Two years ago, when Colby was about to find out where we would be moving after we graduated and got married, I started to get really anxious about the future. Alaska was the first choice on our list, so we felt confident that it was a real possibility, and the closer we came to knowing the more my worries began to grow. In times of fear, I really see the Lord’s kindness in drawing near to me, and particularly in that season, I felt him put a verse on my heart. A verse I clung to in that season. Joshua 1:9 “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

The day we were going to find out, I posted that verse on Instagram with a caption of how I trust God in where He sends us. Pretty common post and not a bad thing. This is a good verse to hold on to when you know you are moving somewhere far away and out of your control, but I wish at that time I had known more context around that moment in time the Lord spoke it to Joshua. You see, Joshua was not about to learn he was moving 2000 miles from his friends and family. He was taking Moses’ place as leader of the Israelites to claim the promised land.

Yes, that Moses who saw God’s Glory with his own eyes and shone so brightly no one could look at him for a few days. Water from the rock, manna from Heaven, Ten Commandments all came from God’s relationship with Moses. Now when they finally get to the edge of the promised land, it’s Joshua’s turn to take the reins. Oh, what big shoes to fill. And this claiming of the promised land was not going to be all sunshine and rainbows.

There were scary people living in that land God had promised them, and God told Joshua that he was going to have take it from them. Let’s not forget these people he was leading were a touch on the dramatic side (like wishing they were still enslaved because they were lost in the wilderness). I know, I know. I can’t judge them because I too am a touch on the dramatic side, but I am trying to make a point that Joshua had a lot going on. And God was totally aware of the responsibility Joshua was acquiring after the death of Moses.

For this reason, the first chapter of the book of Joshua is God speaking encouragement and promises to Joshua. Verse 9 is a really good verse, but two years ago, I wish I would have read the whole first chapter because the promises only get better. I am not talking about promises that resonate with my personal situation, but promises that are so much bigger than just my little life. Promises of protection and peace and a plan. God wasn’t just speaking to Joshua; He was speaking to the whole world about salvation. This claiming of the promised land was all a part of the story of redemption.

When God put that verse on my heart two years ago, He was offering peace for my anxious thoughts. I didn’t need to share that verse on Instagram because that didn’t’ keep me from crying on my in-laws couch when we saw Alaska pop up on the screen. What God wanted when He gave me that verse was to hide it in my heart, to “meditate on it day and night”(verse 8). There is such power in the promises God gave Joshua in chapter one. Promises that extend past the life of Joshua and the Israelites. Promises that continue today for us. We need to read more than just the most popular verse. There is such a consistent story in all of scripture that we can learn and live in if we just keep reading.