Changes and Crossroads

The Israelites left Egypt and after forty-four days, they arrived at the desert of Sinai. They stayed in front of Mount Sinai for eleven months and five days (Num 10:11), then they left to arrive at Kadesh-barnea (Num 20:1). Because of their sins (unbelief because of the spies’ reports), God proclaimed that none of them (including Moses who allowed the exploration), except Joshua and Caleb, would enter the promise land (Deut 1:19-46). So the Israelites spent thirty-eight years at Kadesh-barnea ( Deut 1:46). When they finally left Kadesh, they went around the Mount of Seir (Deu 2:1) until they were finally commanded by God to head north to the promise land (Deut 2:3). Just when they were about to enter the promise land, Moses died at Mount Nebo (Deut 3:21-29; 32:49-52; 34:1-14).

God appointed Joshua to be Moses’ successor (Deut 31:1-8), so when Moses died, we read that indeed, Joshua became the leader of the Israelites (Deut 34:9). After mourning for thirty days (Deut 34:8), the Israelites started to make preparations to enter the promise land. At Shittim, God spoke to Joshua:

“Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them—to the Israelites. ³ I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses.⁴ Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the great river, the Euphrates—all the Hittite country—to the Mediterranean Sea in the west. ⁵ No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. ⁶ Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their ancestors to give them.

⁷ “Be strong and very courageous. 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. ⁸ 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. ⁹ Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go” (Josh 1:2-9).

Joshua was told by God to be strong and courageous three times (1:6, 7-8, 9). If I were Joshua, and God told me the same things thrice within five minutes, I would have two things in mind. First, I would be terrified. The fact that God would need to remind me to be strong and courageous implies that there are a lot of challenges and dangers ahead. Secondly, I would do massive self-introspection and ask myself: “Am I really a sissy in the eyes of God?”

But actually, God’s repeated words to Joshua make a lot of sense. They are actually very helpful. Even though most of us are not leaders like Joshua, there is something about the experience of Joshua at the very beginning of his career that is very similar to us. The similarity is change. And we need the same advice that God gave him to face the changes that we decided for ourselves or we encounter in our lives.

A related word to “change” is “new.” Whenever there is a change, there is something new. And I honestly think that dealing with change and what is new is one of the greatest problems of Christians. It is when we face change and the new that our faith actually reaches an important crossroad. How we manage ourselves and respond to God’s voice when these new things arrive affect us at a much deeper level than we think it would. Examples are: 

• You are now in high school or college. What are you gonna do with your new freedom?
• You are now a college graduate. What are your plans in relation to God?
• You entered a relationship. How will that affect your life now? 
• You got a raise. What do you do with your extra money? 
• You have a new schedule (school or work). How is your Bible reading? 
• You have a new change in family affairs. How about your ministry? 
• You learned that you are sick. How are you going to respond? 
• You migrated. Will you find a new church? 
• Someone you love died. Do you still love God?

We all encounter new experiences. We always deal with change. We may not realize it, but majority of the compromises we make in our Christian lives are related and are in response to these new things and changes.

This is why I said we can resonate with Joshua’s experience. Joshua was facing something new in his life. A nation was looking up to him to work wonders like Moses did for them. People were relying on him. Let us also not forget that at this point, Joshua was a newbie leader. Compared to Moses, he was a bit inexperienced. Also, he was about to embark on a military journey. It would have been nice if Canaan was only filled with grapes and awesome fruit, but unfortunately, it was also a land of giants and fortified cities. Is it not true that our experience of changes and of the new is like that of Joshua’s? When we face the new in our lives, we are faced with many uncertainties. How we respond to our new situation will determine whether we are able to lead others, defeat enemies, and enter the promise land.

So how can we face the new, and still be brave and courageous?

Strong and Courageous: Believe in God’s Promises

“Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their ancestors to give them” (Josh 1:6)

God’s command to be strong and courageous was accompanied by a promise. Yes, Joshua was in a new situation, but he was reminded about an old promise. He was in an unchartered territory, but with a clear destination. He did not know where to begin, but he already knew the ending. The promise of a good future can make us strong and courageous. It is easier to give up on a quest, mission, or goal if we do not have a clear picture of the future. God’s command to be strong and courageous is doable because He accompanies it with a promise. When God sets the future, the future is certainly set.

Joshua was about to face giants and fortresses but he can be strong and courageous because God Himself made a promise long ago, and God does not go back on His word. When God talks about the future, you bet it is a sure future. Joshua knew that God was a God who fulfills His words. He heard Moses once who said, “It was because the Lord loved you and kept the oath he swore to your ancestors that he brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from slavery, from the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt” (Deut 7:8). Joshua already experienced how God fulfilled His promises, so he knew that when God reminded him about His promise to lead them to the promise land, Joshua did not doubt God at all. God is faithful to His words (Deut 7:9). “God is not human that he should lie… Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?” (Num 23:19). The fascinating thing is that before Joshua died, he reflected about his life, and this was what he said to the Israelites: “Now I am about to go the way of all the earth. You know with all your heart and soul that not one of all the good promises the Lord your God gave you had failed. Every promise has been fulfilled; not one has failed’ (Josh 23:14).

Strong and Courageous: Follow God’s Prescriptions

“Be strong and very courageous. 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. ⁸ 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” (Josh 1:7-8)

These verses provide a good counterbalance to Joshua 1:6. We might be tempted to think that God’s promises for a good future will automatically result in a good future, regardless of what we do with our lives. It must be remembered that at the time when God spoke to Joshua, the Israelites were still at the borders of the promise land. It is true that God will accomplish His promises, but this does not mean that we are to idly sit and not become responsible. God’s promises must be accompanied by obedience.

Be strong and courageous. If you are feeling down and weak, remember God’s promises, but also meditate upon the Word of God and obey it. Strength is found not only in God’s promises but also in knowledge of the Word of God. Too many people have no good relationship with the Word of God that when they face new things in their lives, they easily fall away. We cannot hope to be strong in our faith and brave to face our Goliaths if we are not rooted in the Word.

Strong and Courageous: Remember God’s Presence

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go” (Josh 1:9).

If we are to be strong and courageous in facing the new, we should not only trust in God’s promises and obey God’s prescriptions; we should also remember God’s presence. Perhaps this is the most important of these three. We must remember that we are not alone. Whatever new experiences we have—whatever new challenges we face, whatever new circumstances we are in, whatever new sinkhole have we stepped on, whatever new situation come our way—we must not forget the God is with us wherever we are and whatever we are going through.

At the end of the day, we cannot rely on our own strength and courage. We cannot rely on our own self-motivation. We cannot rely on our own resolve. We can only rely on God’s presence. Our courage can only come from the awareness that even though we are walking in the valley of death or that we are in the presence of our enemies, God is with us and His rod and staff comfort us. When we face new situations in life, we must remember that God is with us. He will never leave us or forsake us. These were Moses’ parting words to Joshua as well: “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you” (Deut 31:6), which he repeated, “Be strong and courageous… The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged” (Deut 31:8).

Conclusions

God does not wish that the changes in our lives become the means we separate ourselves from Him. Sometimes we think that our new circumstances give us some sort of a license to lie low or withdraw a bit or even have a cool-off with God. We use the changes in our careers as an excuse not to continue to serve. We use the changes in our financial situations as an excuse not to give our tithes and give generously. We use the changes in our schedules not to participate in godly activities.

We do not realize that these moments in our lives are the most crucial tampering moments, when we must place ourselves on the anvil of the Lord so that He can mold us. Changes in our lives are the most crucial crossroads in our relationship with God. How we respond to our new situation definitely mold us into who we are now and who we will be someday. If we are used to making excuses, then what can we expect from us someday? But if we can use these changes in our lives in order to have a “leap of faith,” then we are actually growing.

It is very easy for us to be tempted to rely on our own selves when we face the new. We think we can handle things. We think we can adjust. We underestimate change and do not think about it much. We do not think of the implications of our new situations, until we are already shocked that our inability to deal with the new has already given us drastic consequences. When the new comes, we have to be strong and courageous by remembering God’s promises, relying on His Word, and remembering His presence.