I Will Never Leave You or Forsake You

Joshua 1:1  Now after the death of Moses the servant of the LORD it came to pass, that the LORD spake unto Joshua the son of Nun, Moses' minister, saying, God calls Moses His servant.  Joshua was the servant of Moses.

 

 

Joshua 1:2  “Moses My servant is dead; now therefore arise, cross this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them, to the sons of Israel.” 

 

 

 

Joshua 1:5  “No man will be able to stand before you all the days of your life.  Just as I have been with Moses, I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you.”

If you want to be a good leader you have to be a great follower.  If you want to be a great leader you must be servant of all.  Many people want to be Moses before they are Joshua. If you want to be a Moses, you have to be a great Joshua first. In other words, if you want to be a good leader, you have to be a great follower.  It took Joshua forty years to be ready to become a leader. The word translated servant comes from a root word meaning enslave and contains the idea of serving without a choice. The word minister means to help or assist. Jesus said if you want to be a great leader you must be a servant of all. To truly become a great leader, "our rights, our agenda" must die by being nailed to the cross and we must serve Christ by serving others.

 Arise, cross this Jordan.  God told Joshua Moses my servant is dead, now therefore arise.  It’s your time, God wants our confidence to be in Him not in man. He says "get up and lead My people into their inheritance". The church must stand and go where God is directing us to go.  He also said “cross this Jordan.”  The river Joshua and the people of Israel faced was at the worst time of year.  It was when the river overflowed its banks.  It would have been hard enough to trust God for safe passage when the river was at its lowest.  But how much more difficult it must have been during flood season. What is the Jordan that’s in front of you?  The situation that seems too difficult to trust God for safe passage?  God is saying “Arise, cross this Jordan.”

"I Am with you". God wants you to know that He is with you. What we cannot do He can. As Christians we sometimes don't believe in God.  All twelve spies said the land they saw was good, but 10 didn't believe that God would give it to them.  Joshua and Caleb said lets go because God is with us. God is speaking to you - "believe in Me, I Am with you".