Joshua 1:2 “Moses my servant is dead; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, thou, and all this people, unto the land which I do give to them, even to the children of Israel.”
Now Therefore Arise
Joshua was not going to be Moses. He didn’t have Moses’ background or experience. But that was okay. God didn’t want another Moses; He wanted a new Joshua. Joshua, at his weakest, had more potential than Moses, who was dead. The old saying is true that a living dog is better than a dead lion!
God’s three simple words to Joshua are encouraging to us today. “Now therefore arise…” He was talking about Joshua’s posture; He was talking about Joshua’s life. We can learn that courage and authority are the inheritance of those who are acting under orders. God doesn’t give you courage to make you feel better; He gives you courage to help you act responsibly.
At some point in your life, you will realize that you are responsible to be responsible. The fact is, God has everything you need. The more you are under authority, the more authority you carry. It has occurred to me recently that most of the people I’m around now are five, ten, fifteen, or twenty years younger than I am! I can’t help but think, “I am the adult in the room!” Being an adult is not freedom to do what you wish; it is responsibility to do what you should.
It is time to step up, stand up, grow up, and man (or woman) up. You may not naturally be or act like an adult, but God made you to naturally grow up. Being “grown up” doesn’t mean, “I can do anything I want to do!” Truly growing up is taking the responsibility to act under orders. Courage and authority are both a result of acting on your orders.
God did not tell Joshua, “You can do it!”; God told Him, “As I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.” With God’s presence, you do not need to fear. Courage and authority are your inheriwtance if you will act on the orders you’ve been given.