Do you remember the first thing you wanted to be when you grew up?

What type of car did you want to drive when you were older? Did you want to live in an apartment, a mansion, or a tiny home? Maybe you even wondered what it would be like to be a student in Prestonwood Students?!

The future is an interesting topic. It can bring a sense of excitement, or it can bring fear or anxiousness. It might even make you feel numb because it seems like an island far away and doesn’t relate to you right now. Look out at the ocean in front of you. Can you envision the future, or are you lost in the waves?

If life is going great, the future might not seem pressing. After all, “Life is good! It doesn’t matter if I consider the future!” If life seems to be dragging you through the mud, the future might be something “I just can’t wait for.”

You can rest right here, even as you sit in the sand: God has a plan for you (and He has had a plan far before you picked your first dream job, car or home). Have you considered that how you view the future indicates how large, powerful and sovereign God is over your life?

Have you left Him out of the conversation? Let’s intentionally invite Him in this morning.

Turn to Joshua 1. Before you read, pray these prompts:

1. God, would You give me wisdom, knowledge, and understanding for the words I’m about to read?

2. Would You teach me something new about You that I’ve never learned before?

3. God, would You correct anything I misread and guide me as I study?

READ
Joshua 1:1–9

Let’s look at verse 7: “Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or the left, that you may be successful wherever you go.” Be strong and courageous! Easier said than done, right? While some have described Joshua as a “hero of the faith,” he was still human. As human beings, it’s not always easy to be strong and courageous. For some, it’s spiders or snakes; for some, it’s heights or darkness.

Question

What are some situations where it’s hard for you to be strong and courageous?

This was certainly the case for Joshua. Coming off Moses’s heels, Joshua had big shoes to fill. Moses had led God’s people, the Israelites, out of Egyptian slavery, through the wilderness, through plagues and famine and drought. Joshua even got to see Moses speak with God! Now, it was Joshua’s turn. No pressure, right? Here he was, tasked with leading the Israelites to their final destination, the Promised Land, and he was being told to “be strong and courageous.”

Did you know we’re called to be strong and courageous as Christians? This may be an easy concept for you, or it may sound great in theory, but you have no idea how to actually live it out. Regarding the second option, have you ever considered that Joshua might have felt the same way?

However, God doesn’t leave us hanging. This would be a really sad story if God called us to something but never equipped us with the tools to get there. Look again at verse 5: “No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses so that I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.” Before Joshua enters an unknown place, encounters an unfamiliar circumstance, and is commanded to be strong and courageous, God reminds him of the truth that He (God) is with him.

We cannot be strong and courageous enough to face the future without the Lord. It’s like going into battle without armor or a weapon. Ascribing power to the Lord and surrendering our future to Him does two things:

1. It aligns our focus back to what matters – Him.

2. It restores power back to its rightful place – Him.

Grit and ambition will never be enough. If we rely on ourselves, we’ll ultimately come up short. We’ll be left cowering and crushed. God loves you enough to call you up, but it wouldn’t be loving unless He gave you the tools to get there. An easy example of this would be to think of it like a bridge. It’s the tool to help you get to the other side! Sound familiar?

Isaiah 41:10 says, “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

Activity

• Circle every time you see the pronoun “I” in the verse above.
• Now, underline every time you see the pronoun “you.” This is personal. God desires to walk with you.

What’s one truth from this devotional that you want to hold onto and apply to your life?

Questions

Think of the Gospel. How does God give us the tools to be holy/strong/courageous?

In what areas of life is it easy for you to be strong?

In what areas of life is it easy for you to be weak?

Why do you think we aren’t always able to see the big picture?

How can you surrender your future plans to God?

Pray

Pray to God and thank Him for how big and powerful He is. Adore Him for equipping us to be strong and courageous every single day. Pray and ask Him for opportunities to live out your faith and be strong and courageous today, just like Joshua.