In the same way I was with Moses, I’ll be with you. I won’t give up on you; I won’t leave you. Strength! Courage! You are going to lead this people to inherit the land that I promised to give their ancestors. Give it everything you have, heart and soul. […] Haven’t I commanded you? Strength! Courage! Don’t be timid; don’t be discouraged. God, your God, is with you every step you take. — from Joshua 1:1-9, The Message
Usually, my mind and heart focus on “every step you take,” translated as “wherever you go” in the New American Standard Bible. Other times, particularly those times I need an injection of bravery, I remember the words, “Be strong and courageous!” (NASB). They rally my heart and keep my mind from spiraling into worry.
This week, though, the words, “God, your God,” catch my attention. More than that, they spin me around and lurch me to a halt. The phrase, “God, your God,” suggests relationship, intimacy. The great, big, unknowable God draws near—to Joshua and to me. He accompanies “every step” taken.
God ensures Joshua and I understand what he means when he says, “God, your God”; a few verses earlier, he explains, “In the same way I was with Moses, I’ll be with you.” That explanation, of course, requires a review of Moses’ history and relationship with God.
Moses first encounters God as holy and majestic: God appears in a burning bush that never extinguishes and never burns up. God accompanies Moses on his reluctant backtrack to Egypt where God carries out the ten plagues. He parts the Red Sea so that Moses and the people can escape the Egyptians. God feeds the people with manna and quail and uses Moses to deliver water from a rock.
Moses sees many awe-inspiring acts, yet he also knows God. By the time he and the Israelites arrive at Mount Sinai, Moses has realized that God is everything. He refuses to go to the Promised Land if God doesn’t come with them. He begs to see God’s face. Moses communicates directly with God, ultimately becoming a mediator between God and the Israelites and a picture of the salvation to come.
That is how God was with Moses, and it’s how he promises to be with Joshua. “In the same way I was with Moses, I’ll be with you. I won’t give up on you; I won’t leave you.” The words ring with comfort and assurance. God won’t leave Joshua to fend for himself nor will he give up on him. He’ll be with him, as he was with Moses, as he leads the cantankerous Israelites into the land of Canaan.
God further confirms his words when he concludes in Joshua 1:9, “God, your God (emphasis added), is with you every step you take.” Because my God is with me, I am strong and courageous. I might be scared. I might even worry at times. However, God is with me and will be with me wherever I go. His presence doesn’t diminish because I struggle to be strong and courageous; he’s God, and he never changes. He never leaves me nor does he give up on me. He chose me. I am his, and he is mine. He’s my God, and he’s always with me.
Image: Catherine Shyu (Creative Commons)