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"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go."
(Joshua 1:9)
I am currently reading the over 1000-page biography of Ulysses S. Grant by Ron Chernow. Before Grant became the president of the United States, he won acclaim as Lieutenant General of the Union Army during the Civil War (1861-1865). Before the Civil War, he fought in the Mexican War. Later, he was discharged for excessive drinking, a problem he battled throughout his career. Perhaps ironically, Grant married a lady (Julia Dent) whose family owned slaves. Another interesting factoid to me is that Grant's Best Man in their wedding was none other than James Longstreet, who would go on to become a famous general in the Confederate Army and Grant's enemy. Before Grant enjoyed great acclaim and renown, he experienced many failures and setbacks. He was a defeated and almost desperate man before the Civil War. During combat, however, he shined. What made him a great leader was his fearless courage. He would lead his men into battles while riding on his horse, showing no concern that he was an easy target for the enemy. With bullets flying past him, he led his men to strategic victories in battle.
Another famous general in the Civil War was Williams Tecumseh Sherman, a close ally and friend of Grant. Sherman wrote this congratulatory note to Grant when he was chosen as Lieutenant General of the Union Army:
"I believe you are as brave, patriotic, and just, as the great prototype Washington—as unselfish, kindhearted and honest, as a man should be, but the chief characteristic in your nature is the simple faith in success you have always manifested, which I can liken to nothing else than the faith a Christian has in a Savior. This faith gave you victory at Shiloh and Vicksburg." (Chernow, Grant, p. 337-338)
Joshua was the commanding general for the armies of Israel when they entered the Promised Land. I had always thought that it was Moses who had given Joshua the charge in Joshua chapter 1, but upon reading it closely, I discovered someone greater than Moses gave the commands to Joshua, and that was the LORD God Himself.
I am sure Joshua felt the daunting pressure of being Moses' successor and the primary leader of Israel at this time. Perhaps you can relate. You may not be a commanding general in a war, or a CEO, or a president of a company, or a pastor of a church, but you do have leadership responsibilities, and other men and women are looking to you for hope and stability in these very precarious times. What will you do? There are only two options before you at a time like this: you can cower to fear and lead poorly, or you can courageously lead while trusting God all the while.
Even as you read this devotion, may God instill in you a supernatural ability to lead well.
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