Be courageous: Taking bold steps on God’s instructions amid opposition

There are defining moments in every life; moments when destiny calls, when divine ideas are planted in the heart, and when action becomes the bridge between promise and fulfilment. In such moments, the difference between those who rise and those who remain stagnant is not intelligence, resources, or even opportunity; it is courage.

Joshua chapter 1 is one of the most powerful scriptural portraits of courage in action. It captures a leadership transition, a divine mandate, and a call to boldness in the face of uncertainty. Moses, the great deliverer of Israel, is gone. The weight of leading a nation now rests on Joshua, a man who must step into a role defined by miracles, authority, and history.

God’s first message to Joshua was not a strategy. It was not a detailed battle plan. It was a command to his spirit: “Be strong and of a good courage” (Joshua 1:6). This is instructive. Before execution comes empowerment. Before strategy comes the strength of heart.

It happens that in the kingdom, the method of Moses’ deliverance will not be the same as that of Joshua’s. God is not bound to repeat Himself. He is consistent in character but diverse in method. What He did yesterday is not a template for today. It is a testimony to build your faith for what He will do next.

God gave Moses a rod, and he used it. God gave Joshua His word. God said to Joshua, “For you, it is courage you need to enter the place I am taking you to.” The word of God was the spark of grace that inspired courage in Joshua.

This distinction is critical for believers. Many people fail not because they lack direction, but because they are trying to replicate someone else’s method instead of obeying God’s present instruction. Moses’ rod was symbolic of authority and power, but Joshua’s assignment required something different: unwavering courage anchored in the spoken word of God.

Moses had tried the rod before it was easier for Moses to believe that the stretching of the rod would work. He had used it in Egypt. But for Joshua, he hadn’t tried anything; all he had was God’s instruction to him to be courageous.

This is where many believers struggle. It is easier to act when you have prior evidence. It is easier to move when you have done something similar before. But the walk of faith often demands obedience without precedent. Hebrews 11:1 tells us that “faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Joshua’s journey was not built on past personal victories. It was built on trusting God’s word in real time.

And that is the essence of courage in the kingdom: acting on divine instruction without the comfort of prior experience.

God told Joshua repeatedly, “Be strong and very courageous” (Joshua 1:7, 9). This repetition is not accidental. Courage is not a one-time decision; it is a continuous posture. It must be renewed, reinforced, and guarded.

Why? Because opposition is inevitable.

The moment you decide to step into God’s purpose, resistance will arise—internally and externally. Fear will whisper. Doubt will question. People may misunderstand you. Systems may resist you. But courage is what keeps you aligned with divine purpose despite these pressures.

When it was time for Joshua to lead the people across the River Jordan, the show of courage was that they stepped into the water, and it parted. This was not just a miracle; it was a demonstration of faith expressed through action. The river did not part before they moved. It parted because they moved.

This pattern is consistent in scripture. In Exodus 14:15, God told Moses, “Why criest thou unto me? Speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward.” Movement precedes manifestation.

When they were faced with Jericho, God instructed them to walk around the city. Then the wall came down. They became more and more courageous as they walked around Jericho.

Consider the seeming absurdity of that instruction. No weapons raised. No direct assault. Just obedience—walking, day after day, in silence. From a human perspective, it made little sense. But divine strategies are not designed to appeal to human logic; they are designed to produce supernatural results.

Courage grows through obedience. Each step Joshua and the Israelites took around Jericho strengthened their conviction. By the seventh day, their faith had matured into full expression, and the walls collapsed.

This is a principle for every believer: courage is not static; it develops through consistent alignment with God’s word.

Your secret for drawing courage is God’s word. God told Joshua, “This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night” (Joshua 1:8). Meditation is not passive reading; it is active engagement with truth until it reshapes your thinking and fortifies your spirit.

Romans 10:17 reinforces this: “Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” The more you immerse yourself in God’s word, the stronger your inner conviction becomes. Courage is not manufactured; it is cultivated through revelation.

Some people have brilliant ideas, but they lack boldness. Pray for grace to implement the ideas God gives to you. For many Christians, the problem is not a lack of ideas. What is lacking is the courage to implement.

Ideas are seeds. Implementation is cultivation. Without action, even the most brilliant idea remains dormant. Ecclesiastes 11:4 warns, “He that observeth the wind shall not sow; and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap.” If you wait for perfect conditions, you will never act.

Fear of failure is one of the greatest inhibitors of destiny. But scripture reframes failure. Proverbs 24:16 says, “For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again.” The emphasis is not on the fall, but on the rising.

It is better to fail while attempting greatness than to sit down and do nothing, paralysed by the fear of failure.

In Matthew 25, the parable of the talents illustrates this truth powerfully. The servant who buried his talent did not lose it through misuse; he lost it through inaction. Fear made him passive, and passivity cost him his opportunity.

God does not reward hesitation; He rewards faithful execution.

Don’t be afraid of the answer “no”. Every great salesman is used to the word “no”. Rejection is not a verdict; it is a process. Even in scripture, doors did not always open immediately. Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 16:9, “For a great door and effectual is opened unto me, and there are many adversaries.” Notice that opportunity and opposition coexist.

You will hear “no.” You will face resistance. But persistence, anchored in divine conviction, will eventually produce results. Joshua’s story did not end at Jericho. It was a journey of continuous conquest; each victory reinforcing the next. But it all began with a decision to embrace courage.

As believers today, we stand in a similar position. God is still speaking. He is still giving ideas, visions, and assignments. But the question remains: will we act?

Will we step into the Jordan before it parts? Will we walk around Jericho even when it seems irrational? Will we trust God’s word above our fears?

2 Timothy 1:7 reminds us, “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” Fear is not from God. It is a barrier that must be confronted and overcome. Courage, on the other hand, is a divine enablement.

As you reflect on Joshua chapter 1, understand this: God’s promises are real, but they require participation. Divine ideas are powerful, but they demand execution. Destiny is glorious, but it is accessed through courage. So, arise. Be strong. Be courageous.

Take that step. Make that call. Launch that vision. Pursue that assignment. For as God assured Joshua, so He assures you today: “I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee” (Joshua 1:5). And if God is with you, then courage is not just an option; it is your responsibility.

. Ukporhe is the Lead Pastor at Remnant Christian Network, Lagos. Raised in Sokoto, northern Nigeria, he was trained in peculiar firebrand evangelism and was ordained as a pastor in 2001. He has experienced countless and diverse workings of the faithfulness of God over two decades and has developed a passion to see God’s will for Nigeria become a reality. He can be reached at +2348060255604.