PREPARE

Joshua held a special position as Moses’ right-hand man and God’s faithful servant. Moses appointed Joshua to lead the people into battle. Moses asked Joshua to accompany him on Mount Sinai, when God gave him the Ten Commandments (Exodus 24). He told Joshua, along with the 12 other spies in Numbers 13, to survey the Promised Land. Joshua and Caleb were the only two spies who possessed the faith to enter the Promised Land God had given them.

Even though Joshua and Caleb had faith to “take possession of the land” (Numbers 13:30), the rest of the people were afraid. They grumbled and rebelled. Because of this, God said, “Not one of you will enter the land I swore … to make your home, except Caleb … and Joshua” (Numbers 14:30). Then He instructed the people and Moses to turn back into the wilderness and wander until a new generation had been born and the old one, over the age of 20, had died off. God also refused Moses entrance into the Promised Land because Moses, out of anger, struck the rock God had instructed him to speak to (Numbers 20:7–12).

When Moses was dying, he passed the mantle of leadership to Joshua, saying, “Be strong and courageous, for you must go with this people into the land that the Lord swore to their ancestors to give them, and you must divide it among them as their inheritance’” (Deuteronomy 31:7). The inheritance of the land would be the fruit of the promise that God made with the Israelites’ forefathers—Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

In Joshua, we read how God gave the Israelites victory, battle after battle, and allowed them to take the land, piece by piece. All the kings who heard about the Israelites and their mighty God were terrified. Not one of the kings was able to stand against Israelites because God, in His never-ending strength, was fighting for Israel.

God knew it would require great strength and courage for the Israelites to enter the Promised Land. But He did not leave His people to rely on their own strength. He gave them strength because He promised to be with them. He gave them the tools to act on their strength and courage by giving them Scripture to meditate upon.

God said, “Be strong and courageous … for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:9). God also said, “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. Then you will be prosperous and successful” (1:8).

As you teach this lesson, spend time meditating on Psalm 27:1: “The Lord is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid?” When we meditate on Scripture, God promises that it will become firmly rooted inside of us. After you spend time in Scripture, pray the kids will experience God as the stronghold of their lives too. Pray they will recognize that His strength knows no limits.

PRAY

Pray for the students you may serve on Sunday by name. Ask God’s Spirit to fill you and use you for His glory as you serve.