Joshua

Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest (Joshua 1:9).

Joshua began his life as a slave in Egypt and left when the onslaught of plagues eventually convinced Pharoah to let the Israelites go. He stubbornly put his trust in God through all circumstances and kept his focus on God and not on the situations. 

And Joshua the son of Num, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, which were of them that searched the land, rent their clothes: And they spake unto all the company of the children of Israel, saying, The land, which we passed through to search it, is an exceeding good land (Numbers 14:5-7).

He was one of the twelve spies Moses sent out to assess the land of Canaan and bring back reports. Ten of the spies came back with negative reports, telling of a land filled with giants and people who were too strong to fight against. Only Joshua and Caleb supported entering the land, believing that God would be with them.

Because all those men which have seen my glory, and my miracles, which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have tempted me now these ten times, and have not hearkened to my voice; Surely they shall not see the land which I sware unto their fathers, neither shall any of them that provoked me see it (Numbers 14:22-23).

Most of the Israelites sided with the ten naysayers, and there was a movement to elect new leaders and go back to Egypt. Because of this, they would wander in the wilderness for forty years until all of the hard-hearted, unbelieving generation died. From that generation, only Joshua and Caleb would enter the Promised Land.

And the Lord said unto Moses, Take thee Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is the spirit, and lay thing hand upon him (Numbers 27:28).

Joshua became Moses' second in command and took over when Moses died. When needed, he led the Israelites into battle. His strong faith has stood as a testimony to many generations. Today, we need to learn these lessons -- to stand firm in our faith, knowing that God can handle any situation, keeping our focus on Him, and trusting in Him to do what's best.

. . . but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord (Joshua 24:15c).

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