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Daily Devotion: Deuteronomy 31:3 & 6-8

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Deuteronomy 31:3    "The LORD thy God, he will go over before thee, and he will destroy these nations from before thee, and thou shalt possess them: and Joshua, he shall go over before thee, as the LORD hath said."

Deuteronomy 31:6-8    "Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.  (7)  And Moses called unto Joshua, and said unto him in the sight of all Israel, Be strong and of a good courage: for thou must go with this people unto the land which the LORD hath sworn unto their fathers to give them; and thou shalt cause them to inherit it.  (8)  And the LORD, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed."

A change in leadership can be very difficult at times. The Lord gave Moses grace to be able to help the people accept the fact that he would not be going with them into the Promised Land. He reminded them the most important thing and that is, "The LORD thy God, He will go over before thee."  The true leadership of Israel would remain the same.  This was first and foremost important for the people to understand.  God brought them out of Egypt. God brought them through the wilderness. God would lead them into Canaan.  Then he informs them that Joshua would become their visible leader and would direct them according to the leadership of the Lord God Almighty.

We could insert the  word, "therefore" at this point when he says, "Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid." The main thing God was relating to the people through Moses was their complete trust and dependence was to be upon Him.  We sometimes can become so dependent upon human leadership that we fail to remember that the Lord is our actual guide. We are to look to Him for guidance and direction in our lives. We are to trust Him for security and strength to go from day to day.  Though the enemy may come against us, our God is our shield and defense.

Then Moses turned to Joshua and repeated the same words to him along with some additional thoughts.  Moses fully understood the task that lay before Joshua. He reminded the young man (young in comparison to Moses) that the Lord would never fail him. He will always be with him. He will never turn away from him. So as a result of those great truths, Moses told Joshua, "Fear not, neither be dismayed."  Literally, Moses was telling Joshua not to break down and give up.  Surely Moses understood the temptations of being discouraged as he had led the people for the past forty years.  Joshua, stay strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.  Lean more heavily upon the Lord when the going gets tough. He will not let you down. Hold to God's unchanging hand.

"The anchor holds Though the ship is battered. The anchor holds Though the sails are torn. I have fallen on my knees As I faced the raging seas. The anchor holds In spite of the storm."  (The Anchor Holds by Ray Boltz)

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