Overcoming Fear

This is the message given in the Sunday night worship service in the United Methodist churches of the Wheatland Parish.  The Bible verses used are Joshua 1:1-11.

            This is one of the most popular Bible passages.  It’s easy to see why.  God tells Joshua to “be strong and courageous”.  That was a message Joshua needed to hear.  It’s a message we’d all like to hear, too.  I think most of us would be pretty happy if we could hear God tell us to “be strong and courageous.”

            Joshua needed to hear it because of the situation he was in.  The situation Israel was in, actually.  Moses had led the people out of Egypt and across the Red Sea.  But now, they were wandering in the wilderness.  They had been for a long time.  Moses had hoped to lead them into the promised land, but he was not able to do it.  And now Moses was dead.  And Joshua was taking his place.  And now, it was up to Joshua to do what Moses could not do.  It was up to Joshua to lead the people of Israel into the promised land.

            Joshua was scared.  And you can understand why.  Moses was one of the greatest leaders of all time, maybe the greatest leader of all time.  Moses had faced down the great and powerful Pharaoh.  Moses had received the Ten Commandments from God.  Moses talked directly to God--in fact, his face would be shining so much when he got done talking to God that people made him put something over his face, so they did not have to see that unnatural glow,  It scare them that much.  Plus, Moses had been the leader of Israel for forty years.  There were lots of people who could not remember a time when Moses had not been their leader.

Joshua had lots of reasons to be scared.  Yes, he had been Moses’ number two, but there’s a big difference between being the number two guy and the number one guy.  Number one is where the buck stops.  Number one is the one who makes the decisions and has to take responsibility for them.  It’s easy to have an opinion when you don’t have to deal with the consequences of being wrong.  When you’re the number one, though, you do have to deal with those consequences.  It’s a lot different.

            Plus, Joshua did not know if the people would be willing to follow him.  Again, all he’d been was the number two.  Moses himself had trouble getting the people to follow sometimes.  He had to deal with lots of complaints and criticism.  If it was that hard for Moses to get people to follow him, how was Joshua going to do it?

            And then, look at what Joshua was supposed to do.  Only lead the people into the promised land.  Only do what Moses himself had not been able to do.  And only do it against some of the mightiest armies there were.  Is it any wonder Joshua was scared?

            God knows Joshua is scared.  God understands it.  And God wants to help.  So God speaks to Joshua.  God tells Joshua to be strong and courageous.

            But notice, that’s not the first thing God says.  First, God tells Joshua what Joshua is supposed to do.  Joshua is supposed to get the people ready to go into the promised land.  And God shows, again, why it’s called the promised land--God promises Joshua that God will give them that land.

            But, it’s not going to just be automatic.  Joshua is supposed to do some things.  One of them, of course, is to be strong and courageous.  That’s the part we emphasize, and it’s understandable why.  After all, God says it three times.  It must be pretty important.

            But that’s not the only thing God tells Joshua to do.  If God had just left it there, if God had just said to Joshua, hey, don’t worry about it, just be strong and courageous, do you think that would’ve helped him?  I mean, Joshua already knew that was what he was supposed to do.  He knew he was supposed to be strong and courageous.  But he was not feeling very strong, and he was not feeling very courageous.  And telling someone to feel something they don’t feel is not likely to be very helpful.

            God knew that, of course, and so God did not just leave it there.  God told Joshua one other thing to do.  The other thing is this:  “Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go.  Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it.”  And if Joshua does this, God promises that, “The Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

            You see, Joshua is supposed to be strong and courageous, but that’s not enough.  He’s also supposed to follow God.  He’s supposed to obey God and serve God.  He’s supposed to stay close to God.  Staying close to God will help him be strong and courageous.  Then, he’ll be able to overcome his fears and achieve what God has promised him he can achieve.

            What is it that has you scared?  Because I’m pretty sure there’s something.  Maybe more than one thing.  Maybe lots of things.  But I don’t think I’ve ever known anyone who was not scared of something.  I don’t think I’ve ever known anyone who did not have some sort of fear that was a part of their life.  I may not know what it is.  In fact, some people are really good at hiding it.  Some people, if you just observe them from the outside, appear not to have a care in the world.  But it’s not true.  Deep down, they have some fear.  There is something they are scared of.  We all have that.  It’s part of our lives.

            So think of what it is that you’re scared of.  Then, think about Joshua.  Think about what God said to Joshua.

            Be strong and courageous, of course.  But follow God.  Obey God.  Serve God.  Stay close to God.  Staying close to God will help you--and me--to be strong and courageous.  Staying close to God will help us overcome our fears and do whatever it is God wants us to do.

            Now, notice something else.  God did not promise Joshua it was going to be easy.  The people of Israel had to fight a lot of battles in order to take over the land God had promised.  And they did not win every battle--there were some they lost.  But even when they lost, God was with them.  And in the end, they did win, and they did enter and take the promised land.

            It may happen that way when God helps us overcome our fears, too.  Overcoming our fears is not always easy.  Doing whatever it is God wants us to do is not always easy.  Sometimes we have to fight some tough battles.  And sometimes, we may lose some of those battles.  But if we continue to follow God and obey God, if we continue to serve God, and if we continue to stay close to God, God will be with us.  And in the end, we will be able to overcome our fears.  We will be able to be strong and courageous.  And we will be able to do whatever it is God wants us to do.

            Notice one other thing about our Bible reading for tonight.  What did Joshua do when God had finished speaking to him?  He acted.  He did not say, well, gee, let me think about it for a while.  He did not say, you know, the time may not be right--I’d better wait.  As soon as God was done speaking, we’re told, “Joshua ordered the officers of the people:  ‘Go through the camp and tell the people, “Get your provisions ready.  Three days from now you will cross the Jordan here to go in and take possession of the land the Lord your God is giving you for your own.”’”

            There’s a reason for that.  If Joshua would’ve waited, what would’ve happened?  His fears would’ve come back, right?  He’d have started to have doubts.  He’d have started to wonder if God had really spoken to him.  He’d have started to wonder if he could really trust God.  He would not have been strong and courageous--he’d have become weak and fearful.  And Israel would probably never have gotten into the promised land.

            The way we can overcome our fears is to act.  Not act rashly or foolishly, but to act in accordance with God’s will.  To follow and obey God.  To serve God.  We may not hear a voice, the way Joshua did, but if we truly are close to God, the chances are we will know what God wants us to do.  God has a way of cutting through all the noise and confusion of the world.  God has a way of cutting through the noise and confusion of our own minds, too.  If we are doing all we can to stay close to God, to serve God and show love to God, God will let us know what to do.  Maybe not right away, but at the right time.  Then, we need to do what Joshua did.  We need to act.

            So, whatever your fear is, go to God with it.  Go to God determined to follow God, to obey God, and to serve God.  God will help you overcome your fear.  God will help you be strong and courageous.  And God will be with you, and help you do whatever it is God wants you to do.