Rev. Richard Smith
Deuteronomy 31
Moses To The People Of Israel, v 6
‘ Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of your enemies, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.’
Moses To Joshua, His Successor, vs. 7-8
‘Be strong and courageous, for you must go with this people into the land that the Lord swore to their ancestors to give them…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.”
The latter part of The Book of Deuteronomy in the Old Testament contains the parting words of Moses to the Hebrew people. Chapters 31-33, in particular, are noteworthy. Moses is now 120 years old and has been leading the people of Israel since God called him at age 80. His days are nearing the end, and he seeks to prepare both the people and his protégé Joshua for the time which lies ahead.
These are inspiring words indeed; words which galvanized hope for Israel then and can empower hope for us here and now.
Note the things Moses says…
- One need not be afraid since God is always with us.
- In fact, God goes before us into the trying circumstances which lie ahead.
- No matter what we face, God will not leave us or forsake us.
Now, as we’re honest with ourselves, we each have to admit that there are times and situations which do indeed frighten us. It can be the news of a serious illness; or deep economic challenges; or the unraveling of a dear relationship; or a situation in which we find ourselves at the mercy of some ill-intentioned person, etc. We are after all human beings, not spiritual robots. It’s spiritual naivete to believe that people of true faith will never succumb to fear. As I’ve continuously said, God understands our humanity and thus He understands these occasions when fear manifests itself beyond our best efforts to be emotionally in control.
Yet, even when we’re afraid, we must not forget the truths God speaks here through Moses. It’s interesting, when you think about it, that the one advocating resilience amidst potential fear is one who 40 years before was honest with God about his own reluctance and fear to take on the leadership role God expected of him.
God is always with us! We must never forget this. There is at every turn and in every situation the power, strength and wisdom of God available to us. Yes, we need to lean into these resources; yes, we need to reach out for God’s help; but He will always provide divine empowerment for whatever we face.
And God goes before us! I like this idea. Essentially, it speaks the truth that God is working for our good ahead of the game; before things get to a perilous point; before we’re burdened with seemingly impossible alternatives. One may not fully understand or know how it is that God is working ahead of us, but that’s where faith comes in.
God will never leave us alone; He continues working in his own often imperceptible way! While we all must acknowledge, in trust, that God’s ways and God’s timeline don’t always match our own, we can and should find hope in knowing that, again, He is continuously and creatively at work for our personal good!
As with so many characters in the Biblical record, Moses and Joshua (note God assurance to Joshua in chapter 9 of The Book of Joshua in the Old Testament), bear witness, offer inspirational lessons for the living of our days and for the march of history!! We simply cannot ignore the long line of believers who help us keep the faith as we contemplate and celebrate their storie
