Charles Stanley - Godly Meditation on Courage

Biblical meditation is characterized by a thorough and thoughtful consideration of what God is saying to us. Our meditations with Him deepen our devotional life and our fellowship with Him. But sometimes He may call us to do more than listen and learn. It is then that we need His courage to act.

The most important activity in a believer’s life is personal, private meditation on God and His Word. And sometimes meditation involves thinking deeply about a single verse and seeking to understand what God says He will do and how He desires for us to respond, in light of who He is and what He has promised. Joshua 1:9 is just such a verse because it tells us to be strong and courageous in our obedience to the Lord.

When the people of Israel arrived at the border of the land God had promised them, He spoke to Joshua to encourage him and the people. Forty years earlier, the previous generation of Israelites had stood opposite the land but refused to enter because they were afraid. As a result of their disobedience to God’s command, they forfeited the Promised Land and wandered in the wilderness for 40 years until they all died. Now their sons were given the same command, and they needed strength and courage to conquer Canaan and receive all that God promised them.