Be strong (confident) and of good courage… – Joshua 1:6, Amplified Bible (AMP)

A friend of mine’s mother passed away not long ago. As we were talking about her home-going to Heaven, he mentioned to me that his mother was the last, close connection he had to her generation. “With her passing,” he said, “it just feels a little weird.” I took my friend to mean that, now being the eldest in the family, he was the one where the line of life experiences and insight ends. He no longer has direct access to the wisdom of his mother’s generation, so in this sense the “buck stops with him.”

My friend is no stranger to having the “buck stop with him,” for he has held several leadership roles where he was the final decision maker. Still, from a personal standpoint, it can feel a little weird when the wisdom of mom and dad are no longer available, and, for some people, that lack of access can be downright scary. 

God is well aware of our human tendency to fear being the “go-to guy,” which is why he held a rather instructive pep talk with Joshua in Joshua Chapter 1. With Moses’ death, Joshua no longer had Moses to look to or to rely on; the buck ultimately stopped with him. So, after charging Joshua with the responsibility of leading His people, God proceeded to encourage Joshua seven times (depending on how you count the phrases) with admonitions like “don’t be afraid,” “be strong,” and “I will be with you.” With such encouragements, God was acknowledging that, yes, it is natural to fear being the “go-to guy” when we first assume the mantle of leadership, but as long as we realize that we still have God Himself – the Keeper of all wisdom and life experiences and power – to look to, we have no reason to be anxious.  

Key to God’s promise of “I will be with you,” of course, is our understanding of and obedience to God’s Word. Just as Joshua’s faithfulness in understanding and obeying God’s law would insure God’s faithfulness to him, our faithfulness to God will insure His faithfulness to us. If you are unfaithful to God during your time of leadership, then you do have reason to fear. But, if you are faithful to “stay by the stuff” of God, then you can rest assured that God will be guiding you and protecting you all along the way.

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