The idea sounded crazy, but I knew it was from God. Don’t ask me how I was so sure–I just was. This conviction left me with a dilemma. Should I do what I believed God wanted me to do, despite my feeling inadequate and terrified? Or should I ignore the thought, telling myself that my imagination was playing tricks on me? 

I was the last person on earth to put together a songbook of worship music in Polish, or so I thought. Yes, I led singing at church, but I’m not Polish, and I’m a far cry from being a professional musician. Nevertheless, if God called me, then he had to know what he was doing, right? With fear and trepidation, two friends and I set out on the journey to publish the songbook, which took us two years to accomplish.

Fear is normal when God takes us out of our comfort zone. Joshua was terrified as he faced the task of leading Israel into Canaan. God understood this. Three times he encouraged Joshua to be strong and courageous. Most importantly, the Lord gave him the reason why he could be so confident: God himself would be with him every step of the way.

When God calls us to do something, we are confronted with the choice to either believe God’s promises or our fears, which inevitably whisper all sorts of reasons to shrink away from the task. Even if our doubts are justified–in the human sense–does it mean that God is incapable of doing what he desires? Of course not. Joshua knew the challenge before him was impossible, but he chose to trust God anyway.

Courage is listening to God above our fears and then behaving accordingly. Bravery doesn’t mean the absence of anxiety. As we’ve seen, Joshua needed the Lord’s encouragement, who gently reassured Joshua of his presence and told him not to be terrified. The Israelite leader was shaking in his sandals, but he displayed his strength and valor by refusing to follow his emotions. May the Lord always help us to do the same.