Deuteronomy 3:21 says, And I commanded Joshua at that time, saying, Thine eyes have seen all that the LORD your God hath done unto these two kings: so shall the LORD do unto all the kingdoms whither thou passest. Moses then spoke to Joshua, the other faithful spy, who was going to be taking over as the leader of the Israelites. He told Joshua to remember all the things that God had done to the two kings on this side of the Jordan, and said that He would do the same on the other side. If we ever feel that a situation seems to big for us, we need to remember what God has already done for us. Verse twenty-two adds, Ye shall not fear them: for the LORD your God he shall fight for you. Just as Moses told Joshua, we have no reason to fear the powers of this world, because God will and does fight for us. Verse twenty-three declares, And I besought the LORD at that time, saying, Moses said that he prayed to God then, seeking His guidance, which is what we should do no matter what we face in life. Verse twenty-four adds, O Lord GOD, thou hast begun to shew thy servant thy greatness, and thy mighty hand: for what God is there in heaven or in earth, that can do according to thy works, and according to thy might? Moses in his prayer spoke of the unequaled power of God. We as Christians should never doubt that God is more powerful than any false god. Verse twenty-five continues, I pray thee, let me go over, and see the good land that is beyond Jordan, that goodly mountain, and Lebanon. Moses then asked that God let him cross over the Jordan and see the good land. Though this was the desire of Moses, he still asked God for permission to go. We may want something very badly in this life, but as followers of Christ we must first make sure that it is what God wants. Verse twenty-six states, But the LORD was wroth with me for your sakes, and would not hear me: and the LORD said unto me, Let it suffice thee; speak no more unto me of this matter. Moses said God was upset with him because of the the actions of the people of Israel under his leadership, which included Moses striking out in anger at one time. The actions of others may make us angry at times, but we should never allow them to cause us to act in any way other than the way that would acknowledge and honor God. Verse twenty-seven adds, Get thee up into the top of Pisgah, and lift up thine eyes westward, and northward, and southward, and eastward, and behold it with thine eyes: for thou shalt not go over this Jordan. God told Moses to go up on Mount Pisgah and he could see the Promised Land, but that he was not going to be allowed to cross over. We as Christians, if we are, will one day cross over into the Promised Land of Heaven, though we will only be able to get glimpses of it in this lifetime. If we follow the idea that God wants us to be happy, so whatever we want, if we pray hard enough for it, God will give it to us, then God would have surely given Moses what he wanted. Yet, God told Moses no, and told him not to ask again. I believe that we may too often simply refuse to acknowledge when God tells us no and continue to pray for whatever He has said no to already. Verse twenty-eight continues, But charge Joshua, and encourage him, and strengthen him: for he shall go over before this people, and he shall cause them to inherit the land which thou shalt see. God then told Moses to encourage and strengthen Joshua, who would lead the people of Israel into the Promised Land. Moses could have become bitter and refused to do what God asked, but in spite of his disappointment, he didn't. If it seems that other Christians are getting what they want when we are not, we should never allow it to make us bitter. We should uplift them in prayer instead. Verse twenty-nine concludes, So we abode in the valley over against Bethpeor. Moses said they lived in the valley of Bethpeor, which was still on this side of the Jordan and the Promised Land. We will always be on this side of the Promised Land in this lifetime, but as followers of Christ, God will always be with us.
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