Be strong and of a good courage, for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land which I swore unto their fathers to give them.

Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses My servant commanded thee. Turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest.

This Book of the Law shall not depart out of thy mouth, but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein. For then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.
Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed, for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest."

Joshua is to lead the Children of Israel into the Promised Land. On assuming his duty as leader of the Children of Israel. God gives him a charge in which the phrase to be strong and courageous occurs three times.

There are 3 reasons for Joshua to be strong and of good courage. The first reason is that God had promised to give the children of Israel Caanan. In essence, the first time what God is telling Joshua is be strong and of courage because I'm faithful. You will divide up the Promised Land among the tribes of Israel. Its not a question. If we are living and acting in according with the Promises of God, we can have confidence that the outcome will be for the Glory of God.

Second, Joshua is told to be strong and very courageous the second time so that he can keep the law of God. The Law of God is not a very popular thing. It is so easy when things get rough to turn aside from following scripture to merely please a crowd. In 1. Samuel, King Saul did that and lost his kingdom.

Joshua is told to hold the line no matter what. God says that if he focuses on obedient to the word of God then "thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success." So much trouble comes upon us when we ignore what God's Word commands. If we would obey more, we'd see greater success in our lives. So many of our problems come from ignoring God's Word.

The final reason for Joshua to be strong and of good courage is because God is with Him. Sometimes, we feel alone in the midst of our battles, but if we are serving Christ, the Lord our God is with us and as John wrote, "Greater is He that is in us than he that is in the World." No matter where he went Joshua knew where to turn. He to turned the God who was with Him through it all. When the men of Israel were defeated at Ai, Joshua turned to God to find out why. When pursuing the men of Ai, he turned to God to halt the sun. He wasn't afraid to ask big things of God because He knew that God was close by him and would keep his promises. If we want to make a difference in our nation and our world we must carry on with that same confidence.