A few days spent in Deuteronomy brought a new appreciation for Moses. Chosen to be the leader of God’s people even though he proved himself to have flaws. God used him as the instrument by which the people obtained freedom from the slavery in Egypt.
Moses did not get to enter the Promise land due to his disobedience. The very goal he worked to obtain was never attained.
In the last chapter of Deuteronomy, we find a precious record of the relationship between Moses and God.
God leads Moses up Mount Nebo to show him the land promised. God allowed Moses to see with his own eyes the land although he would not enter with the people.
Forty years of wandering in the wilderness came to this point of not obtaining the promise. The disappointment had to be greater than we can conceive.
Yet, the loss was momentary, fleeting, as Moses died there in the land of Moab. And then we are told …
“The Lord buried him in a valley near Beth-peor in Moab, but to this day no one knows the exact place. Moses was 120 years old when he died, yet his eyesight was clear, and he was as strong as ever.” (Deuteronomy 34:5-7, NLT)
Can we even imagine the tenderness with which God Himself buried Moses?
The forty years of wandering, those wilderness years that had seemed to stretch on forever, were gone like a vapor. In that split second they were forgotten.
It passes in a flash and all that God brings forth from the pain and disappointments of this life are so worth the gain.
“For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!” (2 Corinthians 4:17, NLT)
He renews us day by day, sometimes moment by moment. But He walks with us always.
This same God who walked with Moses every single day in the wilderness, walks with us as well.
May we take courage, fix our gaze, and keep on walking.
“So we don’t look at the troubles we see now, rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.” (2 Corinthians 4:18, NLT)
Today I am joining … #ChasingCommunity and Tune In Thursday and Salt & Light and Heart Encouragement Thursday .
Yes, every single day. When we read “forty years in the wilderness” we distance ourselves from the truth of it by thinking of it in a chunk. Thank you for reminding me that Moses lived those days one gritty and hard fought battle at a time.
We do tend to look at a chunk of time, don’t we? And yet, it is in the moment that each battle is fought and progress made. May we keep on walking!
Such gentle truth here Joanne. While we cannot always see God’s full plan, we can walk in the path He sets before us, knowing He’s always present. Thanks for this encouragement, happy to share!
I so appreciate you stopping and sharing, Jill. He will never ask us to walk where He will not also go with us.
Joanne,
I was drawn to your post because of my blog title: Walking Well With God. So true that we will walk through the valleys and the deserts in our walk with God, but the the point is to keep walking. Sometimes the deserts seem like they will last forever, but in comparison to the joy that awaits us, they are but a blink of the eye. Thanks for this reminder!
Blessings,
Bev xx
Bev, your thoughts reminded me of another Scripture I had jotted down to include with this post and then opted not to. “For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime! Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning” (Psalm 30:5, NLT).
Joanne, this post is pure poetry. The care and tenderness God gave Moses-letting him see the promised land, burying him with tenderness, taking him home immediately to finally see the full glory of God face-to-face instead of keeping him in the desert while the people entered the promised land. I never really thought of the care and tenderness of God in this until you pointed it out so beautifully. Thank you.
Debbie, you opened my eyes even further to the grace and mercy of our God who spared Moses being left behind in the wilderness while the people entered the land. I am so grateful you shared as you further point me to the beauty of our online community! xo
I’ve always felt sorry for Moses that he didn’t get to enter the Promised Land, but you’ve given me a fresh perspective today, Joanne. Sometimes our most crushing disappointments can still turn into some glorious endings.
Lisa, I have always felt the same as you. Instead all I could see was God’s grace and mercy upon this man that “the Lord knew face to face” (34:10, NLT).
“Keep on walking”… such an encouragement when life seems mundane or when it’s out of control. We have to remain faithful to our Faithful God! <3 Stopping by from Salt & Light link-up. Happy to meet you!
In the midst of so many changes, I love holding on to this truth! I need to keep 2 Cor 4:18 handy! Wonderful words!
I never noticed that verse about God burying Moses. How precious! Thank you for sharing this gem 🙂