Joshua 10:25  Joshua said to them, “Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Be strong and courageous. This is what the LORD will do to all the enemies you are going to fight.”

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Some of the best leadership you will ever provide is when you teach, train, and model an idea so long and so well that people begin to tell you what you should do using the very words you have been using. They take your ideas and repeat them to you as their ideas. 

Thou shalt not allow thine pride to get in thy way. Thou shalt not say, “That’s what I’ve been saying!” Instead, say something like, “This is a good idea. I wholeheartedly agree.”

If you and I have to come up with all the good ideas, we are not going to get very far. Great leaders share the credit when something goes well and accept the blame when it does not.

We noticed what God had been saying to Joshua a few days ago. Refresh your memory with these three paragraphs: 

Moses commissioned Joshua. Way back in Numbers 27:12-23 and Deuteronomy 3:28, God told Moses to do this as his parting contribution. Deuteronomy 31:6-8 is powerful. Moses tells Joshua, “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”

What did Jesus say to his disciples as he commissioned them? “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age,” (Matthew 28:20). 

Now, look at today’s verse again. 

God’s word through Moses to Joshua was, “Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Be strong and courageous.” 

God’s word to Joshua was, “Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Be strong and courageous.”

The people said to Joshua, “be strong and courageous!” (1:18).

Now, Joshua’s word to the warriors was, “Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Be strong and courageous.”

God’s idea became Joshua’s idea. 

An idea good enough to share is worth repeating until others repeat it to you. 

How do you know someone has welcomed God’s truth and is adjusting their lives to it? It shows up in what they say and what they do. Take a few minutes sometime and reread the first ten chapters of Joshua. Notice the progressive advancement of Joshua’s courage and confidence. 

Notice how he responds to a direct encounter with the Angel of the LORD (5:13-15). At the time when it was becoming obvious this mission was going to be a success (5:1), he received a reminder regarding who was responsible for this success. He also received the message that it was not a matter of whether God was on Israel’s side but whether Israel was on God’s side. 

Notice how the Angel of the LORD tells Joshua what God in the burning bush episode (Exodus 3, 4) told Moses: “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy.” The last four words of the chapter disclose one of the secrets to Joshua’s success: “And Joshua did so.” 

Obeying God’s direct instruction always leads to purposeful progress.

Ponder this: Why did God tell Moses and Joshua to take off their shoes? Just a thought, but maybe it was so they would not run away. A person does not want to run far without proper footwear. Without the ability to run away, Moses and Joshua could do nothing other than be still and listen to what God had to say. 

Back to our noticing: Notice how Joshua dealt with challenges to his faith (chapter 7:6-9). Notice also the mistakes he made along the way (9:14). 

The journey to fearless and confident living is filled with bumps and mud and detours. Each problem reminds us to turn to God for what we need when we need it and to trust in him even when we think we are fully capable in ourselves to handle whatever may arise. Our failures become lessons to us and others when we take ownership of them and make proper adjustments. 

As John Maxwell likes to say, “Sometimes you win, sometimes you learn.” Was yesterday a win or a learning experience? What about today?

Joshua is a leader to learn from. Some of the best leadership lessons ever come from these first ten chapters of the book bearing his name. There are more lessons to come, including one of the most important lessons ever. Let’s pause here for the moment and assimilate what we have learned so far.

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I will live with courage and confidence because God is with me and he turns all my fears and failures into life lessons and stepping stones. 

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Our Father, sometimes I win and sometimes I learn. Whatever lies ahead of me this day, I want to walk with you through it all. Show me the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul. Amen.