Mourn the Past Before Embracing the Future

Joshua and Caleb

The Israelites reached the bank of the Jordan river but it was at the flood stage and so they could not cross over the river.

1) We Must Mourn the Past
Moses my servant is dead (v.2).
Moses will not enter the Promised Land but Joshua will enter because God has called and blessed him that wherever he sets his foot on. This is the same promise that God has promised to Moses.


We need to take time to mourn for the loss else we remain stuck and not able to move on. Loss of home, friends, family members, etc. We need to pause and mourn! Say it out loud... Mourning is good for our soul. Joshua might have thought that he and Moses will enter the Promised Land together but now Moses is dead. God reminded Joshua that Moses is dead and he will still lead the people and cross the river (v.2).

It's hard to get over the loss but God has prepared a new land in front of us and we must go and set our feet in the new land. We will not deal well with our future if we don't deal well with our past.

2) We must Embrace the New
Life has never been the same after our loss. It's different. Almost everything that God does in our lives requires us to embrace transitions to a new thing.

Joshua 5:12
The manna ceased on the day after they had eaten some of the produce of the land, so that the sons of Israel no longer had manna, but they ate some of the yield of the land of Canaan during that year.

Growth involves change. Now God stopped providing manna and let the Israelites grow their own food and grow up.

3) We Must Remain in God's story

Joshua 14:10-12
Now behold, the LORD has let me live, just as He spoke, these forty-five years, from the time that the LORD spoke this word to Moses, when Israel walked in the wilderness; and now behold, I am eighty-five years old today. ¹¹ I am still as strong today as I was in the day Moses sent me; as my strength was then, so my strength is now, for war and for going out and coming in. ¹² Now then, give me this hill country about which the LORD spoke on that day, for you heard on that day that Anakim were there, with great fortified cities; perhaps the LORD will be with me, and I will drive them out as the LORD has spoken.”

Joshua 24:14
“Now, therefore, fear the LORD and serve Him in sincerity and truth; and put away the gods which your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD.
Fear God and serve Him.

the people were pagan idol worshippers and hence when Moses came down from Mount Sinai, he discovered that the people has reverted back to their old way of worship. It was new to them.

It is easier for us to hide who we believed because we can be a social Christian and yet a pagan idol worhsipper in our culture today.

Joshua 24:15
If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”

Joshua challenged the people to choose whether to serve the Lord or to serve the gods of your fathers. We always need to fight against battle of our minds and hearts. Decide now who you want to serve. Don't stand on the fence.

What is your choice today? Fear God and live to serve Him!