Today I feel a lot like Moses.
At the end of his life, the Lord brought Moses to the top Mount Nebo to look out on his surroundings. Behind him was the wilderness where for forty years he led God’s people to, in the opinion of most Israelites, wander aimlessly until their “time out” was over. I have to imagine that for Moses and the Israelites, it was a season of a lot of grumbling, frustration, and tears. And when Moses turned back around, he had a perfect view of the plot of earth that God guaranteed his ancestors. Standing at the cusp of the Promised Land, Moses was able to see the potential trials and uncertainty that the Israelites were about to face.
Standing on the mountain top, he was suspended between two seasons in his life. And in that moment, Moses was faced with a choice. He had to decide how he was going to remember his time in the wilderness. And it was an important decision. You see, it’s how we look back that we move forward.
It would have been easy for Moses to remember his last season of life through a lens of bitterness and anguish. He endured hardship after hardship while trampsing around the desert with group of angsty Israelites who complained about pretty much everything. But when he looked at the wilderness, Moses saw the faithfulness of God scattered throughout the wilderness. He saw the rock where God miraculously made water appear. He remembered the taste of the manna that the Lord lavished on the land when they were hungry and felt the strength of God as He protected them against their enemies.
As we turn the page in our calendars to a new year, I can’t help but picture each of us standing at the top of Mount Nebo assessing our past year and looking out ahead to see the uncertainty of the next. As I stand and look behind me, I see the faces of the new friends I met in the 10 countries I visited this past year. I remember the miraculous healings God brought to my father in a season that seemed to be without hope. I feel the wholeness of God’s love as I remember the group of people I was able to lead in this season.
Looking forward seems daunting. I can see the potential threats and challenges in the next season. The territory seems frighteningly uncertain. But in these times of uncertainty, God is reminding me some of the certainties that He has promised.
I am certain that the joy of the Lord will surround me as I abide in Him.
I am certain that my God is larger than any challenge I may face.
I am certain that God is good and that He will make good out of the bad.
I am certain that I will not be alone, that God is always with me.
In Deuteronomy 34:7, it says that, “Moses was 120 years old when he died. His eye was undimmed, and his vigor unabated.” He was someone who saw his circumstances through through the lens of God’s goodness and moved forward with a firm foundation of His unshakable truths. Like Moses, I want to walk into the next season of my life with this confidence in God. I am choosing to cling to the certainties God promises and to see 2017 with eyes undimmed and vigor unabated.
May you remember the goodness of God’s faithfulness in the last season and be rooted in His unshakable truths as you take a step into the uncertainties of your next season.
