Moses may have been the best leader in the Old Testament, but it was time for a shift. God’s mission is always greater than one person. Joshua was given the challenge of leading a new generation of Israelites. He would face some difficult times. The Lord told Joshua to “be strong and courageous.” How can people be strong and courageous? As the text states, God promised to be with Joshua. He was told to maintain his relationship with God through His Word. Joshua has to focus on the Lord and not lose his nerve. We believe God speaks to us through Scripture, tradition (the church), reason and experience. All are vitally important, but we begin by implementing God’s will with Scripture. A follower of Jesus is devoted to understanding and applying God’s word to daily life. My first attempts to read the Bible after becoming a Christian were as a young teenager. Thankfully, someone led me. I learned the parable of the Sower (Matthew 13) explains how our hearts are like one of four soils God’s word falls on, each yield a different result. Someone else explained the book of James. That little book applied to me. I slowly learned the Gospel stories like the Good Samaritan and the Prodigal Son. Another friend challenged me to memorize Scripture. I began to read, understand and apply the Bible. The pursuit that started as a young teen has lasted all the days of my life too. The Bible has been my guide, light, instructor, counselor and source of revelation to the identity of Jesus Christ. It is difficult to follow Jesus if we don’t know the Bible. I believe the goal of life is about two things: wisdom and relationships. If we have neither, we are a mess. If we have wisdom without relationship, what good is it? If we have relationships without wisdom, watch out! The best way to have wisdom and meaningful relationships is to know the Lord. The best way to know Him is to follow the instructions He gave to Joshua. - Pastor Tom Harrison