Tuesday, February 21, 2012 - Big Shoes to Fill

    People blame previous generations, heredity and circumstances for their lack of faith, inabilities and fears, but they do it in different ways. One group says, "I didn't grow up in church;  No one taught me the Bible; I never learned how to pray," and so forth.  Another group has the opposite reason to feel inadequate (each of Billy Graham's children, for instance) "I don't have that kind of faith," "God didn't give me those gifts."  Either way, the focus is all wrong. Our paths, even if we choose the same profession, will present different hills and valleys, different gifts.
      Joshua had been the closest to Moses throughout his lifetime and had practically lived in the tabernacle where Moses would meet with God and come away beaming.  Maybe the desire of Joshua's heart was to experience what Moses experienced, to have the relationship with God that Moses had.  There was only one way to do that and it wouldn't be easy. He would have to step up and lead approximately 1,000,000 people by faith to begin taking what had been promised to them. The first steps of his mission began with fording the Jordan river, carrying the Ten Commandments across safely, then taking the walled city of Jericho.  Suddenly, Joshua's "heart desire" was for God to resurrect Moses.  God didn't throw Joshua under the bus but promised:

"No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. 

As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. 

Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their ancestors to give them." 

Joshua 1:5-6

Moses saw the Red Sea part; Joshua saw the Jordan held back.  Moses held up his staff for the Israelites to defeat the enemy; Joshua marched silently around the walls of Jericho for days before God brought the house down.  Moses lost his temper; Joshua assumed too much and forgot to pray before trying to take the village of Ai. 
   As believers, we each have a set of dusty, worn, sandals from Nazareth to fill. May we be strong and courageous and take the steps He calls us to take today.
     Lord, God, take our eyes off of other people - to compare for better or for worse.  You're with us and You lead us. Teach us to give today to You to avoid suffering our "Ai's."  May we call in support to help us hold our arms up high, if that's what You lead us to do.  And, above all, shine Your Light on the new path You've laid out just for us. Make us bold and courageous to step where You show us.
In the Name of Jesus Who came to earth with Big Shoes to fill