The peace of our Lord, Jesus Christ, be with you all. I recently heard a news commentary make the statement that among many other things, one of the significant aspects surrounding the inauguration of President Barack Obama is that the leadership of our nation is shifting from the baby boomer generation to a new generation. This comment made me consider how many shifts are going on in our country and the lives of individuals today. Sometimes shifts, even if they have benefits, cause concerns for individuals. Often when I find myself noticing aspects of life that impact myself and other believers, I try to identify a situation in Scripture that might be enlightening. I want to see how followers of the Lord dealt with the situation and hopefully learn from what is recorded in God’s Word.
The passage of Scripture that came to my mind was Deuteronomy 34:5-9 ---
[5] Then Moses, the servant of the LORD, died there in the land of Moab, at the LORD'S command. [6] He was buried in a valley in the land of Moab, opposite Beth-peor, but no one knows his burial place to this day. [7] Moses was one hundred twenty years old when he died; his sight was unimpaired and his vigor had not abated. [8] The Israelites wept for Moses in the plains of Moab thirty days; then the period of mourning for Moses was ended.
[9] Joshua son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom, because Moses had laid his hands on him; and the Israelites obeyed him, doing as the LORD had commanded Moses.
I envisioned how the people of Israel must have felt when Moses died and the people were to follow Joshua. If you want to know their response beyond verse nine I encourage you to read the book of Joshua. But I am certain that there was uneasiness in the Israeli camp at this time. While the people knew some things about Joshua, they had never seen him tried out in the role of leader. They were not completely sure how he would handle things, how he would relate to God, and what new approaches he might take. There was transition.
Not only were they transitioning in leadership, they would soon also transition in where they lived. After spending time traveling and wandering, they were entering the new place that the Lord had given them to live. It was definitely going to be a new way of living and a new approach to life. Transition was all around them and there were no guarantees. As we read in Joshua, some of the individuals decided not to cross over into the new land and chose to remain on the other side of the Jordan. We are not told the reasons for this decision but I am sure that for some it had to do with new leadership and for others a desire to remain in an area that they know.
As I have pondered this event in the life of God’s people. I found myself coming to the realization that those who crossed over the Jordan under Joshua’s leadership must have had trust not only in Joshua but in the Lord also. They must have decided that even though there were many unknowns and there would be many new ways that they would have to adapt to, taking that step was what the Lord desired for them and so they took it. I also believe that those who remained on the other side of the Jordan also had to trust in the Lord. They must have had the faith that knew that the Lord would care for them as much as for those who would enter Canaan. Neither group was being more or less faithful to the Lord, they were each following what they felt was right for the way they lived in the care of the Lord.
Today as we see transitions happening all around us, I think we can learn from this portion of Scripture. I believe that the Lord may be speaking to us and reassuring us that in the midst of transitions, God is still God and we can trust. I believe that we can be reminded that in transitions there are those who will choose to make changes and those who will choose not to make changes. Neither group has a monopoly on “right thinking” but both groups are striving to live out how a life they feel the Lord is leading them. Just because some of the people chose to not cross the Jordan, Joshua and the others did. The transitions happened for both groups and both were being faithful to the Lord but in different ways.
I pray that as we encounter this transition in leadership of our nation, and other transitions in our lives and our church, we may take lessons found in Scripture and apply them to our lives. First, and foremost, we must trust in the Lord during these times of transition. Second, we must respect and honor the decisions about transition that other individuals might make, just as we would desire them to do the same for us. Third, we must realize that in the midst of transition each believer strives to respond faithfully to the Lord’s guidance and that guidance may not be the same for us. Finally, we must realize that transition is happening and that means we are going to see a different world with a different way of living and maybe a different set of guidelines.
May the Lord continue to guide each of us and may we be faithful in our response always.
God’s blessings,
Jim
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