Strength, Courage and Guidance.
| After the death of Moses the servant of the LORD, the LORD said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses' aide: "Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them... No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. "Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give them. Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. (Joshua1:1-10 Selected) |
Moses was a tough act to follow and I'm sure there would have been many who felt that Joshua had been too sheltered and lacked the necessary experience to be a good leader. The Promised Land offered great bounty, but also some imposing enemies and serious threats...
There are few things to note as we reflect on this passage:
- Very often our challenges accompany a transition: Joshua's commissioning starts with God making it clear that Moses was gone. This is a new season. By marking Moses death, God is giving Joshua permission to be his own person. It is really important to realise that we risk bringing old baggage into new situations. In Joshua's case the baggage was good - Moses had laid a good foundation. But God's announcement is clear - the Moses season is over and Joshua needs to be his best self.
- God is clear on what Joshua must do: Many times we fail to start well because we are not clear on exactly what it is that we must do. We need to see God's face, consider our gifts, be sensitive to the needs of our community and have willing hearts.
- He promises His supportive presence: We fail when we become discouraged by the size of the task and the effort we think it will take. We are not alone. God has promised His presence!
- He calls Joshua to be courageous and strong: Big challenges will stretch and shape us. Nothing worthwhile is done without effort and courage. God is more concerned with our character than our comfort!
- Joshua needs to stick to the guidelines: If we allow our insecurities to push us into taking moral and spiritual "shortcuts" we doom our endeavours to failure. When we courageously do things God's way, He blesses us! The best guidance we find is in His Word, but He also prompts us in circumstances and through fellow believers
As we settle into this Lent Season, let's pray that:
- we will leave behind any baggage (good or bad),
- we get a clear vision to pursue in this season
- we experience God's presence, power, persuasion (guidance) and providence
- we will be brave and strong
- we will pay attention to His guidance.
