshua to conquer. However, there were specific rules that needed to be followed. For example, Joshua commanded:
The city and all that is in it are to be devoted to the Lord. Only Rahab the prostitute and all who are with her in her house shall be spared because she hid the spies we sent. But keep away from the devoted things so that you will not bring about your own destruction by taking any of them. Otherwise you will make the camp of Israel liable to destruction and bring trouble on it. All the silver and gold and the articles of bronze and iron are sacred to the Lord and must go into His treasury. (Joshua 6:17-19)
However, greed filled the heart of Achan, and he took some of the devoted items. Just as Joshua had warned, the Lord’s anger burned against Israel. When Joshua and the Israelites approached Ai, he sent scouts to assess the land. Upon returning, the scouts reported that only a small force was needed, “for only a few people live there” (Joshua 7:3).
Trusting their report, Joshua sent only a few thousand men into battle—but they were quickly defeated. Scripture records, “At this, the hearts of the people melted in fear and became like water.” Hardly the strong and courageous spirit they had been commanded to embody.
In despair, Joshua fell facedown before the ark of the Lord and cried out:
Why did you ever bring these people across the Jordan to deliver us into the hands of the Amorites to destroy us? If only we had been content to stay on the other side of the Jordan! Pardon your servant, Lord. What can I say, now that Israel has been routed by its enemies? The Canaanites and the other people of the country will hear about this, and they will surround us and wipe out our name from the earth. What, then, will you do for Your great name?” (Joshua 7:7-9)
What happened to “Be strong and courageous”? What happened to “Trust in the Lord”? The Lord’s response to Joshua is striking: “The Lord said to Joshua, ‘Stand up! What are you doing down on your face? Israel has sinned… That is why the Israelites cannot stand against their enemies’” (Joshua 7:10–11a, 12). The Israelites had created the problem—more specifically, one man had: Achan. His disobedience brought consequences on the entire nation. Ultimately, Achan’s sin was exposed, and he and his family were destroyed. (Side note: When God speaks, obey. Ignoring His commands leads only to destruction.)
It took just one military defeat for Joshua to lose his strength and courage. He began to whine and complain just as the previous generation had. He even questioned whether they should have crossed the Jordan at all. In the face of adversity, Joshua lost his composure, his courage, and his confidence. Rather than humbly seeking the Lord, he complained to Him about the situation. And how does God respond? With a command: “STAND UP!”
Anyone in leadership will tell you that adversity comes with the role. But when challenges arise, we have two choices:
- Fall on our face and complain, or
- Stand up and humbly seek the Lord’s guidance.
Joshua was called to lead with strength and courage. As I noted in my previous post, that begins with submission to God. From there, strong leadership requires standing firm in the face of adversity and seeking the Lord with humility. It is vital that we continually remember the command the Lord gave to Joshua:
Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. 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. (Joshua 1:7-8)Leadership is not for the faint of heart—it requires strength and courage. Adversity will come, and when it does, don’t collapse into self-pity or assume the grass would have been greener elsewhere. Instead, stand up, humble yourself, seek the Lord, and be STRONG and COURAGEOUS!
Selfless Leadership Is Purposeful Leadership 