Leadership – Deuteronomy 31:3
It is the Lord your God who will cross ahead of you; He will destroy these nations before you, and you shall dispossess them. Joshua is the one who will cross ahead of you, just as the Lord has spoken.
What must Moses have felt when the Lord told him that he would not enter the Promised Land? After leading the rebellious Israelites out of Egypt and through the wilderness for forty years, God was denying him the victory at the journey’s end. Did he weigh his decades of faithfulness against his seemingly small act of rebellion?[1]
We know He was brokenhearted, for he pleaded with the Lord to let him enter the beautiful land before him, but when the Lord said, “No,” he uttered no further plea on his own behalf.[2] Rather he focused on the welfare of his people. He petitioned the Lord to place a strong leader over them, and he faithfully followed the Lord’s instruction to prepare and commission his successor, Joshua.[3] Moses stood unshakable in faith as he endured a disappointment that most would have found crushing.
Moses’ response was natural for him since he was a humble man. Having never desired power or fame,[4] he became an inspiring leader who put others’ needs above his own. With his heart fixed on God, he endured hardship and deprivation for the eternal glory and reward he knew would follow his service to the Lord Most High.[5] He loved and trusted God, and he walked by faith in the way laid before him. He wasted no time wallowing in self-pity or in lamenting over lost opportunities; rather he spent his few remaining days to encourage the people under his charge. Unwavering in his commitment to their welfare, he desired above all that they would fulfill God’s purposes. As he passed the baton to Joshua, he deflected the people’s eyes from himself to remind them that the Lord was their leader, not he, and that He would be with them always, never failing them, nor forsaking them.[6]
The Lord may call you to demonstrate leadership, may it be to your family, co-workers, acquaintances, or church body. A turning point will arise, and you will have the opportunity to glorify God by your selfless response. The occasion may come unexpectedly, so prepare for this call to service by walking humbly with your God. Be ready to follow Moses’ example to lead with grace and dignity, regarding not yourself, rather leading with a passion to encourage those Christ has chosen you to lead. Obey God as He directs you, and join the great cloud of witnesses who have inspired others throughout the ages to live by faith in Christ.[7]
[1] Numbers 20:8-12, Numbers 27:12-14
[2] Deuteronomy 3:25-26
[3] Numbers 27:15-23
[4] Numbers 12:3
[5] Hebrews 11:24-29
[6] Deuteronomy 31:3-6
[7] Hebrews 12:1
