Small-group study
Joshua 1:9: Be Strong And Courageous
One page, about 45 minutes. Read it through before you meet, and feel free to skip a question if the conversation is already flowing.
Haven’t I commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Don’t be afraid. Don’t be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.
1. To begin
When did you last have to do something that genuinely frightened you? What got you through it, or what stopped you?
2. Read it again, and look closely
Have someone read the verse aloud a second time, slowly.
- This is a command, but count how often God gives a reason rather than just an order. What are the reasons?
- What exactly is Joshua told to do, and what is he told not to do?
- The promise at the end is "wherever you go". How sweeping is that?
3. What does it mean?
- Joshua is taking over from Moses and leading a nervous people into the unknown. Why might "be strong and courageous" need saying more than once?
- What is the difference between being told to be brave and being told "I am with you"? Which does this verse actually lean on?
- Courage here is commanded. Does that mean fear is a failure? How do the command and the comfort sit together?
4. What about us?
- Where, right now, are you being asked to step forward and feel short on courage?
- What would change this week if you truly believed God was with you "wherever you go", including the place you are avoiding?
- Who do you know who needs to hear "do not be afraid" from a friend this week? Could you be that friend?
5. To close, pray
Bring to God the specific thing that frightens you. Ask not mainly for the fear to vanish, but for a deeper sense that he goes into it with you.