The mission continues.....

Today I watched two of my best friends resign from their ministry position effective at the end of the summer. It was hard to watch and yet exciting because God is leading them in a new direction. In times of change it is easy to try to figure out why and what is next. It is easy to be angry or hurt or sad when change comes in a church setting. It is easy to forget that the message and mission continues even when individuals move on to a different role in that mission.

We see the same picture in the transition from Moses' leadership to Joshua's leading. The Israelites had placed a great deal of trust in Moses. He had encouraged them to leave Egypt when Pharaoh was oppressive. In fact, he led them out himself. (Exodus 12-14) He led them to the desert and then God used him to provide food and water. (Exodus 15-17) He led them to the edge of the Promised Land. (Deuteronomy 1-2) They disobeyed God by not continuing on into the Promised Land, so they wandered in the desert for 40 years. (Deuteronomy 2) Then, Moses dies. (Deuteronomy 34)

Before he died, Moses passed on his mission and role to Joshua. God has appointed Joshua to continue with the mission that Moses began. The Lord spoke to Joshua in chapter 1. He told Joshua that he would cross the Jordan River and would give him and the people every place he had promised to Moses. God promised to be with Joshua just as he was with Moses.

In this part of Scripture we see that even though Moses died and his part of the mission ended, God prepared Joshua to take the reigns and lead on. Just as with days of old, God continues to provide leaders to step up and continue to the work started by others. We never minister alone. Our ministries are impacted by those who have come before us. Our ministries impact those who come behind us.

As the song says,

"Oh, may all who come behind us find us faithful,
May the fire of our devotion light their way,
May the footprints that we leave lead them to believe,
And the lives we live inspire them to obey.
Oh, may all who come behind us find us faithful."

As times change and people move to and fro, may we remember that God's mission is not dependent upon our work alone. We are in this grand mission of the ages together.

Grace and peace to you.