Tuesday, 4/8/14
I saw an interesting account as I was reading in the 31st Chapter of Deuteronomy yesterday which immediately caught my eye. In it, Moses was giving his farewell address to God’s people announcing that, though he himself would not be able to cross the Jordan River with them, Joshua would lead them into their promised land. He admonished them not to be afraid of the enemies they would encounter along the way, reminding them that God would personally go with them, and would not fail or abandon them. Then, in their presence, he charged Joshua to be strong and courageous, basically telling him the same things he told the people. The reason this account caught my attention was that, like most ministers, I am familiar with the first chapter of the book of Joshua. I noted that God gave Joshua the same charge Moses gave him on the day of his farewell address. Does that mean that God was only copying the words Moses had used? Never! It means that when Moses uttered the words of his address that day, he was being led completely by God Himself.
Two truths that should be embraced by God’s children are found in these biblical stories. The first one is this: One can be comfortable with the message conveyed by God’s true ministers. We can say that God and all those He has called, will always be on the same page. Another but simpler way to say this is that all messages and teachings, in order to relied upon, must coincide with God’s Word, The Bible. You see, it was no accident that Joshua got the same words of instruction and encouragement from both God and Moses.
The second truth, and it applies to you and me, is this: In our life’s journey to our promised land, (Heaven) we will encounter enemies of all kind. We must take Moses’ words to heart to not be in a panic or afraid of them. After all, God will be with us every step of the way, and who can be more faithful and mightier than He? Whether your enemies today are human, physical, financial, emotional, or any other kind, none of these will ever be able to stand up to God. Neither will they be able to keep you from arriving at your destination. I only reminded you of that today because God said it first.
Memory verse for the week: (Proverbs 18:10) The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.
