Bible Stories for the Young
To download, right-click the download button above and select "Save Link As" or "Download Linked File"
Moses had delivered God’s children to the door of the Land God Promised. Now, it was finally time for Joshua to lead them into the wonderful land flowing with milk and honey. But first they would have to take the land from the false-god-worshiping enemies.
God told Joshua, “It’s time! Get ready! Lead these people into the land I am ready to give them. Every place you set your foot — it’s Yours!
“Joshua, no one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. Be strong and have courage! I was with Moses, and now I will be with you. I will never leave you or turn My back on you. So be very strong and filled with courage!
“Carefully obey the Deal of Rules, the words I’ve given you. Don’t swerve to the right or to the left from the Deal. Always keep My words rolling off your tongue and in the front of your mind, day and night. That way you can carefully obey.”
What does that mean? “Rolling off your tongue…”? “In the front of your mind…”?
Have you ever noticed that if you are gob, gob, gobbling up movies or games or candy all the time, that those will be the things that you easily talk about or think about?
What if instead you choose to care deeply about God’s words, and spend lots of time reading and listening and thinking about His words? Pretty soon you’ll find that THOSE are the words “rolling off your tongue” and the thoughts at the “front your mind.”
So God wanted Joshua to focus, focus, focus on God’s words. And He wants that same focus from you, too. Don’t just read something in your Bible really fast and forget about it. Think about what it means for your life every day. Think about what it means about who God is and who you are and all He wants from you. Focus!
So Joshua ordered the leaders of the people, “Tell the people to GET READY! In three days we will cross the Jordan river into the land God Promised.”
Then the people answered Joshua, “Yes, sir! Whatever you order us to do, we will do. Wherever you send us, we will go. Just as we fully obeyed Moses, we’ll obey you. May God be with you as He was with Moses. Just be strong and have courage, Joshua!”
Wow! Do you think that might’ve helped Joshua to have even more courage? Joshua had seen how these people’s parents had treated Moses long ago when they came out of Egypt. They hadn’t wanted Moses to lead them. But these people wanted to obey and follow God’s chosen leader, Joshua.
Not only that, but these people around Joshua knew Joshua well enough to know just what he needed to hear. “Be Strong and Have Courage!” they told him, which was the exact same thing God had told him. To have people in your life who tell you the same thing as God is very enCOURAGING.
Can you think of some people in your life who have responsibility to lead you? Did you know that you can help encourage those people? Give it a try!
