Be strong and courageous.
—Deuteronomy 31:6
“Be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go” (Jo 1:9).
With these three sentences, God sealed Joshua’s commission to lead Israel.
The first sentence consists of two positive directives: Be strong and courageous.
The second sentence consists of two negative directives: Do not be afraid or discouraged.
The third sentence consists of one promise: The Lord your God is with you wherever you go.
The first two sentences hinge on the third. Strength and courage, and conquest of fear and discouragement come from a single source: certainty of the companionship of God.
The trick is not to know these words but to be certain of them.
Wherever you are, so is he.