By Robin Wiley
Deuteronomy 31:6
6 Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.”
7 Then Moses summoned Joshua and said to him in the sight of all Israel, “Be strong and courageous, for you shall go with this people into the land that the Lord has sworn to their fathers to give them, and you shall put them in possession of it. 8 It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.”
Such powerful yet hopeful words. We do not have to be afraid because we are not alone with a mighty God who loves us and will never leave us. Moses said this to Joshua, when he was coming to the end of his life and Yahweh was passing the leadership onto Joshua, God’s deputy. The Israelites could go and overthrow the inhabitants of the “land of promise.” God would go before them and claim the victory. I wonder what Joshua was feeling at this time – was he scared, unsure, filled with doubt or did he lean into the promises of a faithful God?
I can take comfort in knowing that I am not alone when deciding important decisions for the future. Scott and I have been praying through this new season in our lives. We decided it was time to make plans to sell our home and move to either the Waco area to be nearer to Hannah, our daughter or to the Georgetown/Round Rock area close to where Scott’s parents reside. Sadly, his father unexpectantly passed away last month in February after suffering a minor stroke on Christmas Day. Scott’s mom lives by herself now but needs care as she is recovering from losing her husband of 65 years and also from dealing with major health issues herself.
Unfortunately, and with much sadness, this means I will be leaving First Baptist sometime this summer. This is not an easy decision to make but one we feel – now is the right time. Over the nineteen+ years since moving back to the Valley after marrying Scott, I have forged many wonderful relationships which I greatly value, and each have added to my development as a Christian, a pastor, a wife and a friend.
Any kind of change, especially a large one, can be stressful and only our sweet Lord knows that selling a house here, buying one somewhere else near the Austin area, eventually finding a new job and helping take care of an aging parent can be a lot to handle all at once. Yikes – I am stressed out just reading and writing all that!
But just like God was with Joshua, leading him and the other Israelites into the promise land – so is He with us. Going before us. Going before me. God can be our strength and courage, and He tells us so through a wonderful example of His faithfulness in Deuteronomy.
Reading and reciting the above scripture gives me peace because I believe what it says as it was spoken by Moses all those years ago. Those words are fresh for me each day on a post-it in my office at home and at work.
Be strong and courageous! The Lord encouraged Joshua several times with the same words. After Moses spoke them to the people of Israel (v6), he then turned to Joshua and spoke the same words to him in front of all of the people (vv7-8).
Our strength and courage do not come from a healthy diet, a certain devotional plan, going to church every Sunday, or some ten-step program. Strength and courage come from God, through Christ, as we obediently walk out His purpose for our lives. The Bible says that when we seek Him with all of our hearts, we will find Him (Jeremiah 29:13). Relationships are, by definition, mutual, and God wants to be in a relationship with us. But like any relationship, it takes effort.
It is in the morning I often spend time with God in prayer, and in His Word. Sometimes, He lets me see the next steps for my life by giving me scriptures that bring peace and assurance that God goes before us to Austin or anywhere else we may go. He continues to open doors as well as close others as we walk through this transition process.
We can ALL be strong because His strength and truth flow through our minds and our hearts.
Prayer:
Father God - You are the source of my strength and the root of my courage. You lift me up when I am down, and you fill me with your divine peace. Thank you for your constant presence in my life and may the steps I take live out the life you have planned for me and my family. I love you, Father! Always and forever – Amen!