The Israelites were still camped on
the banks of the Jordan river and Moses was reminding them of how
God had looked after them during their wilderness journey. And in
Chapter 3 he tells them how desperately he wanted to enter the
Promised Land along with them.
"At that time I pleaded with the
Lord and said, O Sovereign Lord, I am Your servant. You have only
begun to show me Your greatness and power. Is there any god in
heaven or on earth who can perform such great deeds as Yours?
Please let me cross the Jordan to see the wonderful land on the
other side, the beautiful hill country and the Lebanon mountains."
Deuteronomy 3:23-25
Poor Moses, he really wanted to go
and see this beautiful land. His life for the past 40 years has
evolved around this Promised Land and he desperately wanted to be
part of their triumphant entry, the cherry on the cake so to speak.
And what did God say?
"But the Lord was angry with me
because of you, and He would not listen to me. "That's enough!" He
ordered. "Speak of it no more. You can go to Pisgah Peak and view
the land in every direction, but you may not cross the Jordan
river. But commission Joshua and encourage him, for he will lead
the people across the Jordan. He will give them the land you now
see before you." Deuteronomy 3:26-29
God said no. And not only did He
say no, but He told Moses to go and encourage Joshua. That must
have been very difficult for Moses to do. He has led the Israelites
for the past 40 difficult years and now Joshua has the chance to
lead them into glory. Moses could easily have become bitter and
jealous of Joshua, but he didn't. Listen to what he said to
Joshua:
"Then Moses called for Joshua, and
as all Israel watched he said to him, "Be strong and courageous!
For you will lead these people into the land that the Lord swore to
give to their ancestors. You are the one who will deliver it to
them as their inheritance. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the
Lord is the one who goes before you. He will be with you; He will
never leave nor forsake you." Deuteronomy 31:7,8
Wow, what a great leader and what a
wonderful man. He wasn't bitter and didn't try and twist God's arm.
He was faithful to the end and he blessed and encouraged Joshua
just like God asked him to.
God might say no to you biggest
wish too. He might not grant your heart's desire, and He might even
bless your best friend or family member with the very thing you so
desperately want. It will be very difficult and I might even
foresee a couple of tears, but then we need to learn from Moses.
Moses took his deepest wish to God and pleaded with Him and when He
said no, he accepted it and was there for the one who was going to
live his dream.
It feels so unfair and my heart is
breaking for Moses as I am writing this and breaking for all those
with unrealised wishes and dreams. But all I can say is that God is
sovereign and He does what He deems best for all. He works for the
glory and the benefit of the Body of Christ and one day we will
understand it all. We only see small pieces of His Kingdom puzzle
on our side, but one day we will get a full view of the bigger
picture and we will understand it all. But for now, know that God
will reward your faithfulness and He will be with you to wipe away
your tears. Nothing will be in vain and if you follow God's Will
for your life, your life will count as a big success in heaven.
Thank you Father that You have a
specific plan for each one of us. Thank you that we can rest in the
fact that everything will make sense in the bigger scheme of
things. But please help us when the pain and the sadness get too
much for us and lead us to where You want us to be. In Jesus Name.
Amen