This morning, I watched an interview featuring a woman who survived a freak accident in Garner, NC. A tree fell on the car she was traveling in, killing her boyfriend. I marveled at the woman’s demeanor as I watched the interview. She broke her back, has to raise 5 children, is three months pregnant with her boyfriend’s child, doesn’t know how she will afford his final expenses, yet she didn’t have an emotional breakdown during the interview. Apparently, this woman has resolved to be strong, for the sake of her kids, even though she’s facing an unfortunate catastrophe.
This woman isn’t the only person who had to be strong. The verse cited above show that Joshua also had to be strong. In fact, God told Joshua to be strong three times within the conversations recalled in Joshua 1. Why did Joshua need to be strong? God told him that he would lead the Israelites into the land He promised to give them. In other words, Joshua had to be strong because others were depending on him.
You may be within the roughest season of your life, but don’t give up. Someone is watching you, hoping you’ll make it through, so he/she can, too. Be strong, and resolve to endure the pain in pursuit of the promise!