Joshua 1:5 There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.
Have you ever observed a new teacher, maybe someone who has just graduated from college and who is now teaching first grade? Have you ever observed a new pastor who is following a man who pastored the church for forty years? Have you ever observed a new CEO or someone who has new responsibilities that they have never had before? It seems that these people often fit into one of two categories. Either they are very ambitious or they are very anxious.
In the case of ambitions, perhaps they have been waiting their entire life to have this responsibility and to prove themselves. They are eager to get going and to change what has come before them.
The other category is the people who are anxious. They have something thrust upon them. They don’t know where to go and perhaps they are scared to change anything at all. The question is, “What do you do in times of change?” It is one thing when places change. It is another thing altogether when people change. When both change, it really is a challenge.
In Joshua 1 you have both the person and the place changing. You have Moses, who has died, and you have the place of Canaan that God was about to give to His people Israel. One thing you learn from Joshua 1, certainly if you are a new leader, is to focus on what doesn’t change. You may have a bent toward ambition or a bent toward anxiety, but the answer to all of it is to focus on what doesn’t change.
At least three things did not change with this new man and this new land. First of all, God’s presence did not change. In verse 5 God says, “There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.” So, God says, “As I was with Moses, I am going to be with you. I have a track record and you can see that. I will not fail you.” That means God’s ability is not going to lapse. God says, “I will not forsake you.” That means God’s will was not going to lapse. You may be a new leader or have a new leader, but the God Who has shown Himself true all of your life has not changed. Focus on God’s presence.
Second, focus on God’s promises. Verse 6 says, “Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them.” God says that He promised them the land. When did God promise the land? He promised it many generations before to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and then to Joseph’s children. God kept repeating this promise. The promise was that God would give the land to the children of Israel. It wasn’t Israel’s to take or the Canaanites’ to give; it was God’s.
This promise is not to you if you are not Jewish. But, there are many promises that are directly to you in the Bible, and many more that are yours by application. God’s promises do not change. Focus on that.
Third, God’s law does not change. Verse 7 says, “Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper withersoever thou goest.” How do you know the right way going ahead? God says, “Don’t turn to the right or left just because you are new and need some change.” Change is inevitable, but good change is not. The right kind of change comes from remembering God’s presence, remembering God’s promises, and following God’s law.
Verse 8 says, “This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do…and then thou shalt have good success. The key here is meditation. Don’t just read God’s Word; meditate on it. The people that Joshua is addressing didn’t read the law every day. They didn’t have a copy, but you do. It is not enough just to read the Bible; you need to think about it. “This book of the law shall not depart.” That is talking about duration. “Day and night” is talking about frequency, and the purpose of this is that in the end you may have success.
So, there may be new times, new places, or new people. Focus on what doesn’t change.