Moses is one of my absolute favorite Bible characters. He was a man who made many mistakes, had his shortcomings and flaws out on display for everyone to see, felt weak when he needed to be strong, and didn’t feel up to the task when God called him.
I can so relate. I’ve messed up more times than I’d like to admit. I’ve allowed fear to cripple me, hold me back, and cause more sleepless nights than a newborn baby.
And weakness…oh, my goodness.
I’m always praying, asking God to send someone to act or speak for me. Because if I’m flat out honest with you, I just don’t feel like I have what it takes to lead anyone most days. And I thank God I don’t have to do it alone. God is there with me and I have the love and support of my family and Church family.
Moses may have stuttered his words, but I mess mine up more times than I care to share.
Moses wore the label “Speech Impediment,” and I’ve worn the label “Just weird,” which has made both of us want to push someone else in front of us. If only we could hide so others wouldn’t see us up close.
And yet in spite of our weaknesses and brokenness, God chose to use us anyway… and He chooses you too, sweet friend.
In today’s verses, we see Moses at the end of his life. He has learned to walk with God through life’s ups and downs, and he knows this truth first hand: GOD WILL NEVER LEAVE YOU.
When Moses was weak, God made him strong.
When Moses was cowardly, God made him courageous.
It’s amazing to see what Moses was like when God first called him compared to Moses at the end of his life… after he walked closely with God for 40 years.
Because of Moses’s personal relationship with God, he was able to encourage the people of Israel – and most importantly Joshua – challenging them to be strong and courageous. How? By spending time with God, by trusting Him and taking God at His Word… by believing that God would do what He said. Moses learned how to be strong and courageous from trusting God and seeing Him work time and time again in His life.
It was Moses who saw God part the Red Sea and allow the nation of Israel to walk across on dry land.
It was Moses who saw God judge the people of Egypt for their disobedience and captivity of the Israelites.
Because of God’s faithfulness in Moses’s life, Moses was then able to speak into the lives of the next generation and say, “Be strong and courageous! Don’t be afraid! Your God goes before you just like He did for me!”
And that’s what we need these days.
We need women in the older generations to give hope to those in the younger generations, saying “Be strong and courageous!”
We need to hear from women who have walked with God and have testimonies of His faithfulness from their personal lives – women who not only know this truth that Moses shares in Deuteronomy 31 but women who have also experienced it!
We need to hear from women who have weathered life’s storms and can testify that what Moses says is true – Jesus will never leave them for one moment to battle their storms alone.
And so I ask you today: will you be a “Moses” for the next generations? Will you be brave and courageous by sharing from your personal life about God’s faithfulness? Will you share with the “Joshuas” of today about how God has been faithful to you and how His words are true?
Oh, how we need to hear more stories of God’s faithfulness! We need to hear testimonies of how God’s Word is true not only in Bible times but in our day too. We need to be reminded of His faithfulness in the past and His faithfulness in the present.
Moses commands us to be strong and courageous in whatever battle we are facing. Whatever land God is sending us to, we are not to be afraid. Our God is with us. Let’s be strong and courageous together!
Today, please share stories of how you have learned through your walk with God how to be strong and courageous! Share with us how God has been with you in your storms of life and how you have learned to be brave. We need to hear your voice and the testimony God has given you!