A New Year Goal

Joshua 1:9

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Do you have a goal for the new year? A resolution, perhaps? You know, as you contemplate the year that we are about to enter into, it can be both exciting and terrifying. As you think about the past year that you’ve just gone through, you might see some high points. Times of joy. But you can probably also see low points as well places of regret, shame and, failure. And you can see some places that you wish you wouldn’t have gone places where you knew what you did was wrong. And so now here you stand about to enter into a new year. How can you possibly succeed? Perhaps at this point you could use some encouragement.

In the Old Testament, the Lord came to Joshua and the Israelites as they were about to enter into the Promised Land. And he encouraged them with the words we read in Joshua chapter 1, verse 9. The Lord says

Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified and do not be overwhelmed, because the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. (Joshua 1:9)

When the Lord said this, he wasn’t telling Joshua and the Israelites to get more testosterone. No, he was telling them, and if you look at the surrounding passages, you see, he’s insisting that they cling to his written word. That’s where he would supply their strength. You know, if we look into ourselves for that strength, ultimately we are bound to repeat those same types of failures from the past because we are, by nature, sinful. No, rather, we want to rely on the Lord’s strength.

If you think of what happened with Joshua and the Israelites as they entered the Promised Land, the Battle of Jericho, the first one, it wasn’t even really a battle. They simply marched around the city seven times and then they gave a shout and the walls fell down. The Lord was demonstrating to them that he would be the one who would supply the strength that they needed. And the Lord is the one who will supply the strength that you need. In his written word, he tells you that, and in fact, he demonstrates it in that he sent his son Jesus.

Jesus came to our Earth with a goal. And he was successful with that goal. His goal was your salvation. He accomplished it with his holy life, with his holy death on the cross, whereby he took all of your failures and regrets into himself. And he proved that he met his goal and he was successful in his resurrection from the dead. And now Jesus wants you and me to repent of our past failures and sins and to trust in him as our Savior.

And that way, we know that no matter what lies ahead of us in this year, ultimately we will be with him in heaven because of his work and his success. So, dear friend, you can look to the future and be excited. Because, you know, the Lord is with you. He will supply the strength you need. Be strong and courageous, the Lord, your God will be with you wherever you go. Amen.