June 21, 2026
Joshua 1:6–9 records God’s command to Joshua as he prepares to lead Israel into the promised land after Moses’ death. Joshua is told to be strong and courageous, not because the road will be easy, but because God will be with him wherever he goes. The passage connects courage with obedience, meditation on God’s word, and trust in God’s faithful presence.
Devotional: Courage is often needed most when the road ahead is not familiar. Joshua knew what it was to stand at the edge of something too large for him. Moses was gone. The wilderness years were ending. A new generation was preparing to cross the Jordan, and Joshua was being called to lead them into a future filled with promise, conflict, responsibility, and uncertainty. It would have been easy for him to look at the size of the task and feel small.
God does not tell Joshua to be strong and courageous because Joshua is naturally fearless. God tells him to be strong and courageous because Joshua will not be alone. That is the heart of this passage. Courage is not the absence of fear. Courage is the decision to trust God’s presence more than we trust our fear. The promised land was real, but so were the battles ahead. God never pretended otherwise. He simply promised Joshua that His presence would go with him.
That is still how grace meets us. God does not always remove the hard road, but He gives us Himself on the road. There are times when following Jesus asks more of us than we expected. It may ask us to speak truth with love when silence would be easier. It may ask us to forgive when resentment feels safer. It may ask us to choose obedience when comfort is pulling us in another direction. It may ask us to keep walking when we cannot see very far ahead. In those moments, God’s word to Joshua still speaks: “Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”
This passage also reminds us that courage is nourished by God’s word. Joshua is told to keep the Book of the Law close, to meditate on it day and night, and to obey it carefully. Courage is not built by positive thinking alone. It grows as we listen for God’s voice, remember God’s promises, and allow His truth to shape our choices. When fear gets loud, Scripture helps us hear the steadier voice of the Lord.
The grace of God does not call us to reckless confidence. It calls us to faithful trust. We do not have to know every step before we take the next one. We do not have to feel brave every moment to be obedient. We simply have to remember that the God who called Joshua, the God who went with Israel, and the God who has come near to us in Jesus Christ still goes with His people. The costly way is never walked alone.
Action: Name one place where God may be asking you to show courage this week. Read Joshua 1:9 slowly, then ask God to help you take the next faithful step without letting fear lead you.
Prayer: Gracious and faithful God, You know the places where I feel uncertain, afraid, or unprepared. Thank You for not leaving me to walk the road alone. Help me trust Your presence more than my fear. Teach me to listen to Your word, obey Your voice, and take the next faithful step with courage. When the way feels costly, remind me that Your grace is already there before me. Strengthen my heart and keep my eyes fixed on You. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
Thought for the Day: Courage grows when I trust God’s presence more than my fear.
Joshua stood at the edge of a new and difficult calling, and God told him to be strong and courageous. That courage did not come from Joshua having everything figured out. It came from the promise that God would be with him wherever he went. When the road ahead feels uncertain or costly, we are invited to trust that same faithful presence. God may not show us every step at once, but He gives us grace for the next one.
