Be Strong and Courageous

Imagine following a legend. Moses had led the people for forty years, and now he’s gone — and the job falls to Joshua. That’s a terrifying spot: huge expectations, everyone watching, and the very real fear of not measuring up. If you’ve ever had to step into a role you weren’t sure you were ready for, you already get how Joshua felt.

God doesn’t hand him a strategy first. He hands him a mindset. Three times in a few verses He says, “Be strong and courageous.” Not because Joshua is naturally fearless, but because the command comes with a promise: “the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” Courage isn’t pretending you’re not scared — it’s moving forward because you’re not alone.

Then comes the actual plan for taking Jericho, and it’s… bizarre. No siege, no clever attack. Just: march around the city once a day for six days, with priests blowing trumpets, and don’t say a word. To anyone watching from those walls, it looked pointless and a little embarrassing.

Here’s the part we usually skip: it took seven days. Day one, nothing happens. Day two, nothing. Imagine the doubt creeping in — “Is this even working? Do we look ridiculous?” God was teaching them that obedience often means doing the unspectacular thing on repeat, trusting the outcome to Him instead of needing instant results.

On the seventh day they circle the city seven times, the trumpets sound, and Joshua shouts, “Shout! For the Lord has given you the city!” The people shout — and the walls collapse. Notice the order: the victory was promised before they ever saw it, and the shout of faith came before the walls actually moved.

Your “Jericho” probably isn’t a city — it’s the thing that feels too big: the leadership role, the hard conversation, the standard you’re scared to keep when it makes you look weird. God’s pattern is the same: be strong and courageous, obey even when the plan doesn’t make sense, stay faithful through the boring middle, and trust Him with the walls.