Scripture Focus (NKJV)
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
— Joshua 1:9
Devotional
There are moments in every calling when you must move forward before you feel fully ready. Joshua stood at the edge of something significant. Moses was gone. Leadership was now his responsibility. The assignment had not changed, but the weight of it had. God did not give him a new strategy first; He gave him a command: be strong and courageous. Not because the terrain would be easy, but because His presence would be constant.
A new week in healthcare training can feel like standing at that edge again. New material. New expectations. Lingering doubts from last week. Perhaps unfinished confidence from the last exam. The temptation is to wait until you feel stronger, clearer, more emotionally stable. But courage in Scripture is rarely the absence of fear; it is obedience in spite of it.
God ties Joshua’s courage directly to His presence: “for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” That phrase dismantles one of the most subtle fears students carry — the fear of being alone in the pressure. You may sit in lectures surrounded by classmates and still feel isolated. You may prepare for exams while wondering whether you can sustain this pace. But wherever you go — into study sessions, into testing rooms, into long nights of review — you do not enter alone.
Strength is not something you manufacture on Monday morning. It is something you remember. The same God who sustained you through comparison, silence, burnout, and rebuilding is the God walking into this week with you. The command to be courageous is not a demand to perform; it is an invitation to trust.
You may not control the outcome of every exam or evaluation. You may not control how quickly material clicks. But you can control whether you step forward or shrink back. Courage does not require certainty; it requires conviction.
This week, step forward anyway.
Not because you feel invincible.
But because you are accompanied.
Application
Where are you hesitating because you do not feel fully ready? What would it look like to move forward anchored in God’s presence rather than in perfect confidence?
Prayer
Lord, as I step into this week, steady my heart. Help me be strong and courageous, not because I feel fearless, but because You are with me. Walk with me into every responsibility, every challenge, every moment of pressure. Let Your presence quiet my doubts and anchor my steps.
Amen.
Final Reflection
Courage is not about having no fear.
It is about knowing who walks with you.
Step forward.
You are not alone.