Then Moses went out and spoke these words to all Israel: “I am now a hundred and twenty years old and I am no longer able to lead you. The Lord has said to me, ‘You shall not cross the Jordan.’ The Lord your God himself will cross over ahead of you. He will destroy these nations before you, and you will take possession of their land. Joshua also will cross over ahead of you, as the Lord said. And the Lord will do to them what he did to Sihon and Og, the kings of the Amorites, whom he destroyed along with their land. The Lord will deliver them to you, and you must do to them all that I have commanded you. Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”

Then Moses summoned Joshua and said to him in the presence of all Israel, “Be strong and courageous, for you must go with this people into the land that the Lord swore to their ancestors to give them, and you must divide it among them as their inheritance. The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”

So Moses wrote down this law and gave it to the Levitical priests, who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and to all the elders of Israel. Then Moses commanded them: “At the end of every seven years, in the year for canceling debts, during the Festival of Tabernacles, when all Israel comes to appear before the Lord your God at the place he will choose, you shall read this law before them in their hearing. Assemble the people—men, women and children, and the foreigners residing in your towns—so they can listen and learn to fear the Lord your God and follow carefully all the words of this law. Their children, who do not know this law, must hear it and learn to fear the Lord your God as long as you live in the land you are crossing the Jordan to possess.” (New International Version)

The Old Testament book of Deuteronomy is all about remembering and being reminded of what we already know. There’s really nothing new under the sun. So, our task as people is mostly to recall and bring to our minds and heart those things which we need to remember.

We humans have this tendency to remember the things we need to forget, and to forget the things we must remember. And what is to be continually remembered and recalled is that there is no basis to be afraid when God is with us and will fulfill divine promises.

For Christians, the resurrection of Christ from death has changed everything – especially when it comes to fear. In this Christian season of Eastertide, we discover and explore the vast implications of what it means to possess a new life. 

Because Christians serve a risen Savior, this newfound reality brings courage and confidence. Fear isn’t something we simply dismiss with willpower. Rather, fear begins to loosen and diminish whenever there is an awareness of God’s presence among us. Consider just a few of the many references to this in Holy Scripture, in addition to the statements in today’s Old Testament lesson:

Remember, I commanded you to be strong and brave. Don’t be afraid because the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9, ERV)

 Don’t fear, because I am with you;
    don’t be afraid, for I am your God.
    I will strengthen you,
    I will surely help you;
    I will hold you
    with my righteous strong hand. (Isaiah 41:10, CEB)

Be happy with what you have because God has said, “I will never abandon you or leave you.” So we can confidently say,

“The Lord is my helper.
I will not be afraid.
What can mortals do to me?” (Hebrews 13:5-6, GW)

Believe it, or not, the Bible tells us 365 times to not be afraid. Maybe that’s not a coincidence that we can quote a verse every day of the year about our own fearfulness in the face of all life’s challenges.

When it comes to fear and bravery, God does not so much command us to be courageous, as he wants us to draw from the great reservoir of bravery within. That is, God has already created us strong, as creatures in the divine image. We just need to get in touch with what is already there. And, for the Christian, the reality of Easter awakens and calls forth that life.

We can act with boldness and overcome fear because Jesus is the pioneer of our salvation. Christ is the One who enables us to draw from the deep well of courage:

So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all the same testing we do, yet he did not sin. So, let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most. (Hebrews 4:14-16, NLT)

You and I can do this; we can do hard things. We really can face the fears in front of us. You can surmount the adversity you are in the middle of – not because of some words I say, but because Christ has risen from death. He’s alive, and his presence makes all the difference.

Ever-present God: Give me strength to live another day;
Let me not turn coward before its difficulties or prove recreant to its duties;
Let me not lose faith in other people;
Keep me sweet and sound of heart, in spite of ingratitude, treachery or meanness;
Help me to keep my heart clean and to live so honestly and fearlessly that no outward failure can dishearten me or take away the joy of conscious integrity;
Open wide the eyes of my soul that I may see good in all things;
Grant me this day some new vision of your truth;
Inspire me with the spirit of joy and gladness and make me the cup of strength to suffering souls; in the name of the strong Deliverer, our only Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.