Needed Courage (Featured Daily Devotion)

Day 13

Monday

Needed Courage

Numbers 27:18

And the Lord said to Moses, “Take Joshua son of Nun with you, a man in whom is the Spirit, and lay your hand on him.”

There is no shortage of tools available to help pick the right person for the right job.  Does the task require numbers ability?  Managerial ability?  Big-picture ability?  How about Courage?  When it came to picking a successor for Moses, courage was at the top of the list.

From a human perspective, Joshua had already demonstrated the kind of courage necessary to invade and settle the land of Canaan.  Joshua defeated the Amelekites in Israel’s first fight after leaving Egypt (Exodus17).  And Joshua (along with Caleb) wasn’t afraid to tackle the giants in the land that the 12 spies observed (Numbers 13).  So when it came time to pick a leader for Israel’s invasion of Canaan, Joshua was the obvious, courageous choice.  It is interesting that Moses changed Joshua’s name from Hoshea (“salvation”) to Jehoshua (“Yahweh is salvation”) (Numbers 13:16).  Was it to remind Joshua that his natural courage needed to remain dependent on the Lord?

Courage may not appear on modern job descriptions, but it is a requirement for being a Christian.  Courage is nothing more than faith and trust in God.

Recommended Reading Exodus 17:8-13

Quote

There can be no courage in men unless God supports them by his Word.

John Calvin

From: “Turning Points” Magazine and Devotional

Turning Points