Joshua 1:9 KJV, “Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.”
Ellen G. White, The Spirit of Prophecy The Great Controversy Between Christ and His Angels and Satan and His Angels, Vol 1, 1870, Ch 32, p. 345, Steam Press, Battle Creek, MI: “The Lord promised Joshua to be with him as he had been with Moses, and to make Canaan fall an easy conquest to him, provided he would be faithful to observe all his commandments. He was anxious as to how he should execute his commission in leading the people to the land of Canaan; but this encouragement removed his fears.”
Joshua’s leadership style is obedience to the Only True God and His Son Jesus Christ. EG White further writes in p. 347-348, “As Joshua withdrew from the armies of Israel, to meditate and pray for God’s special presence to attend him, he saw a man of lofty stature, clad in warlike garments, with his sword drawn in his hand. Joshua did not recognize him as one of the armies of Israel, and yet he had no appearance of being an enemy. In his zeal he accosted him, and said, ‘Art thou for us, or for our adversaries? And he said, Nay; but as captain of the host of the Lord am I now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship, and said unto him, What saith my lord unto his servant? And the captain of the Lord’s host said unto Joshua, Loose thy shoe from off thy foot; for the place whereon thou standest is holy. And Joshua did so.’
This was no common angel. It was the Lord Jesus Christ, he who had conducted the Hebrews through the wilderness, enshrouded in the pillar of fire by night, and a pillar of cloud by day. The place was made sacred by his presence, therefore Joshua was commanded to put off his shoes.”
Moses had his Divine encounter with Christ on the burning bush. Joshua has his when he retreated to pray by Jericho. In both instances those grounds were not made holy because of its location or significance but because of the presence of Christ, the Son of the Only True God.
Joshua 24:15 KJV, “And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”
Joshua’s courage and boldness to serve God only comes from his obedience to the commands of the Lord. Faith and trust. Obedience and courage!
The call to serve is upon us. Will we give our purest trust and obedience to God today? If we do His Son will give us pure courage to do the Father’s will. Only then can no one defeat us.
Sincerely in the Blessed Hope.