At this time of year, young people are embarking on a new chapter in their lives. Some are heading back to school while others are starting at a new school or college. With this change can come numerous fears: Will I fit in? Will I make friends? Will my friends from last year still like me? Will I be lonely? Will I get on with my teachers and the workload? For Christians there are additional challenges: Will there be any other Christians? Will people laugh at me for reading the Bible, believing in Jesus, and going to church? Will I be able to answer questions about my faith?
It is wonderful to open the pages of the Bible and read the commands to “not be afraid” and to “be strong and courageous.” God is the Great Shepherd of the sheep, and He knows us better than we know ourselves. He is fully aware of our tendency to fear, which is why He repeatedly encourages us to take courage.
One of the best examples of this in the Bible is Joshua. He had every reason to fear. Moses, the great leader of God’s people, had died (Josh. 1:1–2). The responsibility of leadership now fell onto his shoulders. He was to lead Israel into the promised land. Doubts, fears, and anxieties must have crowded in.
God not only anticipated Joshua’s fear, but He also allayed it with three repeated commands: “Be strong and courageous” (Josh. 1:6–9). These commands and the reasons given for them can help us as we begin a new year at school or college.
Take Courage in God’s Promises
God’s first encouragement to Joshua was to remind him that He is a God who makes promises and keeps them (Josh. 1:6). God had promised Abraham that He would give the land of Canaan to him and his descendants. And now, at this critical time, God reiterated His promise to Joshua.
How can this give you courage as you start a new school or college year? It should encourage you immensely to know that God is still about the business of fulfilling His promises. With the coming of Christ, God’s program for world history is for the whole earth to come under His rule and reign (Acts 1:8–9). And we live at one of the most privileged times in history. We can look back at the last two thousand years and see those promises coming to pass. The gospel has spread to almost every corner of the world, and the church continues to grow. God’s promises to Abraham, now fulfilled in Christ, are as true as ever for us.
This perspective should give us courage as we begin the new academic year. Since God is sovereign over history, He is sovereign over our lives. Whatever fears we face in the months ahead, we face them knowing that our God sovereignly keeps His promises. Joshua was surely encouraged to know that God’s commitment to secure the land of Canaan was as relevant as ever. How much more can we be encouraged in knowing that God’s promises in Christ are as true as ever for us?
Take Courage in God’s Word
Joshua must have had a long list of things he would ideally like to have as he entered this new stage of life. Battle plans, logistical capability, and military prowess would all have been helpful. Yet God didn’t provide any of them. Rather, God encouraged him to use the one thing he needed the most and already had—the Book of the Law (Josh. 1:7–8).
In other words, God directed Joshua to His Word. He was to obey it and meditate on it. Why? Because God’s revealed Scriptures are life, and by putting them into practice, he would prosper and have success. Joshua’s courage would in part be drawn from the pages of the Bible.
The same is true for us. As you enter a new school or college year, it would be fantastic to know for sure that everything is going to be great. Assurances that your personal, social, and church life are going to prosper would be wonderful. However, God has already provided what we need in the Bible. His Word is to be our source of courage and strength.
Take Courage in God’s Presence
God’s final encouragement to Joshua is the best of all (Josh. 1:5, 9). God promises to be with Joshua and never leave him. The people of Israel had already experienced this as a collective nation. God’s cloud by day and pillar of fire by night had led and protected them during their forty years in the wilderness. But now God’s promise of His presence became personal. God would be with Joshua, just as He was with Moses. He had the greatest reason of all to take courage: God was with him. And for God to be with him meant He was for him.
This “Immanuel principle” of God being with His people is a major theme in the Bible. With the coming of Christ and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, this is even more true for us (Matt. 28:20). Whatever you face in this new chapter of your life, as a Christian you can know with absolute certainty that God is with you. This is the ultimate encouragement anyone can be given. We have every reason to take courage not in ourselves or our own self-sufficiency but in the triune God who is with us.
As you face change, new beginnings, and even significant challenges, take courage. You have the promises of God, the Word of God, and the presence of God. With these three, Christians can face anything in the strength of the Lord and with the courage He has given to us.
Ligonier Ministries