Joshua 1:9 (ESV)

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

Introduction

Joshua 1:9 has spoken to me and over me throughout this year. As I lean deeper into knowing God, I am called back to this scripture. And with fresh eyes, I now see this as more than a commandment but a mandate; divine instruction that it is time to not just be in the promised land but to take ownership because the land is already mine.

Context of Joshua’s Calling

In the book of Joshua 1, Moses has just died, and Joshua is appointed to lead. God confirms the same promise He gave Moses: the land is already Joshua’s because God has given it to the Israelites. Now Joshua must rise into this assignment, which is to lead the Israelites into the land God promised them. God instructs Joshua to follow His law and meditate on His word day and night so that he will be successful in his assignment.

But more than God is giving Joshua a commandment; God is giving Joshua instruction on how to be postured, “TO BE”. God speaks the phrase “be strong and courageous” three times in this passage—a divine repetition that reveals the weight of the transition and the importance of Joshua’s confidence in God’s presence.

Now that we understand the context, let us walk through this scripture together, with the hope that the same strength God imparted to Joshua will rise in me and in you for the path set before us.

God’s Leadership Through Moses

In studying this scripture, my first question is: How did God lead Moses into position? To answer that, I must first recognize God’s approach—first with Moses, then later with Joshua.

God approaches Moses suddenly and dramatically with the burning bush (Exodus 3). Moses wasn’t searching for God—he was simply tending his father-in-law’s sheep, in the place God had assigned him so He could easily locate him. This is crucial: we must be in our assigned place, because if we are not where God assigned us, we will miss Him.

God uses this same pattern with Joshua. When Joshua 1 starts, God is already speaking to Joshua, which reveals He is with him.

When Moses turned aside and paused to truly look, God spoke. The bush was already burning; God was already present. Moses just had to notice. The same is true for us—God is already waiting at our assigned place, but His voice becomes clear when we pause and pay attention.

God calls Moses by name repeatedly—not because He needed Moses’ attention, but because He wanted Moses to recognize His voice. Later, God tells Joshua three times to be strong and courageous. God often operates in patterns of three as a signal of confirmation that the instruction is truly from Him. The order I’ve highlighted between Moses and then Joshua shows that God is consistent, and His work can be tracked if we pay attention. This pattern of God’s consistency sets the stage for what comes next—His call to Moses to step into a mission far greater than himself.

God gives Moses his assignment: to deliver the children of Israel from bondage. Moses responds with doubt. Yet, just as Bishop Carey Conor teaches and as Scripture proves, God does not change His mind about an assignment simply because we doubt ourselves. Moses questioned whether Pharaoh would listen, but God still empowered him and led him. God never left Moses nor forsook him.

God is a God of Sequence and Familiarity

God is a God of order and divine sequence. Why? Because patterns help us become familiar with His nature and His methods. Hymnodist William Cowper said, “God moves in mysterious ways,” but mystery does not equal distance. God is more familiar like a brother than unpredictable like a stranger.

God is near to our hearts, and because He is within reach, we can approach Him and trace the path He lays before us. There is a noticeable pattern to how God approaches, instructs, and assigns. He doesn’t act randomly or abruptly—He works in sequences, building familiarity and trust.

It’s like practicing yoga—you move through sequences, and over time your body becomes familiar with the posture. In the same way, God guides us step by step into the spiritual posture He is calling us to—preparing us to walk fully in our assignment and participate in His kingdom work.

Moses’ Preparation vs. Joshua’s Activation

With Moses, God was already present, but He appeared dramatically—interrupting Moses’ ordinary day with the burning bush. With Joshua, God was also already present, but His approach was direct—speaking, strengthening, and commanding him to be strong and courageous. The difference in God’s approach reveals His intentional method of preparing leaders.

With Moses, God engaged in dialogue—not because Moses’ doubts could change God’s plan, but because Moses needed to be heard. God let him voice his fears and questions, and being heard helped Moses feel understood and supported (Exodus 3–4). That blesses me, because God doesn’t just command us—He meets our fears before the assignment, giving us a comfort we could not create on our own. As a man, Moses was limited, but with God he stepped into the authority of his calling. The burning bush encounter solidified Moses’ covenant and identity as God’s chosen leader.

Because of this covenant, Joshua didn’t need the same dialogue. Moses’ relationship with God removed the doubt Joshua might have had. So when God spoke to Joshua, He didn’t debate—He commissioned. Joshua only needed to receive the instructions and act (Joshua 1:1–9). His preparation came through proximity: years of watching Moses trust God taught Joshua how to stand firm himself.

This contrast shows something profound about God: He works with each of us according to our capacity, vulnerability, assignment, and purpose. Though trials feel overwhelming, God equips us for exactly what He calls us to do (1 Corinthians 10:13). Moses’ encounter was initiating; Joshua’s was activating.

Jesus, make it plain: God develops His leaders on purpose. He doesn’t just appoint—He prepares. What God established with Moses became the foundation Joshua stood on. God used the credibility, relationship, and spiritual equity built with Moses to bring Joshua into alignment, obedience, and position—without fear.

Defining Strong & Courageous

Now that we understand God’s different approaches with Moses and Joshua—and how those approaches reveal His intentional way of cultivating leaders—we can see something about how God postures us. Moses learned to stand through reassurance, dialogue, and divine encounter. That process shaped his posture and positioned him to lead Israel out of bondage.

So the question becomes: How did God lead Joshua into position?

From my theological perspective, Moses was Joshua’s foundation—but a foundation only matters if you know how to stand on it. Before Joshua could move, God had to posture him. And God did this through command. To understand the command, Joshua first needed to understand how to stand, how to be positioned, and ultimately how to be postured.

That’s why God repeats the words strong and courageous three times. These are not casual commands; they are instructions on posture. God is shaping the inner stance Joshua must hold to walk out the assignment already promised to him.

Joshua already has the word: “I will give you every place where you set your foot” (Joshua 1:3, ESV).

The question is not whether God will keep His promise—it’s whether Joshua is postured to receive it. And the same is true for me: calling means nothing if I’m not positioned to carry it.

Now, to understand that posture, we must define the words God uses.

In Hebrew, the word strong reflects a stance and posture. It is a firm positioning of the mind and spirit—a readiness to stand, endure, and obey God with unwavering resolve.

In Aramaic, strength is visible—a power that can be seen and felt, a presence that carries authority.

In Greek, strength takes two forms: evidential strength, which produces results as God’s power is made manifest in action, and divine empowerment—strength supplied by God, not by human ability.

The word courageous in Hebrew means to be strong and prevail. Courage is not an emotion, but an action—something to be demonstrated.

In Aramaic, it is translated as mighty—powerful and fortified.

In Greek, courage carries two dimensions: it is rooted in the presence of God, not in human ability, and it is a warrior posture—steady, prepared, and ready for the assignment.

Across all three languages, the theme is clear: strength and posture.

So I ask myself: Am I properly postured for my God-given assignment?

To be courageous is to carry weight—and that capacity is not self-made. It is inborn, inherent, and supplied by God Himself. If He gives me the power, the courage, and the strength to stand, then I stand—in this warrior posture of ownership.

Furthering the Connection to Yoga

With this understanding of strength as posture, I return to the earlier connection I made about yoga—because the parallel is clearer now. I am not just walking through the promised land—I now decree and declare that I am an owner, not a tenant, in the promised land. Like Joshua and Moses, I have been guided by God and understand His assignment: to bring “the select few” (title of blog) to Him, to teach transgressors His ways through my testimony, so that sinners will return to Him (Psalm 51).

With this understanding of God’s guidance and my calling, I see that posture is not just physical—it mirrors the spiritual readiness required to step fully into His assignments. With this knowing, I posture myself for this assignment—just as in yoga, where Warrior Pose positions the body to stand strong and ready. I cannot help but see the connection between physical and spiritual posture.

Yoga’s Warrior Pose is key to building strength, balance, and sequencing—moving through poses in alignment, in order, and in proper position—improving flexibility, and cultivating mental focus and determination. Spiritually, it mirrors what God requires of us: a firm stance of faith, readiness to obey, alignment with His purpose, and being in proper sequence with Him. Just as the body must be intentionally positioned to maintain balance and strength, the mind, body, and spirit must be properly postured to carry the weight of God’s calling.

This connects with how God defines and views the word “know”—both reflect a posture of absolute certainty. To be courageous is to know I am not standing alone. God assures Joshua: “Just as I was with Moses, so will I be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you” (Joshua 1:5, ESV).

God Prepares the Way

So as we come to know God more and more through people like Moses and Joshua. We learn that God never sends his people into an assignment He has not already equipped them for. He prepares the road before He positions the leader. As the Word says, “Every valley shall be raised up, and every mountain and hill made low; the crooked places shall be made straight, and the rough ways smooth” (Isaiah 40:4, ESV).

Therefore, you can adopt this knowing. God will not send you into the middle of Galilee if He were not sure you would reach the other side. And right here—I feel the church rising: you will make it to the other side. God is with you. He will never leave you. He will never forsake you. He has brought you this far—so why would He abandon you now? He wouldn’t. He hasn’t. And He won’t.

Joshua’s Burden, Crown, and Completion of Moses’ Work

God is calling Joshua to lead as Moses led the people—to lead a nation. And I know the sudden news of Moses dying and God commanding him to take Moses’ position seemed like a heavy task. King Henry IV said, “Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown.” Joshua didn’t have time to mourn; he had an assignment to take ownership and walk in his calling—to lead the Israelites into the Promised Land and guide them in taking possession of the land God had promised to their ancestors.

And Joshua succeeded in his calling. Why? Because the land was already his; he took ownership and he faithfully led the people, following God’s commands, and saw the fulfillment of God’s promise as the Israelites entered and settled in the Promised Land.

Thus it is true: God began a good work in Moses and it was completed in Joshua. Don’t overlook what God is doing in someone connected to you—because His work in them may spill over into you and your next generation As I stated, when you’re connected to a blessing, you are blessed off of proximity. Moses’ obedience led to Joshua being able to walk in the promised land.

Conclusion

Joshua 1:9 isn’t just about Joshua—it’s a wake-up call, like an alarm reminding you it’s time to rise and step into purpose. Leaders, it’s time to go to work for God, for the One who KNOWS you. We are called to the front lines, not with swords, but with the Word of God. The enemy may try to silence us, but the mission is clear: bring God’s people out of captivity.

God calls me to stand strong as a mighty warrior, knowing He who began a good work will complete it (Philippians 1:6). Nothing ahead is too great. I step forward in the full armor—the belt of truth, breastplate of righteousness, shoes of peace, shield of faith, helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit—because with the full armor of God, the posture of a warrior, and my assignment, I am ready to go to work (Ephesians 6:10–18).

So I remind you again, just as God spoke to Joshua, I write these same words to you:

“Be of good courage. For the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:9, ESV).

And just as God told Moses when he asked, “What shall I say when they ask who sent me?”—God said, “I AM WHO I AM. Say this to the people of Israel: I AM has sent me to you” (Exodus 3:14, ESV).

I am sent.