7 Then Moses called Joshua and, with all Israel watching, said to him: “Be strong and fearless because you are the one who will lead[a] this people to the land the Lord swore to their ancestors to give to them; you are the one who will divide up the land for them. 8 But the Lord is the one who is marching before you! He is the one who will be with you! He won’t let you down. He won’t abandon you. So don’t be afraid or scared!”
Reflection
God had chosen Joshua, a man of faith, to replace Moses who would soon die. Joshua, as the new leader, was tasked with leading the people to cross the Jordan into the land that God had promised their ancestors. Moses, in front of the assembly of all of Israel, tells Joshua to divide up the promised land among the people of Israel. Joshua must have wondered what else God would ask of him in addition to these already overwhelming tasks.
If Joshua had lived in our day and age someone would probably have tried to reassure Joshua by saying, “God won’t give you more than you can handle.” But what this statement is actually saying is that it’s all up to you alone. Moses was quick to point out that while God was calling on Joshua to be the leader of the people, it is God who will march before him. Joshua is not in this alone, God is with him, so Joshua can be strong and fearless. Moses says to Joshua, God won’t let you down, God will be with you, God won’t abandon you, so don’t be afraid or scared.
There are times in all of our lives when the stress of illness, the strain of family relationships, difficult jobs and financial
hardship bring us to the point where we just can’t handle it anymore. When this happens, remember this: No matter what you may be facing right now, or however overwhelming it may be, God is with you and will not abandon you.
by Jeneene Reduker
For Pondering & Prayer
As children of God, Jesus promised to send us the Comforter, God’s presence, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit to guide us, comfort us, sustain and strengthen us. God has also called us to serve others through our church, our community of faith, that is here to journey with us through the all the times in our lives, especially the difficult times we will encounter. Our church, the body of Christ, prays for you, calls or visits you, brings soup or food to you and brings
a prayer shawl and communion to you. As disciples of Jesus we encircle each other with the love of Christ, so others will know that God is with them, and will never abandon them in their times of need.
Prayer: Holy and Loving God, in times of trouble you march before us, you are with us, you will never let us down or abandon us. You love us and so we will not be afraid for you are with us. Amen.
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