As I read the opening chapters of Joshua, I always smile and also find encouragement. So here are three quick thoughts from what for many are familiar verses.
1. Would you be encouraged by the words of the people of Israel? While Moses led them for 40 years, they had grumbled against their leader about lack of food, lack of comfort, lack of water, and the vindictive nastiness of Moses. Several times they wanted to go back to Egypt, disobeyed Moses instructions and at least once talked of replacing Moses with another leader. And now they promise Joshua, "Just as we fully obeyed Moses, so we will obey you." Joshua 1:17 I have to smile at how encouraged (?)Joshua must have felt by those words!
2. I count at least 6 times that Joshua is told by Moses, God or the nation: "be strong and courageous." If he needed to hear that, so do we! God's promise to Joshua is His promise to us as well: "for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:9 So come on, be strong courageous today!
3. God loves us and uses people like us. But He does not need us. If a leader of Moses calibre could be so smoothly replaced by Joshua; if within weeks of Moses death, Joshua leads Israel into the Promised Land; then none of us is indispensable. This is why we need to keep reminding ourselves that "who I am and who I am becoming is much more important than what I do and what I hope to do." If I make myself available, God loves me and will use me. But He does not need me. So I can relax (for example as I feel underemployed here in Vietnam!).
Good words Nelson. I was thinking that instead of you feeling underemployed, maybe you ought to consider that God is offering you a bit of a taste of the retirement that you have offered to pass up. So just enjoy it! Because one of these days...
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