As the entire world goes crazy over the number “4” (the title of Beyonce’s new album), I’m loving the number 4 for a totally different reason.

This morning, I read the entire chapter of Joshua. Before I get into the number 4, let me give you a very quick synopsis of why this guy is pretty dope.

Joshua was Moses’ protege and responsible for leading the Israelites (who wondered in the wilderness for 40 freakin’ years) to the promise land. He was the guy who had enough sense to believe God at any cost.

His obedience to God caused the Israelites to defeat 31 kings and kingdoms in a matter of 7 years.When they were done, they split the land amongst the 12 tribes of Israel.

All caught up? Good! 

If you back allll the way up to the beginning of Joshua in chapter 1, God tells Joshua this phrase 4 times before he sets off on his journey to get the Israelites into the promise land: Be strong and of good courage.

Joshua 1:6, 7, 9, and 18 all repeat the phrase Be strong and of good courage.

Before we take on anything God tells us to do, we must be strong and of good courage.

In the Hebrew, courage means to persist, determine, support, establish, harden, fortify, prevail, steadfastly minded. 

We must be strong and persistent, determined, have fortitude, established in our beliefs and be steadfast before we start out on what God has called us to do.

God told Joshua to do some crazy things: go to the Jordan river and walk through it on dry land. Walk around Jericho with a golden ark and a ram’s horn. Take over these cities with armies bigger than yours. If Joshua wasn’t steadfast in who he was in God and God’s ability, the pressure alone to achieve these things would have taken him out the game.

Today is the first day of July. Some of us are believing God for some miraculous things. Some of us are being squeezed between a rock and a hard place. Some of us (like myself) are on a time schedule that requires a move a God like right….now!

I challenge you to make the decision today to be strong and of good courage. Before you go any further into the month, establish that you will go through the next 30 days with as much conviction, belief, and trust in God that Joshua had.

Be persistent in your pursuit of God’s will for your life.
Be determined that you will achieve what He’s set out for you to do this month.
Support your efforts with His Word.
Harden yourself against the naysayers and the real-world circumstances you may be facing.
Fortify your walk by engaging yourself with like-minded people.
Prevail against the odds by reminding yourself that what you see with your eyes (circumstances) isn’t truth.

And finally, make up in your mind that you will not stray away from His path at all, for any reason.

Now say it with me, “Be strong and of good courage. Be strong and of good courage. Be strong and of good courage. Be strong and of good courage.”

On the Chase,

Alisha L.