5 No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you. 6 Be strong and courageous, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land that I swore to their fathers to give them. 7 Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go. 8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
Notice that God tends to repeat Himself. We need that. He tells Joshua that He will be able to do what he has been called to do, because God will be there every day; He's not going to run away. Joshua just needs to accept the strength and courage God provides. If that message in verse 6 did not get in one ear, God repeats it in verse 7 for the other ear: be strong and VERY courageous, sprinkled with a lot of obedience; stay on course. If you begin to wonder what to do, go to the rulebook, over and over again; keep coming back to it. Then you will: cause this people to inherit the land ... have good success ... make your way prosperous ... have good success. Then, in the final verse, the best-known, verse 9, God says: "Have you forgotten yet what I said? A third time He repeats: Be strong and courageous. and since sometimes, yes we do need to hear it put negatively: Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed. Don't be frozen with fear; accept the strength and courage God offers. Remember: the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.
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