Have you ever excitedly obeyed God only to find much struggle? Perhaps the struggle was great, and you questioned, “Am I doing the right thing? God, where are you?” Maybe your situation blew up in your face! Is this a thing? Does this happen to obedient Christians? Yes, but hang on! Imagine if God revealed the struggles before you even started? Would you still go ahead?
This is where we find Joshua in our reading today. Moses is about to die. God instructs Moses to commission Joshua to lead Israel into the Promised Land. Moses has just finished setting God’s blessing for obedience and curse for disobedience before Israel. Moses and God then tell Joshua that Israel will disobey after Moses dies. Joshua will have his hands full just as Moses did…oh great!
Then the Lord said to Moses, “The time has come…call Joshua and present yourselves at the Tabernacle, so that I may commission him there.” So Moses and Joshua went and presented themselves at the Tabernacle. The Lord said to Moses, “You are about to die and join your ancestors. After you are gone, these people will begin to worship foreign gods, the gods of the land where they are going. They will abandon me and break my covenant that I have made with them. (Deuteronomy 31:14 & 16, NLT)
Notice what Moses says to Israel with Joshua listening in…
“Take this Book of Instruction and place it beside the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord your God, so it may remain there as a witness against the people of Israel. For I know how rebellious and stubborn you are. Even now, while I am still alive and am here with you, you have rebelled against the Lord. How much more rebellious will you be after my death! (Deuteronomy 31:26–27, NLT)
Ouch! What was Joshua thinking? He is about to obey God, and this is the struggle before him? This is God’s will for him? Is he going to go ahead anyway? Hum…this sounds risky! This doesn’t sound like his best life now or in the future! Despite this, notice what Moses and God tell Joshua…in so many words, go ahead!
Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you.” (Deuteronomy 31:8, NLT)
Then the Lord commissioned Joshua son of Nun with these words: “Be strong and courageous, for you must bring the people of Israel into the land I swore to give them. I will be with you.” (Deuteronomy 31:23, NLT)
Believer, the way is challenging. It is not full of ease and prosperity. There will be significant struggles. Things will blow up in our faces. Persecution, trials, and trouble abound for the believer. Remember, we do have an enemy! Should we go ahead? Yes! And here is what we will find. The nearness of God abounds more! God will personally go ahead of us, be with us, fail us not, and never abandon us. Let’s be strong and courageous—let’s go ahead!
Thank you for joining with me as I read and journal chronologically through the Bible! This devotional reflection comes from Deuteronomy 30:1-31:30.