The births of each of our children were two of the best days of our lives. I’m sure most parents would say the same! We do remember, though, arriving home from hospital the following day with our new-born daughter (our first child), and experiencing a moment of sheer terror: here we were, with this beautiful little bundle, completely helpless and dependent on us, and it was now on us to look after her – all the time. To feed her, clean her, clothe her, settle her, protect her, love her. To learn what each of her cries meant, how to help her into a functioning pattern of living, when to be concerned about something and when not to be; and to know what advice was worth listening to, and what wasn’t!
We had read the books, and attended the classes, we had looked after younger siblings and nephews and nieces, we had prayed for it and longed for it: but now there was no going back. We were parents: we’d just jumped into the deep end, and we had to sink or swim! And, as it is for most new parents, the realisation of that reality was, briefly, terrifying.
It’s a very different example, but I imagine that Joshua was going through a similar moment in today’s passage. As we’ve seen, the start of the book of Joshua is not the start of Joshua’s story: he’s been around a long time. He’s learned from the best, matured in all kinds of ways, he’s served a 40-year apprenticeship, when all is said and done: but now the moment has come. His people are dependent on him, and God’s plans need him to step up.
And he’s terrified. We know that he is because God needs to repeat his pep talk to him three times: ‘Be strong and courageous (v6)…. be strong and very courageous (v7)… ‘have I not commanded you? (i.e. how many times I am going to have to say this, Joshua…) Be strong and courageous!’ (v9)
Why is God so insistent? And what will give Joshua confidence to believe it? Not because of his abilities, or his training, or his experience, or his commissioning per se. But because God is with him, and will be with him wherever he goes.
It’s true for us, too. Our confidence rests on God’s abiding presence with us. It helps to remember how God has been with us in the past, which gives us confidence to know he’ll be with us in the future: but in the end, we seize this wonderful truth in faith and trust – God is with us. And will be with us to the end of time.
This is the source of our hope, our confidence. Take a few moments to day to give thanks that God is with you, right now. Ask to sense more of that presence. And seize by faith that he will be with you, whatever you face today, and in this season.