June 16, 2026 | Bobby McDonald
This year, the United States of America celebrates the 250th anniversary of its founding in 1776. AI tells me that in that span of time, there have been somewhere between 550 million and 750 million citizens of this country. That seems a little low to me, but I am not AI. So, we will go with the tech on this one.
Of those 700 million citizens, there are eight men who share one common characteristic. Only eight. They are the eight men who were Vice President and were thrust into the Oval Office suddenly due to the death of the President they served. To give a little history, John Adams, a founding father and the very first Vice President, said this of the office he held: “The Vice Presidency is the most insignificant office that ever the invention of man contrived or his imagination conceived.” Largely ceremonial, the position has little real power or impact, unless the President is incapacitated or dies. Yet when that happens, the ceremony stops and the responsibility of leadership begins.
Vice President Harry Truman was visiting a friend when he received word to come to the White House immediately. Upon arrival, he was met by First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, who simply said, “The President is dead.” Truman paused and asked her, “Is there anything I can do for you?” She responded, “Is there anything we can do for you? For you are the one in trouble now.”
Though possibly prepared for a leadership role by having had growing levels of leadership experience, when the time comes to move forward, to execute, to actually lead, there is a heavy weight of heart, mind, soul, and strength that takes hold.
So it was with Joshua. He was second in command to Moses throughout the exodus of the Israelites. We learn little about him in the first five books of the Bible, but enough to know he was present. Yet early in the sixth book, the book named for him, we find Joshua in leadership training as the Lord instructs and prepares him for his role and responsibilities.
Starting in Joshua chapter one, we see God’s plan for Joshua, His promises to Joshua, and His preparation of Joshua:
After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ aide: “Moses my servant is dead.”
God’s proclamation about Joshua reminds me of Mrs. Roosevelt’s words to Mr. Truman—“You are the one in trouble now.” Joshua is now officially in charge.
“Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them—to the Israelites.”
That is God’s plan for Joshua—to lead the people into the Promised Land. Then, starting in verse three, comes God’s promise to Joshua:
“I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses. Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the great river, the Euphrates—all the Hittite country—to the Mediterranean Sea in the west. No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
Yet, it is God’s preparation of Joshua that seems so out of place but so poignant:
“Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their ancestors to give them. Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”
Three times God tells Joshua to “be strong and courageous,” and then lastly, He adds, “Don’t be afraid,” and “Don’t be discouraged.”
Why does God repeat this command to Joshua? At first, it makes little sense. God’s earlier promise is essentially: Joshua, you are going to be wildly successful and virtually invincible. Everywhere you set your foot will be yours and no man will be able to stand against you. Joshua, your future is bright! Plus, I, the Lord, will never leave you or forsake you in these promises. They will, in fact, come to pass.
So why in the world does Joshua need to be strong and courageous?
We could understand if the Lord had said, “Because…
- The manna I have provided daily is about to stop and you must help these people learn to hunt for food rather than to gather it.
- You’re about to go up against fortified cities and advanced nations who know the terrain, have the resources, and are ready to defend it.
- The Moses mindset no longer works. His style of leadership was useful, but you are not him. You can’t call him for advice, gain his wisdom, watch him work, or seek his insights.
Notice in God’s direction to Joshua, He mentions nothing about the externals here. God has already promised Joshua success in the outcomes. Instead, God addresses the greatest struggle of leadership.
Joshua’s greatest adversary will be himself.
“Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it.”
In the life of the Christian leader, the greatest battles revolve around the war within.
The great struggle is PERSONAL:
- There is a tendency to think everything now falls on you.
- You have to figure everything out.
- You set the vision, the mission, the strategy, and the tactics.
- You are responsible for the outcomes. If your team succeeds, it is because of you. If your team fails, it is because of you.
- You will tell yourself, “I can’t do this!” or “I don’t want to do this.”
The struggle is to keep the main thing the main thing. It's not about you. Unless you make it about you. Humble yourself under the Word of God and let this Word develop you personally.
“Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, so that He may exalt you at the proper time.” – 1 Peter 5:6
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” – Proverbs 3:5-6
God is making us into the leaders He wants us to be and will continue to do so. However, His building us up requires humbling ourselves before Him. People will follow direction and guidance when they know they can trust the character of the leader.
Do not take this as "we need to read our Bibles and pray more." While good and worthy, God is telling Joshua in this moment to be filled to the fullest with all that can be known of God. Let it saturate who you are. Die to yourself and live according to the Word of God.
In our post-resurrection, post-Pentecost time, we would say, “Joshua, be filled with the Holy Spirit.” Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly. Walk by the Spirit and you will not fulfill the desires of the flesh. Die to self, conquer that great enemy, and allow the Spirit of the Word of God to guide your every step; then, you will be successful in accomplishing God’s plans—not yours.
The leader has a single task, and that is to keep a single focus on the One who is truly the leader.
Oswald Chambers said it this way: “If you want to be successful in ministry you must steadfastly refuse to be interested in ministry and be interested only in Jesus Christ, for without that preoccupation we have no reason to minister, we have no reason to serve.”
To be an effective leader for the Lord, we must steadfastly focus on the reality that we are not the leader at all; rather, we are to be His chief follower.
