together with
Happy Wednesday, {{first_name | everyone}}!
Excited to dig into the original Hebrew of our memory verse!
Also, The Voice of the Martyrs is graciously offering Malachi Daily readers a free devotional that I guarantee will help you become more devoted to Jesus. More on this below but if you can’t wait, click here.
In today’s email…
🫙 A word study of strength, courage, frightened and dismayed
🤔 The convicting question every Christian should ask themselves
📚️ A few resources to go even deeper in study..
MEMORIZE 🧠
Have I not __________ ___? Be _______ and __________.
Do not __ __________, and do ___ __ _________, ___ the _____ your ______ is ____ you _________ you ___.
Joshua 1:9
CONTEXT 📕
Joshua 1:9 is one of the most well-known verses in the Old Testament, but its familiarity can sometimes lead us to miss its full meaning.
Let’s slow down and look closely at the key words God chose when speaking to Joshua.
9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
1. ḥazaq (pronounced khah-ZAHK) — “strong”
This Hebrew word means more than just physical power. It speaks of firmness, steadfastness, and inner resolve. To be ḥazaq is to be anchored — to resist collapse even under pressure.
In Deuteronomy 31:6, Moses had already told Joshua to “be strong,” passing the baton with covenantal language.
6 Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.”
And in our memory verse in Joshua 1, God takes up the same phrase.
2. ’ematz (pronounced eh-MAHTS) — “courageous”
The term for “courageous” is less about toughness and more about determined action. It implies emotional bravery and spiritual resolve. To be courageous is to step forward even when fear is present.
Together, ḥazaq ve’ematz (“strong and courageous”) became a sacred charge.
We saw it above with Moses speaking to Joshua. And we see it later in 1 Chronicles when David tells Solomon he will build the temple. Notice how similar this father-son interaction sounds to Joshua 1:9.
20 Then David said to Solomon his son, “Be strong and courageous and do it. Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed, for the Lord God, even my God, is with you. He will not leave you or forsake you, until all the work for the service of the house of the Lord is finished.
“Be strong and courageous” isn’t about positive thinking or faking it until you make it. It’s built on confidence that God is with you, even in the face of opposition.
3. ‘ārēṣ (pronounced ah-RAYTS) — “frightened”
This word implies the kind of fear that causes a person to back away or flee. It’s as if God is saying, “Don’t panic. Don’t retreat.”
In ancient Israel, fear often led to grumbling, disobedience, or abandoning the mission (see Numbers 13–14). That’s why God counters fear with a reminder of His presence.
4. ḥātat (khah-TAHT) — “dismayed”
Used rarely in the Old Testament, this verb conveys both emotional and spiritual breakdown — being shattered or discouraged to the point of paralysis.
Ever been in a place where you felt emotionally and spiritually drained and discouraged? That's what God is warning against.
When God calls people to difficult action or difficult places, as with Joshua, He commands us to “be strong and courageous” rather than “frightened or dismayed.”
Fortunately, God was not asking Joshua to be heroic in his own human strength and might.
"...for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go."
"For" = "because."
You can be strong and courageous because God is with you wherever you go.
TOGETHER WITH THE VOICE OF THE MARTYRS
Daily stories of believers who sacrificed everything for Christ
Extreme Devotion, a daily devotional from The Voice of the Martyrs, highlights stories of courageous Christians who remained faithful to Christ in the face of intense persecution.
Their stories will inspire you to greater devotion in your own walk with Jesus, and you can get the book for free today by visiting the link below.
APPLY AND RESPOND 🏃♂
Okay so we know God commands us to be strong and courageous. And that we need to draw that from God’s presence. But how do we do this, practically speaking?
Just before Joshua 1:9, God tells him:
“This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it”
In other words, one of the ways we are to experience God’s presence is through meditating on and obeying His Word. Jesus ends the Sermon on the Mount by saying:
24 “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.
Reflect 💡
If God ties strength and courage to constant meditation on His Word, it begs the question:
What does your daily relationship with Scripture look like? Are you regularly saturating your mind in it, speaking it, and obeying it? Or merely glancing at it occasionally and expecting courage to follow?
Pray 🙏
Father, give me strength and courage as I go throughout my daily life. Replace my fear and dismay with the solid foundation of your Word. Increase my hunger for your Word as I go about my day. Amen.
RESOURCES 📚
Here are a few resources to help you dig deeper into our memory verse and its themes:
📚 The Practice of the Presence of God In Modern English by Brother Lawrence (link)
📚 Joshua: A Parable for Today by Joseph Girzone (link)
📚 The Message of Joshua (The Bible Speaks Today Series) by David G. Firth (link)
📚 The Book of Joshua (New International Commentary on the Old Testament) by Marten H. Woudstra (link)
📚 Be Strong (Joshua): Putting God's Power to Work in Your Life by Warren W. Wiersbe (link)
📹 An overview of Joshua by BibleProject (link)
🎵 Fear Is Not My Future by Brandon Lake (Listen on Spotify | Listen on Apple Music | Full Malachi Daily Playlist)
ANSWER KEY ✅
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous.
Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.
Joshua 1:9
If you missed our emails from earlier this week, you can read them here:
Best,
The Malachi Daily team 🙏
Today’s Contributors
Jake holds two degrees in Biblical Studies and has a passion for making Scripture accessible. Along with being a podcast manager for faith-based shows, he helps Christians focus on Jesus through his own podcast Christianity Without Compromise.
Kieran is a husband and father living in NJ. In addition to Malachi Daily, he writes a personal newsletter about the intersection of faith, fatherhood and entrepreneurship.
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Imagine you’re reading your physical Bible and come across something you don’t fully understand. And you have questions like:
What does it mean to “cast lots,” and why did people do it?
What is Jesus trying to teach us in this parable?
What was David going through when he wrote this Psalm?
Imagine you could:
Take a picture of what you’re reading in your physical Bible with your phone
Type or speak the question you have
Get a biblical response grounded in Scripture
It would be like having a personal Bible study coach with you 24/7…
