Deuteronomy 34:9 – 12 “Now Joshua son of Nun was filled with the spirit of wisdom because Moses had laid his hands on him. So, the Israelites obeyed him and did as the LORD had commanded Moses. Since that time, no prophet has arisen in Israel like Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face, who did all the signs and wonders that the LORD sent him to do against the land of Egypt—to Pharaoh and all his officials and all his land— by all the mighty acts of power and awesome deeds that Moses performed in the sight of all Israel.”
When Moses anointed Joshua, the Holy Spirit came to live inside Joshua, the Spirit of wisdom and truth. God gave Joshua authority, and the Israelites recognized that fact, obeying Joshua and following the Lord’s commands, at least for awhile!
But how do you follow someone who has been the complete leader? Moses had a strong sense of his calling from the time of his youth; it took forty years of herding sheep in the desert to make him ready to lead two million idol – worshiping Israelites out of Egypt. God used Moses to do incredible miracles, including wiping out the most powerful army in the world.
What is a “dog and pony act?” In the days of vaudeville, comedians, singers, musicians, magicians, and others traveled from town to town putting on shows. By all accounts, the most popular act was always one in which there were trained dogs and ponies performing together. The problem was that once such a popular act was over, people were likely to get up and go buy snacks and soft drinks, leaving the performer to face a depleted audience. The phrase “a dog and pony act” came to signify someone who was extremely charismatic, popular, and capable of great things. Now Joshua is finding himself in the position of following the dog and pony act that has occupied center stage for more than forty years, Moses.
APPLICATION: There are very few things more difficult than taking over from a popular leader. No matter how hard you try, the second you deviate from previous practices, someone is bound to begin chanting, “But we’ve always done it this way!”
But God knew what He was doing when He chose Joshua. Look at Joshua’s record:
- Joshua and Caleb were the only two spies with faith enough to believe that God could crush the giants and give them the Promised Land.
- Joshua was always following Moses and helping Moses. When Moses went up on Mount Sinai, Joshua went at least part – way with him.
- Joshua spent large amounts of time in the Tabernacle communing with God.
- Joshua did everything he could to study Moses’ style of leadership and to learn from it.
- Not once did Joshua ever rebel or question Moses.
Some people seek out positions of leadership while others have leadership forced upon them. When I was in general and pediatric surgery residencies, I never dreamed that one day I would have to be responsible for an entire clinic, let alone an entire hospital.
When we first came to Ghana, I worked in one of the largest government hospitals in the country, one with well developed departments manned by trained staff. Then God called us to come to a small town in northeast Ghana where there was a health center with eleven workers. While I was still trying to find my way, a tribal war broke out, and suddenly we were the only source of care for roughly 100,000 people. I had to start an operating theater and a laboratory. The only accounts worker I had didn’t even realize that the receipts and the money should tally at the end of the day. There were lots of other problems, all of which were new to me. I coped the same way Joshua did – I prayed a lot!
Hudson Taylor, the Founder of the China Inland Mission, was fond of saying that “Where God guides, He provides.” Taylor went to China with a fledgling mission group that was poorly run and had little knowledge of the stresses missionaries would face on the field. In 1934, CIM had 1368 missionaries in 364 stations scattered across China.
Have you been called to do a work for which you feel totally inadequate? Take heart! The same God who called Joshua to succeed Moses can help you just as He did Joshua. God is not nearly so interested in your ability as He is in your availability. Remember that most of Jesus’ disciples were fishermen; yet, by the power of the Holy Spirit, they turned the world upside down.
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Thank You that if You call us, You will empower us to fulfill Your perfect will. Lord, please encourage all who read this devotional to see that You are ready to help them if they will only ask. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
Burunche's Blog 
February 3, 2022 at 5:15 pm
Really well said thank you