Deuteronomy 31:7-8
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.”
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.”
Moses was a hundred and twenty years old. He'd
lived an incredible life for God, and he was ready to turn the reigns over to
Joshua. God had told Moses he couldn't cross into the promised land with the
people of Israel. He had to pass the reigns to someone younger. Moses could have been sad, angry, or frustrated because he
wasn't going to finish the journey with his people. He certainly could have
felt discouraged. But instead, he encouraged his protégé, Joshua. Moses removed
the fear factor and encouraged him to" be strong and courageous." Why
could he do that with confidence? Because he knew God had been with him and the
Israelites as they wandered in the wilderness for forty years. He knew in his
heart that God kept his promises.
As I read the story of Moses and the Israelites
I'm overwhelmed by the thought of wandering and waiting. Can you imagine
meandering around in a place you didn't want to be for forty years? Waiting on
the promise the Lord made and wondering when you could move on? I may not be in
the Israelites situation, but I do wander and wonder. Life throws curve balls,
dumps troubles on me, and frustrates me. But I know God has my back, he has a
plan, and he's always with me. "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." Praise God for his constant encouragement!
I love the song, His eye is on the Sparrow,
a song filled with God's encouragement. I can sing God's praise no matter the
circumstances, even when I get discouraged. Because I know if God cares for the
birds of the air, he certainly cares for and loves me and you. Isn't this a
wonderful promise!
I love those verses and all the times Joshua is told by Moses, the angel, and God Himself to "Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged." Maybe that's because I tend to do those very things and need to be reminded over and over that He will never forsake me. Thanks for the reminder, Penny!
ReplyDeleteMe, too Kathleen. I was writing primarily to myself in this one. :)
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